The North-Carolina standard., 1843-12-20

4
protecton, except far as incidental to legiti-
mate tax for revenue. Such incide ntal protection
though moderate, has the advantage usually, of
being equal, steady and uniform, and is necessa-
ry and useful consequence of the fair exercise of
constitutional power. This they have never re-
sisted. But tariff, like the recent one, was a.
vowedly passed for direct protection in many of
| its provisions-and that chiefly and partially to-
one interest alone-and as high inseveral respects
as the extravagant' act of 1828-and indeed, so
prohibltory in'many particulars to lessen rath-
er than augment the revenue. 1t does what is
still worse. 1t violates the solemn compromise
made between conflicting interests in 1888, and
resumes species of legislation, which had been
abandoned almost by acclamaton on account of
the caprciousness of its influence on industry
its ruinous fluctuations, and the danger its inequaIi-
ty and injustice were causing to the peace and du-
rability of the Union ITSELF .
| Without entering now into other illustrations
of its fatal operations on the public welfare, ask
you to look but moment to its effects on what is
connected most Immediately with yourselves-the
Navigating interests and the Fisheries. Where
are now the rich freights of former days? Where
| your ship yards, crowded with vessels on the
Stocks2 Where are the hundreds of mechanics
around them, whose axes and saws once made
them resound with the hum of industry, and en-
abled US to compete successfully in the carrytrade
with a whole world Gone; high tariff on
most imports has lessened their amount and con-
sequently the employment for vessels heretofore
built-tree trade and low duties being the seed
which yields the golden harvest TO navigation
A still higher tariff on most Of the articles which
enter in ship building-on iron, hemp, duck and
cordage-quie equal to five dollars for every ton
has also helped to disable you from competing
so well as otherwise with the less highly taxed
| ships of other nations. Both of these with the
increased duties on most which our mechanics
consume-on their clothes, tools and groceries
have silenced those axes and saws and made your
ship yards deserts.
| 1t amounts in its influence to large bounty on
jal foreign vessels competing with you, instead of
equality or given some advantage to your own
At the same time it furnishes premium virtually
to repair vessels abroad and thus strips various
operatives here of employment in repairs as we'll
as in building. The Fisherman, whose deck is
the nursery for our gallant Navy as we'll as en-
terprising Commercial Maine-is also subjected
to additional tax of several hundred dollars on
the foreign materials in his vessel and on his salt
without any remuneration by an increase of his
drawback or bounty. 1t is in vain to expect any
permanent relief to all these vital interests, with
out large and permanent reduction in the tariff.
You would by such reduction not only favor
equally all the great branches of industry; but
restore navigation to that free competition which
has built it up in past generations from carrying
less than half Of all the freights both to AMI from
this country at first, to four-fihs of late
years and under which mpetition-however
many the reci procal treaties, if we have only low
duties, it need never fear to succeed against the
loftiest and most enterprizing people. Our tom
mage is now but the second in amount of any na-
ton in the world, and aided bv"our great natural
advantages, and commercial habits, if left nnde-
pressed by high tariffs, it can distance, and, by
Gods blessing, it will ere long distance every 9TH
er power.
Who can object then to such salutary changes !
in the present dulies2 None who wish prosperi-
ty to the whole rather than part at the expense
Of the rest None who wish for more revenue |
to discharge the public engagements; as revenue
will thus be increased None who wish to favor !
real labor and to dampen political ma nufacturing
and the making more political capital by dema-
gouge cries of higher protection to home industry |
and American labor. None who wish to check |
speculation None indeed-reallv friendly to the |
manufacturers themselves. For if they looked to |
their true and permanent nterests--towards which |
on an equal footing with agriculture and COM
merce none can be better disposed than myself
if they looked to the great incidental protection
they would receive by a revenue duty of twenty
twenty five per cent, and to the stability likely
10 be enjoyed under such protection. they would !
assent to the reduction cheerfully. And they
would do it the quicker from their recent expert
remain at the specie slandard-the only standard
under which they can obtain much benefit from
any tariff, or are able to supply any foreign mark
ct; rather than to be prostrated every few years
by those ruinous fluctuations, incident TO high du
ties and bank expansions and contractions.
Nor could, the public under any tariff escape
from vacillations in the currency, by using an
Exchequer paper, unless resting dollar for dollar
on specie. And the chances as to that or Unit
ed States Bank, managed by politicians always
are the ruinous fate of Laws Mississippi bubble; !;
or two or three hundred millions loss by our old
continental issues.
1t is not necessary to refer to more specifca-
tions-of the good measures which belong to our
cause or the bad ones of our opponents-nor even
to their most dangerous attempt, which has thus
far fortunately failed, of changing the Constitu-
tion itselfso as nearly to destroy the Veto power
though placed there at the birth by the Fathers of
the Revolution (and through the great palladium
of the People against hasty and unconstitutional
But as we desire not only our own party to
rally in support of the democratic ticket but all
the honest patriots, who have been heretofore
or inconsiderately ensnared into
the ranks of our opponents, let me say word to
such before closing. They may ask what are
they to gain by voting for our candidates. say:
you thus help to save the constitution, so much
violated and endangered-you help to restore the