The North-Carolina standard., 1843-11-01
MR. CLAY's LATE LEqTER.


Clay's tariff principles He says:
The sum and substance ofwhat conceive to be the
true policy OF the United States, in respect TO Tariff
may be briefly stated. In conformity with the principle
announced IN the compromise act, think that whatever
revenue necessary TO economical and honest ad-
mInstratIon of the General Government, ought to be
derived from duties, imposed Foreign imports. And
believe that, in establishing Tariff of those duties,
such discrimination ought TO be made, will incident
ests.''
Here the "sum and substance of the matter
is stated as favoraby for his Southern friends as
it could possibly have been done, without relin-
gushing his cherished doctrine of protection. He
talks about conformity with the G principles an
nounced in the compromise act sanctions that
act; and in another part of his letter says the
present tariff law the enactment of which violated
the compromise principles, is " in the main WISE
AND PROPER Put this and that together, and
then say what they amount to. The truth is,
Mr.. Clay was driven into the adoption of the
compromise principles, By a desire as he express
ed 1T, 10 SAGE the manufacturing interests from
total ruin. He endeavors also to take ground, in
this extraordinary letter, in favor of a. aeOenue
tariff with the view, we are persuaded, of obtain
ing Southern votes, and for the purpose of throw
ing upon Southern democrats either the necessity
which attaches itself to those who advocate the
doctrine of direct taxation. But in this endeaEor
he will most signally fail. Southern democrats
-and the great body of the democracy in all
sections really and honestly in favor of
revenue tariff; and they are not to be prejudiced
in. their principles, or driven from their princi-
pies, either by the Federal Wings themselves or
the demagogue that leads Them
Again. Mr.. Clay says, in another part of his
letter:
tThe act which passed at the Extra Session of IS41
which Isupported, confined TO the free articles.
had resigned my seat the Senate when the 1912
passed Generally, the duties which it imposes,
lower than those in the act of 1892 And without in
to express any opinion upon every item of this
last tariff would say, that think the provisions in
the main, are wise and proper
The act which Mr., Clay supported at the Ex-
ira Session, provided among other things, that af
ter the 5oth of September, 1s4l, free articles,
with the exception, ip the main, of drugs and
dye-stu6s FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MANUFAc-
TURERs, should be taxed twenty per cent and it
provided also, that on all articles manufactured
from two or more materials, the duty should be
assessed at the highest rates at which any of lis
component parts were chargeable. Now let US
look at the articles which were admitted free ofI
luty at the time Mr. Clay voted for this law
Here are some Of them: Boiling Cloths of Silk
8ombazr.tcs and Bombnznps; Wrought Burr
stones; Cambric and Calnbric linen handker |
hiefs; Silk I+aces; Linens bIeachcd anil un-E
'lrached; Black pepper Russia sheeting; Ia
'le linen, and linen napkins; worsted stuff goods, |
ogether with various other articles not necessary
0 be mentioned Upon these articles MIR. Clay, |
eonfning his attention TO them,'' voted to impose
duty Of to0enty per cent.
But Mr. Clay expressly sanctions the present
Ugh tariff He was not in the S.nate when it
'assed and says he has not the means of judg ging
whether there are any excesses or defects in it"
hill he says, in the above extract the duties it i'm
oses are generally Lotoer than those in the act of
832; and in another part Of his letter he admits
nat the act of 1882 was not so high as that of
825. Now Mr., Calhoun, in his speech of Au-I
ust 5, 1912 against the present tariff law, erpress
= charges and shoers that the latter is woRsE-
ITCH woRsE-thGn Mat of 1928. Here, then,
an issue of fact between these two great men.
n whose favor, we ask, will the Southern people
ecide2 Will they decide. for Mr. Clay when
expressly admits that he has no opportunity Of
Judging as to Its excesses or defects"-when he
'lemnly declares what is known to be untrue
lat the present law is more favorable to the
outh than that of 1882 or will they decide for !
lr Calhoun. who was on the spot when the bill
assed; who examined it in all its bearings; who =
ade one of his most gigantic efforts against it
i'd who tells the whole country that it is more
oppressive even than the law of 1928?
Want of room compels US to stop here We i
louid like toshow that the true question is whe-
Ter the present tariff law, which Mr.. Clay sane v
ons, is not infinitely worse than the Compromise b
ct, by the provisions of which he most solemnly T
fomised to abide2 In the mean time we shall y
ut on file this letter ofMr. Clay, and comment d
! it hereafter in such terms as it may seem to Il
eserve at our hands I'll
= :, --------- IL
Tennessee. We learn, from the Baltimore !,
epubican, that the Legislature of this State has );
ected its TIVE Senators to Congress Ephraim
Foster was chosento TO fill the unexpired term
the late Hon. Felix Grundy, TO serve till the e
urth of March, 1916, and Spencer Jarnagin, );
r six years from the 4th of March, 184I Both :.