The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1844-07-26

hostility TO the Compromise. Within six
weeks after the passage of the act. the Ey-
ecu,ive of the United States began to VIC.
late lis true spiIit and its legitimate con-
struciion for the purpose of breaking down
our American policy. Ga the Goth OF A.
pril, 1883, the Secretary Of the Treasury,
under President Jackson, issued his famous
Treasury circular to all The officers Of the
customs in the United States. That crrcu
lar contained an Executive decree abroga.
ting all the specific duties and the whole
system of minirEms in the existing tariff
laws. under a pretexi as foreign from the
views of eli the men with whom | acted in
the 7sssage of that law as any thing the
most remote, this arbitrary edlct declared,
without one syllable in the act TO support
II, that II was our intention IN passing ii 10
repeal these specific duties and mInlmums.
IL is scarcely possible that any human be.
ing could have been so ignorant as not 10
know that specific duty could at any time
be as we'll ascertalned as an I'd ruiorem du.
~, aud that these duties we're convertible.
BY the compromise We SIMPLY proyiae.Ss
nd ,aLorer,l ..sfIau t1sa'N a',le.ller specihc or
,rf;xad M should be reduced according TO
TeIfsa ratio. This outrage on the law,
wuich, because the Executive, whose pro
vince II was to collect the duties, had per.
petraied it, was utterly without remedy,
proved Of grea, injury 10 all those manu-
features which depended for protection upon
the minimums and specific duties. The IN
Jury inflicted on the manufacturing interest
did not admit OF legal redress, Tor The friends
of protection could not bv any possibility
bring the question before any judicial tn.
bunsl, while the Executive officers refused
TO sue for or collect the duties IA psrsuauce
OF their Instructions. Nothing remained
for US TO do but 10 submit "a silence until
the returning sense OF justice of the coun-
try should induce the people 10 drive the
enemies Of domestic industry from the high
places Of the Republic.
And here let me pause, for the purpose
Of enireating every friend OF Home La.
bour, who has ever drought Of voting for
James X Polk, as Presiden. Of the United
States, 10 take warning BY the example
which have now set before him. lfthere
be such a man, let him not lay the tldtter.
ing JUNCTION TO hrs soul that he can save his
iavorite policy, while the Executive OF the
United States, with the officers Of the Gus.
tomS appointed by him, is hostile to that
policy. They have the collection OF the
duties for protection; and he who would
commit the lamb 10 the custody OF the vol,
illjustiy suffer for his own folly.
Before | have done with this subject,
ought TO mention, in this connexlon, what
lhiuk is another strong evidence of the
hostility Of James K. Polk and his political
associates TO the protective policy, and 9th
er true principles Of the Compromise Act.
Although they continued ia power from
The passage OF that law until the year l 81
ttss nerer attempted, in a single Instance,
10 proride either BY protective legislation
of by an Executive regulation, for any
mode Of assessing duties On he home rail
uation . nor did they attempt TO pass law
raislne The duties, pfosPectIyely, after the
35lh June, 1872, 10 the real wants Of the
government; although they knew, as well
through the whole session oil Congress Of
le40-l, as we know nov, one or both Of
tllefe measures ought TO be pfuspectiyely
adopted, TO save the government from the
danger Of bankruptcy. The principle Of
tie Home aluailon vas 4 SINE qua non, at
i,ae time Of the passage oi lhe act, with una
NJ Of those who, like myself voted for II for
ihe purpose as0sed b me al the time, Of
he 4
cred that vote for The duties fixed By the
at, to De assessed On this principle, was
essentially TO all Iatents aud purposes vote
lJr Protection and We determined, there,
lore, to compel Mr Calhoun and BIZ. pecu
liar friends 10 the Senate 10 record their
votes 10 the most unequvocaI form, on the
Journal IN favor Of that puacipe. And
here J cannot help complaining Of the con.
dnct Of Mr.. Calhoun, ailer tie passage Of
this law, and especially after the period
when most Of Us friendly to the Protective
policy, who had voted With hun for its pas.
sage, had left the Senate Of the United
states. How well his conduct comported
With iha. feeling which became a man who
lad received al our hands shelter from
The storm which threatened 10 annlhilale
him, | leave for han and others who are 10
the same category TO determine. TO ex.
pam his conduct mus, refer 10 few facts.
While the motion was pending 10 anoad
TIE bill by directing the assessment Of the
duties on the home value, a debate sprung
g, 10 the course Of which Mr. Calhoun re.
peatedly argued that the amendment was
unconstitutional, and declared that It vas
impossible for blm to vote Tor II. A nun
Der Of tariff Senators, friendly to the com
promise act, with whom | was acting IN
concert, including, among others, Samugl
Bell, Of New Hampshire, A. Madam, Of
Delaware, Samuel foofe, Of Connecticut,
and John Holmes, Of Name, bad resolved
70 compel all the anti protectjoatsts in the
Senate to vote for that amendment, IN eve
y stage 0! It's passage, or 10 defeat the bill
~ laying II on the labe. We ioresaw al
The objections winch have been since made
90 The adoption Of that mole Of preventing
eyasions Of the Las aud fraud, on the reye.
nue. aud we knew TINT the amendment ne
eassarlly, carried with It urs,ecticn ia 4.