Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-12-09
POLITICAL.
MR.. CLAY AND THE TARIFF.


Whoa Of lnle u produce the impression, that Mr..
Clay has r,ally modified his Tariff opinions, aio y
near the free trade standard, as they paiess 70 uei
stand il. The Nuilters OF Georgia, especially, nave
rasor,ed 10 all manner Of ingenuity, 10 cover their own
narran: Abandonment of doctrine, in the support oil
Mr.. Clay, by representing him az having relaxed some
of the riror Of his anti .commercial theories rev
have cone 50 far as TO argue that Mr. Clay never was
II high tariff man, and talk though ne had been long
engaged in attempting reduce the high tariffs when
other politicians had in spite Of him. succeeded IN hs-
ing upon the country lie, himself, assisted his Heor-
pia friends Just before the late STATE election, ny an
ambiguous letter framed with the evident purpose Of
counlenancng these decei,ful representations OF his
course and so commenting on the tariff acts OF 1875
and 1882, as T. leave the IMPRESSION that Their high
protective features were not agreeable 10 nm me
dnpcity and conceament consist IN the Facts, demon
s,raed from the journals Of Congress- and his own for
mer speeches. that his recorded objections to those 6is
were directed those parts which essened the degree
oil protection; The high rates which were for revenue
smply-not the high rates that were INTENDED tor the
particular advantage Of manufacturers The tariff OF
1928 he pronounced defective because OF the proVi
sons inserted by stSouthern votes, designed to nJure
the protective features; and the thrift which he udyo-
Gated and recommended in 1882, distinctly Tor
protection By abosny reducing eli duties except
the protective He resisted, too, wit, al! his might,
the proposition tlia the protective duties should share
in the general reduction These efforts OF his made
purposely for Strengthening The pccy OF protection he
has the amazur GOODNESS quote anti-t7riH men,
These letters TO the South, drawn up with studied
ambiguity, are paraded BY Southern Wings, us signs
of modification Of Mr.. Clays former opinions, or as
proof. that he never he'd any other. Some Democra-
tic prints have fallen into the belief, that there has
been real change in NIt Clay, and claim the fact as
sign of The growing disfavoE, even among Wings, TO
the protective policy. 1t is certainly sign that Mr.
Clay and his Southern friends fear the effect upon
producing population, Of the doctrines OF Mr.. Clay
preached broadly he used deliver them, the
holiness of his former character. The necessity OF
disguise is confession of the offensive character Of the
system, which il is thought prudent 10 conceal. But
Mr.. Cl,y has evidently only changed position, tempo
rarly, 10 meet circumstances and has, III all the
acts referred TO, aud his present equvocal givngs
out attempted 10 fory his restrictive doctrines in
difficult 10 be resisted and fatal
in their perncious tendency.
The policy OF 1891, when Mr.. Clay FIRST bait up
this policy strongly, was bold and direct. The prn-
cple which he afterwards declared to be settled by
The Tariff Of that year, was PROJECTIONS, without
regard I, The degree OF protection neces-
sary for the mlnu lecturers the first point OF con-
eideration and the revenue an incident merely. He
went directly 10 his object as 10 declare that, IT
for the purpose Of protection necessary TO carry
the revenue hgi, to make the revenue inadequate
1t would be better - direct taxes excuses
to supply The deficiency, tbaa 10 relax the policy OF
protection.
All these doctrines were carried into tho act Of SIS,
under the administration of Mf. Adams VI. Clay be
ing Secretary 0. STATE. hlr Cay's plant against
eu3clH~'!lS
ITS value the manufactures Ia 1882, he found him
self and his policy pressed The wall by Gen. Jack
sons administration. Bot the Presidential election
was hand and he had hopes OF change that might
bring himself and his party into office, and give them
full power maintain their iavorite systems. HE
efforts were directed hold 10 the Tariff prnci-
pie and he resisted with anger and violence, all at
t0mp,s u modify reduce 1t. But III the autuian OF
that year, the Democratic party succeeded in re elect
ing Gen. Jackson; and in MIR. Clay's de Jared OPT
hat lad tha Galc NJ fbp al,cv
Hence his partial CONCESSIONS Designed he said u
the SYSTEM until it could be revived under better
auspices Tor the manufacturer.
