Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-12-01
The Hon. HEsRY CLAY,
Lexington, Kentucky.

ASHLAND, Zoth July, lS43.
GENTLEMEN: II duly received your favor of the 18Th
inst. IN which you inform me that conflicting opinion,
prevail IN your State in regard TO my opinions on tn,
policy OF protecting Domestic manufactures. and yo,
request OF me in relation to them. take
pleasure IN complying with your request.
MY opinion IS that the revenue necessary TO an ECO.
nomical administration of the General Government,
ought to he derived, in a season of peace. exclusively
rom dn,es imposed on our foreign imports, and thai
a Tariff Tor that purpose ought TO be so adjusted as n
afford reasonable encouragement TO orr domes,;S
manufactures. l am opposed 10 direct taxes and in.
.erna' duties except in time of war, when they NAV
ne necessary to give vieor and success tc arms. lam
opposed to the doctrines of free trade with foreion
ppwers, all of whom subject our ommcrce with them
70 res'riction, often very great and burdensome.
ihese opinionsl have always entertained and still
entertain. l never was in favor Of duties being &C
nLsh as TO amour. to a prohibition of articles on which
ests that there should be competition. think il al
great importance that a tariff should possess stability,
as frequent changes affect injnriously all our great in.
moderate, reasonal H. and certain.
| voted for the Tariff of 1916. 1924 and 1892. I
think they were all reasonable and moderate, at the
times they were respectively passed. In the infancy
OF manufactures, the object being TO acquire the skill
full establishment, a greater degree of protection is
expedIent than Is requisite after they have made q
considerable progress. The difficulty lies in fixing
that degree. In 1916, we were without much experi.
s"eoi anu idiieu u iHdhei III all cases, n proper adjust
ment OF the measure of protection. Eight years ex.
Perience in 1924 enabled Congress to fix il with more
eGult, and precision. Eight years Of PROGRESS in our
manufactures in 1892 JUSTIFIED some reduction in The
amount OF duties, and generally the Tariff of 1912 is
more moderate than tina, Of 1882. A., our manufac.
lures advance and become perfected, less and less nro.
teci!on Will be needed. until many articles will be able
10 compete with The foreign rival articles, without any
protection a. all in the form ofduties.
was not in Congress in 1928, and therefore did
not vote for Tho Tariff IF that o,r Tbo d,,,.. !.
many instances imposed by that Tariff were ex,rava.
gantly high, and, in Others, duties were imposed which
were not called for by any interest. That Tariff was
a fraudulent production. 1t was framed by a comb
nation OF some members from the South, and some
from the North, who were afraid openly to vote
against a Tariff, and yet wished to obtain credit for
being favorable to supposed Southern interests. II
WAS so shaped, with the design If defeating the pas.
cage OF any tariff; because II was believed, that it
was so injurious 10 the manufacturing interest in ma
nv respects, that the honest and true friends of thu,
interest would not vote for it. Had it been defeated,
NOSE NnriheIn members, who united in concociing
II, would have returned home and asserted that thew
were the true friends of protection, and that its really
honest friends were inimical TO it. But it was not de-.
feaicd. The genuine fren|s Of manufactures resoly.
ed not to De cheated by such a combination, and dc.
ternilned 10 take the bill for the sake of The good that
was in II, notwithstanding the bad, which was nut
their agnnst their consent. The scheme NOT having
succeeded as was designed, the Southern members.
who were concerned in it, afterwards bitterly re-
p%ointmcnt. ~
have moro than a half n dozen times expres,ed.
within the last two or three years, on public occa.
SONS, the opinions, which ! now communicate rs TO a
combination Of the principles of Revenue and Pro,ec.
ton in a Tariff. ] send you herewith the last speech
on that subject which l made in the Senate Of the U.
s. and also a brief sketch of the principles of the
Wing par.', as understand them, which i prepared.
have no other objection to the publication of this
letter but that it would imply a sensitiyenass in 70.
gard to my opinion which ! do not feel and l think j,
has been already sufficiently promulgated.
am your friend and otedien, servant.
Msssrs. joel BRANHAN, and
Ros'r BLEpsoE.