The Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1843-1852, 1844-08-28
SPEECH OF MR.. hlcDUFFIE.l
= ON THE TARIFF. ~ q
IN SENATE. Nav an a,a N fsa

iuiions proposing To postpone indefinitely his
bill ior restoring the tariff to the standard OF the
conpromise act. a. .....
The special order having been announced from
the Chair,
Mr.. McDurrIE rose, aqd addressed the Sc,
pafe as follows: tJt
Mr.. PREsiDENr: The bin which / had thu, b,.
nor OF presenting To the Senate early in this ses
son Tor reducing the duties on foreign imports
has, tor the last SIX weeks, been exposed to sue
eessive discharges Of heavy ordnance and small
arms from the other side Of the chamber some
OF them assailing me in front, some in the aank.
and some IN the rear have borne these assaults
with us much patience and philosophy as posi-
Bile; but feel that it is now full time that
should return the fire. And though may not
have the command of arms of so large a calibrc
as those Of the assailants, am not without hone
that, from the strength of my position, shall be
enabled no, only to demolish their masked bate.
RES but TO drive them from the field
In answering the numerous arguments which
have been successively advanced by senators on
the other side OF the House, / shall, in all human
probability, address the Senate of the United
States tor the last time on this great and vital
question. And, although have not the slightcs,
f"Pv rirut any thing u.,ur vim si,ss me
hxed and predetermined doom of the measure
have presented for the consideration of the Senate
feel, nevertheless, under solemn obligations to
my own immediate constituents, and to the peo-
pie OF the United States at large, TO place upon
the records Of our proceedings the grounds of NV
eternal opposition to the principles of the protec
i've system, to remain there Us justification To
the country and to posterity of my own course.
eno that o, my constituents, in all the possible is
sues which may grow out Of this question:
Sir, must say-becaase feel and know it
that IT the people of certain portions Of this Union
submit patiently to this ESQ called) protective sys-
tenn, as measure of permanent policy, their ine
vnaole destiny is determination; and if they have
lett one scintillation of that glorious spirit which
IN the various stages of our past history has nva.
riably animated our ancestors, thew cannon. and
VIII not, submit to this intolerable oppression.
In proceeding to answer the various arguments
ud1unoed hr-tho huuu-eIie ssuu,er. an the o,ha,
side OF the House. shall not proceed in the or
der indicated by the succession in which those ho-
norable senators addressed this body, but in the
order Indicated by the subject itself.
The hrst question, then. which / propose to
consider Is the rise, progress, and present state
OF the protective system, presented by the
two senators from Massachusetts. The senator
from that State who sits near me, (Mr. Choate,
devoted, believe, one whole parliamentary day
to what he was pleased to call a historical review
OF the protective system it existed during
Washingtons administration, with the purpose Of
illustrating the genius and character Of that sys-
tenn.
Mr. President, l must be permitted to say that
TINS historical argument presented by the honora-
"o'o' "oS, pSihuPS, ouS Ol most extra
ordinary ever submitted to legislative assembly
will not say--as was once said by distinguish
ed parliamentary debater--that the honorable Sc
-nator has drawn upon his memory for his wit;
tor, such as It is accord to that honorable gen.
ileman the full merit of originality; but must
be permitted to say that no has drawn very large
!y, If not exclusively. upon his imagination for
his facts. Indeed, sir. his historical review re-
minds me very much Of some Of those critical re-
views OF which this age is so prolific; you see
the title, and two three selected from
the text, to answer the purpose of the reviewer
ana that is all you are permitted to of the
work which Is the subject Of review
am not speaking in the language of exagge-
ration, sir. | am not drawing from that source
from which the honorable senator from Massachu-
sets derives his revelations when say that in
the whole course of the extraordinary exhibition
which he intended historical review of the
protective system, and during a speech of two
hours and a half devoted to that branch of the
subject, the senator from Massachusetts has not
disclosed one solitary fact calculated to show what
was the protective system of $780, which he
holds mp for imitation ! Not only so, sir :;
he has not only tliZe4 to disclose the material
facts connected with this protective system, but
he has deliberately refused to disclose them, as if
prepared to suffer the pains and penalties of the
common law for standing mute" rather than do
It. Indeed, Mr. President if the honorable sena-
tor will permit me for moment to draw upon
MS abundant resources, l will exhibit in fancy
work the result of his great historical labor. He
has spun and woven web from his own imagi-
nation about the texture of cobweb, and pro-
duced very much in the same way. He has then
stretched 1t in quilt frame, and spangled it over
with scraps of all possible shapes, colors and di
rnensions; and having accomplished all this, he
had deliberately spread this summer bed quilt
before the Senate as historical review Of the
protective system, though it covers over and con-
oeals all the facts, historical and legislative which
would show the form and dimensions of that sys-
tenn.
Now, as the honorable senator did not deem i.
material to disclose the rates Of duty imposed by
the act of 1889, to show what the fathers Of the
republic and the trainers of the constitution meant
by protection, propose to supply what l regard
great deficiency in the labors of that honora-
bic senator. l understood him to say-express-
ing the profoundest admiration for the wisdom
and patriotism of our ancestors, as evinced in the
act of 17S9-that the tariff of that year was
protective tariff, and amply sufficient for the wants
of our then infant manufactures