Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-11-17
FOR THE INQUIRER.
ALE c.I Az AMI THE TARIEE

The opinions Of this gentleman, on the absorbing
topic of the Tariff from recent Developments appear to
become very equvocal. In the South, high tariff,
distinguished by the odous protective feature, receives
the countenauce of but q small portion of even the
Wings In the North such tariff, though it be-
destructive of all to the Government, is sus
tanned by considerable party To accommodate him.
self to these conflicting and irreconceable views and
opinions seems lately to have been the anxious labor
Of the "Sage of Ashland" On the eve Of the Geor
gia election, Wing editor addresses letter to Mr..
Clay, seeking from him the declaration Of his latest
opinions this interesting subject. These freshly
declared opinions designed for the Georgia
MARKET q staunch -protectve-Tarif State
Ii became, then, matter of some importance, that
they should not be ultra The milder and more mo.
derate, the better and, accordingly, find Mr.
Clay, the 18th of September, writing TO Doctor
Bronson, and, among other things, saving "After
my return TO Congress in 1881 my efforts di
rected TO the modification of the rates of duty
tanned in the act Of 1928 The act Of 1882 greatly
reduced and modified them and the act of 1888, com
monty called the Compromise Act still further reduced
and modified them In the preceding part of this
letter, Mr. Clay had characterised the aci Of 1928
shiyhly discredable to American legislation, and
hope, (says he,) for its honor, will never be again
peated" His ardent friends in Georgia published this
letter at once and seized hold of clear and ncon
trevertibe proof of the long cherished wishes Of Mr.
Clay soften The hardness Of his former Tariff policy
and as giving earnest of what may hereafter be
pected from him. To sustain this position they point,
tanned in this etter-that 'saiter my return TO Con
gress, in 1884, my efforts directed to the mold
fcation of the rates OF duty contained in the act of
ls23"-and INSIST yet further, to show the consequen-
of these 'sforts they resulted in the passage
of the act OF 1882, switch greatly reduced and mo-
di6ed" the duties imposed by the act of 1928 These
friends of Mr. Clay interpret his letter, as affirming
his appreciation of the act Of 1892 and that his eorts
were directed to procure its enactment. 1t the put
pose of MIR Clay, in using this language, was to at.
firm this, his advanced age has undermined and de.
s'royed his memory, or he has assumed TO himself the
merit OF advocating the passage of law, TO defeat
which he used all his powers of argument and all his
acknowledged popularity, with the manufacturing in
teress. 1t is demonstrable, that if the act OF 1882
"greatly reduced and modified" the duties imposed by
the act of 1928, such modification and reduction met
the unyieding hostility of Mr. Clay in 1882, and were
accomplished then, against his will, however much ne
may TO approve of that act LIE, the follow
ing facts, drawn from the public history and records Of
that period, speak on this subject
At the opening of The Congress that convened in
December, 1881, President Jackson, in his annual mes
sage stated that the current Of the year would
amount to more than S27 OO0 000-that the ordinary
expenses of the Government, independent of the pub
lie debt, would amount TO something more than Sl4,
600 000 aud that all the demands the Treasury, in
GLIDING the public debt, would be little, if at all over
sly 000 leaving surplus of revenue the de-
mands, of about $40 100000 He further represented
in the same message, that the revenue of the year