The Arkansas banner., 1843-12-23
From the Richmond Enquirer. ZR. CLAY AND THE TARIFF

The opinions of this gentleman, on the absorbing topic of the Tariff, from recent developments, appear to become very equi- vocal. In the south, high tariff, distinguish ed by the odious protective feature, receives the countenance of but a small portion of even the Wings. In the north, such a tariff, even though 1t be destructive of all revenue to the government, Is sustained by consi- derable party To accommodate himself to these conflicting and irreconcilable views and opinions, seems lately to have been the anxious labor of the {" sage of Ashlandn On the eve of the Georgia election, Whig edi- tor addressed letter to Mr. Clay, seeking from him the declaration of his tateSt opin- ions on this interesting subject. These fresh- ly declared opinions were designed for the Georgia market, a staunch antl-protective- Tariff State- It became, then, a matter of some importance, that they should not be ultra. The milder and more moderate, the better; and, accordingly, we find Mr. Clay, on the 18th of September, writing to Doctor Bronson, and, among other things, saying: < After my return to Congress in 1881, my efforts were directed to the modification of the rates of duty contained in the act of 1928. The act of l832 greatly reduced and modified them; and the act of 1853, com monly called the Compromise Act, still fur ther reduced and modified them.'' In the preceding part of this letter, Mir. Clay had characterized the act of 1928 as ss highly dis credltable to American legislation, and hope, (says he,) for its honor, will never be again repeated" His ardent friends in Georgia, published this letter at once, and seized hold of it as clear and inconhovertible proof, of the long cherished wishes of Mr. Clay to soften the harshness of his former Tariff po- Hey, and as giving earnest of what may here after be expected from him. To sustain this position, they point, triumphantly, to the de- elaration of MT. Clay, contained in this letter that " after my return to Congress, in 1891, my efforts were directed to the modification of the rates of duty contained in the act of 1S28''-and insist, yet further, to show the consequences of these "eDortso-that " they resulted in the passage of the act of 1882, sswhich greatly reduced and modified'' the duties imposed by the act of 1928. These friends of Mir. Clay interpret his letter, as af- frming his appreciation of the act of 1S32, and that his :. efforts were directed'' to pro- cure its enactment. If the purpose of Mir. Clay. in using this language, was to affirm this, his advanced age has undermined and destroyed 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 acknowledg- ed popularity, with the manufacturing inter- ests. It is demonstrable, that if the act of 1832 < greatly reduced and modi6ed' the'du- ties imposed by the act of 1928, such modi- fcation and reduction met the unyielding hostility of MT. Clay in 1892, and were ac- complished then, against his will, however much he may seem moac to approve of that act. Let the following facts, drawn from the public history and records of that period, speak on this subject.
 At the opening of the Congress that con- vened in December, 1891, President Jackson, in his annual message, stated that the current revenue of the year would amount to more thanj S27 ,000, ,000-that the ordinary eXpen- ses of the Government, independent of the public debt, would amount to something more than Si4,000,000, and that all the de mands on the Treasury, including the public debt. would be little, if at all over $l7,000,- GOO, leaving surplus of revenue over the demands, of about. .Sl0,ooG,0co. He further represented in the same message, las4l! las4al! the re- venue of the year 1883, would, from the lm- portations lately ascertained to have been made, and the land fund, be about S33,000,- GOO, while the Government wants would not exceed S1S,000,000, including the payments for the public debt. In view of. this State of the finances of the country, the President strongly recommended the reduction of the Tariff, so as to accommodate the burthens imposed by it on the people,ato the necessa- " expenses of the Government. In this re- commendation, Mr. Mclean, the then Secre- tary of the Treasury, united. and recommend ed that the reduction should extend to nearly Sl0,000,000 The anti-tarilf party in Con gress disapproved the recommendations of the Secretary, and throughout maintained that there ought to be reduction of at least S12,000,000. The bill of 1882 finally pass