The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-07-05

uh.I you o0Cohlo d CoHVeEl ol tue pollCye Cl
protection not to see you retreating from that
position, and sheltering yo~urselfbehind some
general proposition such as that great truth,
which you dare not deny, that "protection is
the chiefduty which a free govemmentowes
to IFS citizens" It is now avowedly your
sentiment that that duty does not extend TO
a tariff.
The subject is one Of vast Importance to
the people of this country. In my opinion,
it involves the question of our independence.
By the adoption OF yoar policy, we shall
make ourselves the tributaries of foreign
powers, and particularly ofGreat Britain. By
Iadhering to the protective system, We main
tain our independence, sustain our industry,
and promote the general prosperity of the
country.
Far be it from me to assault your motives
or impeach your patriotism. And yet your
doctrines are so well suited to the interest
and policy of Great Britain, and so hostile
to ours, that it taxes my credulity TO believe
you sincere. hope you are; and hope you
will n day see your error, and acknowledge
it.
lean, see some reason why the exporter
of raw cotton TO British looms, should be.
opposed TO a protective tariff. Because, cot
ton, not being a product of Great Britain, and
moreover indispensable to her manufactures,
is let j at a low duty, about seven and a
half per cent. 1t is natural, that he should
desire to exchange his cotton for British
goods, and to bring those goods to the United
States, and sell them with as little COMPETE
ton as possible. 1t would be to his interest,
and that Of the British merchant to destroy
every loom in the United States. Their in
~terests are Identical, and it might be expect
ed that their opinions would harmonic, and
their feelings s~ympathize. But hat they
should be able to transfer their opinions and
feelings to any portion of the great body OF
consumers, South, West, North or East, whose
interests are precisely opposite is TO me a mat
ter of wonder.
You commence your speech, by pronoun-
cling the protective system, ga singular sys-
tenn, and founded on a singular idea; the
idea that taxes so they be indirect and paid
at a custom house, are not a necessary evil,
but a positive good to the people taxed.'
Tariff duties, laws of every kind, and even
government itself, may be considered "ne-
cessary evils because, if it were not, for the
evils that are in the world, neither tariff du-
ties, laws, or government, would be required.
No advocate of protection has ever denied
this; and yet are you so bad a reasoner as TO
argue from hence, that no positive good, can
result from the establishment ofa good gov
eminent Tor is that a solicism? Can there be
no such thing as a good governmentO or
from the enac tment ofwise and wholesome
laws (or is that a solicism? Can there be
no wise and wholesome LAVISH And if you
answer these questions in the affirmative.
how are you to escape the conclusion, that a
wise tariff may produce positive good to the
country, and thus find yourself, standing up.
right, cheek by jowl, with the friends of pro.
lection, founded on that very idea, which
you thought so singular. I will agree
with you ia part-that a tariff such as YOU
evil, viz: that no good whatever could result
from it..
IF you will examine yourself closely, ]
think you may find, that you are, by no means
destitute of singular ideas yourself, and thai
your notion of protection, is very singular
Money IN a mans pocket, may be protect
ed; but this thing of protecting money INTO
a mans pocket, as you quantity expressit it, is
to you unintelligible, you can scarcely see
any difference between that and robbery
And yet in the second paragraph of you
!, speech, you endorse, all that we conted for
: that protection is due, ssnot to life and liml
and liberty alone, but TO property and th,
just means of acquiring property, labor
} Now it appears to me, you might have save,
!, yourselfthe trouble ofhunting out a whimsical
mode, of expressing the same idea, and the
f invoking the Judgment of our grammar a
: gainst it.
!, You step aside, to give Mr.. Clay a d.
b under the ribs-the man. whom YOU style