Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-07-18
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY Is, 1874.


7 prosperity, and encouraging the labor o
I the nation, ought il not 10 be donel
] We are invited by the par,izans Of ths
e doctrine Of free trade, to initiate the liberia
e example OF the grea, European powers
: England, we are told, IS abandoning her
restrictive policy, and adopting that Of
, free trade. England adopting he prin.
, ciples Of free trade Why, where are her
7 Corn lawsl Those laws which exclude
: an article Of prime ecessity--ihe very
: bread which sustans human life--in OIL
der to afford protection TO English agri.
culture. And. on the single article oil
} American tobacco, England evies annual.
: ly an amount of revenue equal to the
: whole amountof duties levied annually by
the United States upon oil the articles OF
! import from all the the foreign nations
; of the world, including England. That is
our free trade And as Tor France, we
have lately seen a State paper from one
} OF her high fuactionaries, complaining in
bitter terms ofthe American tariff of ls42,
and ending with formally announcing to
the world that France steadily adhered TO
the system of protecting French indus
try!
But, fellow. citizens, have already
detained you too long on this interesting
topic, and yet | have scarcely touched
it. For near 80 years il has sgitated the
nation. The subject has been argued
and debated thousand times, in every
conceivable form. Ii is time that the
policy Of the county should become SET
tied aud fixed. Any stable adjustment
of it, whatever il may be, will be far pre-.
(erablo to perpetual vasciation. When
once determined. labor, enterprise and
commerce can accommodate themselves
accordingly. But IN finally settling it,
the interests OF the whole Union, as well
as all its parts, should be duly considered,
In palernal and fraternal spirit. The
Contederacy consists oftwenty-sx States,
besides territories, embracing every var
ETY. Of pursuit, every braLch OF human in.
dusiry. There may be an apparent, there
is no real, conflict between these diversi.
fed interests. No one State, no one Sec
ton, can reasonably expect or desire that
the common government of the whole
should be administered, exclusively, ac-
cording to his own peculiar opinion, or so
as to advance only IFS particular interests
without regard 10 The opinion or interests
of all other parts. In respect to the Tar
if 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 other, the restrictive pol.
icy ought, on many articles, to be pushed
by high and exhorbitant Tariff, to the
point of absolute prohibition. Neither
party can hold itself up as an unerrng
standard OF right and wisdom. FaIIlblity
is the lot OF all men, and the wisest know
how little they do know. The do.trIne OF
free trade is concession to Foreign pow
ers, without an equivalent, TO the preju-
dice OF home industry. Not only without
Equivalent, but in the face of their high
duties, restrictions and prohibitions APP
piled 10 American products, to foreign
powers, our rivals, jealous Of our growth
and anxious to impede our onward prog.
ress. encouragement OF domestic indus
dustry is a concession to our fellow. CHI
Zens, to those, whose ancestors shared
l y,
Of the revolution; to those who have shar-
ed wilhus in the tolls and sufferings ofour
day; to those whose posterity are destin.
cd to share with our posterliy in the trials,
10 the trpmphs and the glores that await
them. II is a concession 10 those who are
bone Of our bone and flesh of our fesh
aud who in some other ben fci / form do
make and are ready to make equivalent
concession TO us. 1t is still more; it is a
concession by the whole to the who'll; for
every part of the country possesses ca
pacity to manufacture ana every part Of
the country more or less does manulac-
ture. Som parts have advanced farther
than others, but the progress of all is for.
ward and onward.
Agan ask what is to be done 10 this
conflict Of opinion between the two ex
tremes which have stated Each be
lieves, with quite as much confidence as
the other. that the policy which he espous-
es is the best for the country. Nei-
ther has a right to demand that his
judgement shall exclusively prevail
What, again, | ask TO be done? Is com
promise or reconciliation impossible? Is
this glorious Union 10 be broken up and
dissolved aud the hopas OF the world which
are concentrate in its fate, TO DO blasted
and destroyed farever7 No, feIlow-cit.
Gems, mol The Union must be preserved.
In the name Of The people of this noble
old State, the first TO announce the lnde
p, nience OF the United States by the men,
orabe declaration Of Mecklenburg, and
and which has ever since been among the
most devoted and faithful to the preserva-
ton of this Union; n the name OF the peo-
pie Of my own gallant State; and in the
name OF the whole people of the United
{ States, feel authorized TO say that this
Union will not, must not, shall not be dis
solved. How then can this unhappy cor
Hlct Of opinion be amicably adjusted and
accommodated Extremes, fellow-ctizens,
are ever wrong. Truth, and justice,
sound policy, and wisdom, always abide
IN the middle ground, always are to be
found IN ju ste miheu. Ultraism IS ever
bauelul aud, If followed, never fails 10
cad 10 fatal Consequences. We must re-
jecl both The doctrines OF free and Of a
nigh and exh rbiiant Tar Fl.