The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-07-31
MR.. CLAY'S SPEECH.
Delivered in the city of Raleigh,
April 18th, 1914.
Continued.
FREE TRADE


Continued.
GREE TRADE"
We are invited, by the partizans Of the
doctrine of the free trade, TO initiate the
liberal example of some Of the great
European powers. England. we are told
is abandoning her restrictive policy, and
adopting that of free trude. England
adopting the principles of free trade
Why, where are her Corn laws Those
laws which exclude an article of prime
nccessity--the very bread which sus.
tains human life-in order 10 afford
protection TO English agriculture. And,
on the single article of American tobacco,
England levies annually an amount Of
revenue equal 10 the whole amount oil
duties, levied annually by the United
States upon all the articles of import
from all the foreign nations Of The world,
including England. That is her free
trade And as for France. we have
lately seen a State paper from one of her
high functionaries, complaining in bitter
terms of the American Tariff of 1912,
and ending with formally announcing
to the world that France steadily adher.
ed 10 the system of protecting French in
dustry
NATIONAL TARIFF.
But, feilow-ciIizens ! have already
detained you TO long on this interesting
topic, and yet have scarcely touched
it. For nearly thirty years it has agita,
ted the Nation. The subject has been
argued and debated a thousand times. in
every conceivable form. 1t is time that
the policy of the country should become
$, tiled and fixed. Any stable ADJUST
ment of it, whatever it NAV evil be far
preferable TO perpetual vascillation. When
once determined labor enterprise and COM
merce can accommodate themselves ac-
cordingly. But in finally settling il. the
interests Of the whole Union, as well as
all lis parts, should he duly weighed ana
considered, IN a paternal and fraternal
spirit. The C~onfederacy consists of &c
States besides territories. embracing ev-
cry variety of pursuit, every branch of
human industry. There may be an ap-
parent, there is no real. conflict between
these diversified interests. No one State,
no enc section, can reasonably expect or
desire that the common government of
the whole should be administered, exclu-
sively according to IFS own peculiar opin-
ion. or so as 10 advance only its p%articu>
lar interests, without regard to the opin-
ion or the interests Of all other parts. In
respect to the l arif, there are two schools
holding opposite and extreme doctrines.
According to one. perfect freedom in our
foreign trade with no, or very low duties,
ought TO prevail. According TO the 9TH
er the restrictive policy ought, on many
articles. TO be pushed, by a high and ex-
orbiIant Tariff, TO the point of absolute
rehabilitation. Neither party can hold it.
self up as an unerrIng standard of tight
and wisdom. Fallibihty is the lot OF ali
men, and the wisest know how little they
do know. The doctrine of free trade is
a concession TO Foreign powers, without
an equivalent, 10 the prejudice of native
industry. Not only without equivalent,
but in the face of their high duties. res
irictions x prohibitions applied TO Ameri-
can products. 10 foreign Powers. our
rivals jealous of our growth and anxious
10 impede our onward progress. En-.
courageinent Of domestic industry is a
concession 10 our own fellow-cItrzens,
10 those. ancestors shared in common,
with our ancestors, in the tolls of the rev.
o%lulion ; to those who have shared with
US in tolls and sufferings of our day ; TO
those whose prosterity are destined 10
share with our posterIty in the trials, in
The triumphs and the glories that await
them. 1t is a concession to those who
are bone of our bone and the flesh OF our
flesh and who in some other beneficial
form do make and are ready to make
equivalent concession 10 US. Ii is still
more; it IS a concession by the whole TO
the whole ; for every part of the
country possesses a capacityto man.
ufactures and every part Of the oun
try more or less does manufacture.
Some parts have advanced further than
others. but the progress of all IS forward
and onward.
Again | ask what is TO be done in this
conflict of opinion between the two ex-
iremes which | have stated Each be-
~Iieves, with quite as much confidence as
the other, that the policy which he es-
pouses is the best for the country. Neith-
er has a right 10 demand that his judge
ment shall exclusively prevail. What,
again, / ask is to be donel Is compro-
mise or reconciliation impossiblel Is
this glorious Usion TO be broken upland
dissolved and the hopes Of the world,