Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-11-07
From he Giobe.)
MR. CLAY-PRo AND con.

81 NR. CLAY-PRO AND Gun.
The two last number of the Cincinnati, Gazet!
hiring us commentaries on Two Of Mr.. Clays late let
tiers on the tariff The effort OF the ingenious MIR
o Wright is to reconcile them TO each other, and hi
y friends interested in the protective Poncy 10 The ha
E lnncinp attitude which Mr.. Clay now attempts TO take
. II would seem, that it is MIR. Clay's purpose 10 sub
= s,;,n,e addresses through Clay Clubs, aud letters to
d editors in the different sections OF the Union, Tor the
n Congressional demonstrations from which ne has re
+, treated. lie finds grea; advantage IN this mode OF
dealing with public questions IN oons.ess' u was
e brought 10 u practical test, by a vote; but ne can, IN
i. letters. deal very much in generallies, and give a CO
1 Iorinp. a shading, a soltening TO his sentiments, SO as
, 10 suit them 10 the views OF his partsans IN different
) sections, and enable them to palm OIL ms opinions on
the less informed among the people, as IN perfect con-
torm,lv with their own. The late letter TO a Georgia
editor. in anticipation Of the recent election, was oil
his COMPLEXION. Some Of the Cincinnati editors,
r viewing i, in the light in which it was certainly in
!. tended 10 be looked on in Georgia, pronounced It an
S abandonment Of the protective policy. Mr.. Wright Of
:. Cincinnati, who showed his skill in weaving General
/, Harrison $ inconsistencies into a very comfortable tissue
/ of molly moderation, has undertaken The same office
; for Mr. Clay. He brings up the letter oil MIR. Clay
S to the Tennessee State AgrIculinris', to explain the
Georgia letter and says, that "no man indeed could pre-
TEND TO understand the ono aonhout the other The
) tariff parapraphs of the letter referred 10 as explanatory
t are these:
"The main pillars of society are agriculture, com.
merce, including navigation, manufactures, and the
mechanic arts. Owing 10 the peculiar position OF the
!, United States, agriculture requires but little protection,
and that confined 10 a few branches OF 1t. IL is other
wise with the two other interests. ihey require some
) protection against the selfish legislation and the rivalry
of foreign powers, which, 10 make It beneficial and eff.
rectual, should possess two q~ualilies-moderatIon and
stability ultimately connected win each o.her. with
out moderation, other interests would leei tnat They had
been uniuslly dealt Decentralization would ensue--
and thai stability in legislation, so desirable IN all bust
f ness and pursuits, would not be served.
"protectlon to manufactures and commerce., IS IN
fact. whatever il may be IN form, encouragement 10
r agriculture. The cultivator of the soil IS conscious oil
the urea, advantage OF having along side oil him the
blacksmith, the wheelwright, the saddle ana harness
maker, the tailor, the halter, the shoe. maker, the cabI-
net-maker, masons, and carpenters. HIS comforts, and
theirs, are both increased by such proximity, and they
are enabled 10 augment their respective Troduclions.-
But of what avail would it TO be to multlp y them with
out commerce, foreign and domestic, whose office it is
10 distribute the surplus produce OF agriculture, and Of
the mechanic and manufacturer
al am so far a friend to Free Trade, u think that,
within the limits OF the Union, itshould be entirely un.
fe,tered, and perfectly equal between all interests, and
nil parts OF our country. But TO that Free Trade,
7 which would throw wide open our ports lt foreign pro
ductions, without duties, their remaining closed 10
us, or our admission allowed only upon the condition
of high duties and severe RESTRICTIONS, which would
4 compel a resort 10 direct taxation, instead OF the Gus
4 tom House, 10 supply The wants OF the Federal Urea
sury, and which would leave our domestic industry
unprotected, and exposed in an unequal contest with
J The rival PRODUCTIONS Ol IOleigu po"cloi ! ou utteiJ
2 and irreconcilably opposed. | had hoped, ind supposed
that all would have cheerfully rallied around Tariff
e which, seeking to supply the Treasury with an AIDE
: quate revenue, for an honest and econom cal admins
j, tration of the Government, should, at tie same time
incidentally, by proper discrimination, extend reason
e able protection to such branches Of our domestic indus
.. try as needed il. This is all which is now asked or in
.. sisted upon. But even that moderate and equitable
; basis, for the final settlement of this great and vexec
/ question, encounters strong and decided opposition.