His concessions in the Compromise at of 1888,
extoried from hun by necessity, and the only part
OF these concessions TO which he PROCESSES TO ad-
here, is that which provides that the revenue sac not
exceed the wants Of The Government Tins IS what he
calls tariff for revenue-confning thu limitation IN
tho Compromise act upon the tariff principle, 10 the
single point that II shall not be made to produce sur
plus IN the treasury The total inutilty OF such re-
stction is obvious II does not prevent the principle
of protection from being exercised in its most oppres-
Five FORM by carrying duties high as to reduce re-
venue; and it contains the vicious principle that II e
the sum Of The product Of certain duties which de
cdes their character revenue, and not the principle
and purpose for which they arranged MIR. Clay
defines shat he means revenue tariff, by his ap
proval of the thrift of lod2, general 'wis, and
proper. In tie SINE yeas n his great aanunc'ator
OF policy to the Senate he declared undimnished at
tnchment 10 tho protective policy, and bis determine
ton TO lve and die in that faith.
HIS lacl red motive for confnng himself - TART
for of In kind, at this tiGe confirms his ad
hesion 10 The protective principle, and pat of b.
plan Cor steng,beninIit, He has belistthat high
Tariff than what can he arranged on that basis. II
wanted by tue manufacturers. II viii do for pTolec
ton under the Wig scheme of arranging duties ant
why should they waste their strength iii seeking fol
more than they want:but, they say if more soull
e wanted they must have that 1t matters little
the favored class whether III monopo!es and bonn
tes extended to them al the expense of the producer
be granted in form another ha, their chiecls
are accomplished. II is better, indeed for them, tina
The effect should be disguised by ndircot6n IL
cludc the knowledge Of those who might be reused to
fatal opposii,on, if they could feel directly the fc
weirh Of the pressure. Part o! tbs system, is the
land distributor, by which the Treasury was t, be ex
haused Of is principal of revenue other than
customs, and the range within which The exercise OF
the skill of the manufacturers IN arranging duties for
their own benefit might bc enlarged.
The true description of Mr. Clays scheme Of policy
for the heneii. OF the manufacturers nov, would be
Tariff for protection, with Determinations, so that The
shall not exceed s,ipulted sum 81 II, IN
the limit protection exclusive and absolute, as ex
ttavagant and unequal, unjust and tyranncai may
be adjusted, the complete satisfaction Of the mos
ultra pro,scton's'.
The anti-TeriH party can have 60 fellowship with
such Revenue Tariff. They mean another set OF
principles entirely, when they favor y Tariff founded
revenue prnsinrs. They ne moi only Tariff =
revenue fairly and equally, without preference TO any
Que class OF Industry, any section of the coun-
t-y They insist that the whole sum raised, shall not
exceed The wants o. an economical administration OF
The Government, and that every item that goes 10
iorc, this revenue shall, nearly possible, be ad
jused upon the same sls principles, regarding them
rs pa IS OF iGst revenue system and neither legs
la,ny for, against the incidental operation Of these
duties
What we support, Democrats, is therefore, tariff
no merely for revenue purposes but revenue pri1
cples for the supply Of the economical wants of the
government for Which the other revenues Of The gov
eminent are insufficient
Mr.. Clly's tariff for revenue, against which rs De-
rocrats, make uuiinching war, is tiriii framed
10 provide revenue, bu; with the purpose and ex
pecs,;cn az giving the ampes protection desired BY
the favored classes, mud accompanied by N abandon
ment OF tie Chief OF independent revenue, so
make the amoun: required higher, and the range
for protection WIDER Mobile Register,