Il IN - -, (.o-,t ha nm n a N IT Ia
d operation of our present Constitution, have constantly
j. enioyed some degree Of protection from Government
d in the form of duties imposed on fabrics OF foreign me
chanics, aud think it ought to be continued"
S Here, it will be seen, that Mr.. Clay avows the doc
d trine of protection as absolutely as ever. To the policy
!. he says, "which would leave our domestic industry
, unprotected, and exposed in an unequal contest witt
the rival productions of foreign powers, | am utterl!
and irreconcilably opposed" He is, then, for taxing
i our srival productions, that American C capitalists, en-
! gagged in manufactures, may put as a tax in The price
: Of their articles, the impost on the foreign article, rais
n ing il by that amount. This IS the only way IN which
e tax on a cheaper foreign article can protect the dear
y American article from its "rival." The consumer Of Thu
d commodity would, if permitted, buy the equally goot
/ and cheap article, in preference to the dear one, allho
5 the latter came from Lowell. MIR. Clay, then, 'is ut
! terly and irreconc,lably opposed to the system which
i would make the taxes as light as possible, and beal
equally on all He is for protection, and, of COURSE 10
0 adequate projection that Is, 10, ,u.i. p,u,ec.iv" ~ ger
o tam classes, out of The pockets Of other classes OF so
ciety, as would enable the former TO turn the tax I'M
posed on foreign articles, in the name of duties for re
/ venue, into a profit for themselves, by %excludin:
the foreign article-giving TO favorites the market
and enabling them 10 charge The amount OF TIT
= tag, as so much additional profit. On what class thI
r tax is to be levied, without scarcely n pretence o
d compensation in any way, MIR. Clay's letter itself yer.
plainly shows, without intending II. II says, that az
n riculture requires very little protection! Mr.. Cha.
o should rather have SAID it obtains very little of iha
o lie legislative protection which he boasts OF as so useful
II while it bears all the burdens il imposes. Does no
The farmer of this country sell his products cheaper, II
proportion 10 the amount of labor bestowed upon them
than any other PRODUCER Compare the price which
If the Lowell manufacturer puts in his pocket for thu
d days labor of any one Of his workmen, with the lrk'
!, sum which the farmers clear annual profits will ena
d bile him TO average as The return for the days labor o
one of his hands, and it will be seen that the Amer
]. can farmer requires as much protection as the Lowell
capitalist. But what does he get: A burden upor
e every thing he buys 10 clothe his people, and upor
every implement employed 10 raise his crop. Tn
manufacturer, on the contrary, has all hiss implement
and materials exempted from taxation. His dye stuffs
- his coarse wool, a thousand things that enter into hi
\ instruments and material OF manufacture are place.
y y upon the free list. But the farmer has no free list. =
~ He is devoured with duties on every thing he buys
!. and yet, the products of his labor are taxed out ofloreigI
a markets with duties approaching The extreme OF prohl
bition much nearer than any imposition put on our ma
J, nufactures in foreign markets. The truth IL, Englan
does not impose any tax on articles of American manu-
= IHCluIe lIOUl lUc q VI SOiHIStltioH. WEI ~ 60
sell in our market, under an oneroos duty, why shoul
she fear that we would undersell her superior skill an
: greater capital at homer 1t is against our agricullur
that her corn laws are intended to defend her lande
arislocracy; and while Mir. Clay pretends, that hi
protective tariff is intended to reialiate foreign re
siriction, how is il that he 50 far forgeis the duty
protecting our agriculture against the English Cor
laws, that he puts every burden Of our own tariff upo
IT, in addition to tina, of the English monopolists' An
there is not an exemption of any foreign article of in
pcr.ance consumed by Il farmer, in any free list ye
: made out by Clay. He would tax his coffee, his les
+, his clothes, his plough, his hoe, his h%arrow-in a worc
every thing he uses, that he is obliged 10 buy! An
this is the case with the blacksmith, the tailor, III
shoemaker, the saddler, the hatter-whom Mr.. Ca
places by the side of the farmer in the West, as classe
: of mechanics in whose protection he is interested! Th
British manufacturer is very little of a rival with ou
country blacksmilhs, shoemakers, tailors, carpenters
&c whose competitors are in New England. To III
/ British they stand pretty much in the predicament Q
;, their %neighbor, the farmer. They are taxed on every
- thing they consume, for the benefit of the great Anne
d rican capitalists, without receiving scarcely anythin
;, like an equivalent TO support them against the pretend
al -