Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-08-14


the Northern section Of the Union III,
strength of these tendencies is, and will
permanently be, SO great and command
ing, as to override ordinary party lines
and unite the suffrages OF an,oyerwhelm
ing majority Of the people there in favol
OF what we of the South have been accus
toned to regard as oyer-aciion of the Go
vernment, and an undue and unauthorized
stretching of its powers.
My grea: objection, then, gentlemen, t.
the National and Congressional whia
party is, that il is the living, practical, en-,
ergetic embodiment and concentration Of
that system Of constitutional politics and
Federal policy which have now pointed
out as appertaining to the Northern OF
stronger section of this Union, in opposi.
ton TO the Southern or weaker section
Yes, gentlemen, there can be no doubt Of
it. The wings here, and in the nation
generally, are such party; and SO the
leading measures and policy Of the party
incontestibly prove. \
These measures, when viewed together,
form a most remarkable concentration
and now that it is urgently proposed to
bind them as chain around the body of
the wing party Of the South, they demand,
and ought to receive, our stern, patriotic
scrutiny. Upon examination, they will be
found 10 be conceived and combined as a
system of policy calculated for advancing
the views naturally cherished by the
stronger, the governing section Of the
Confederacy-being (some of them) mo.
ney.lures and money.engines for getting
and keeping power, addressed peculiarly
TO motives of pecuniary interest and Gu.
pidity; whilst others, not of so pecuniary
cast, are equally adapted to securing and
augmenting, in the hands of the stronger
section, that superiority of control over
the Government which it already possess.
es.
First in order among these measures,
comes the protective Tariff system-hat
system which is avowedly, the leading and
paramount measure of wing policy that
system upon which the hearts of vast
majority of the party arc moro set than
on any thiDg else-than even the election
Of Mr.. Clay himself for the sake of
which, indeed, they mainly desire his cleo
lion, and for the sake of which they would,
if need there should be, unhestatingly
sacrifice him. Looh, pray you, at that
system! What q monstrous money-lure
il is! What q wide-reachng and bare.
faced pecuniary bribe it holds out to indi-
viduals and classes OF people-to whole
districts and sections Of country. What
is it that it promises to the people? Why,
nothing less than efficient encouragement
and aid to all the different branches of
American industry--all the different in.
vestments Of American capital--a pro-
mise, in other words, 10 increase, by posi-.
tive and specific legislation, the wages of
labor, and profits of capital, in all the
pursuits OF life-in all the departments OF
business. Can anything be more afro.
ciously false and. profligate than such a
promise?
Take notice how vast and comprehen-
siye it is; it leaves out nobody; it takes
in every person and everything-all the
different interests and pursuits of the
American people; for it would have look
ed badly, in an electioneering point of
view, to have excluded any portion of the
community from the golden promise, and
still worse TO have omitted the great ma
iority.
Hence the promise, in words and ASST
RANGES, was and is unhesitatingly held out
70 aH,whilst the promisers know full well
hat it is an absurd and impracticable pro-
mise as to more than nine-tenths of the
people; in whose mouth, like the fair
seeming and deceitfuI fruit that grows on
The shores of the accused sea OF Sodom,
/ must necessarily prove but bitterness
md ashes. None know better than they
WIN have studied the operation of protec-
i've duties with all the keenness and scru.
my which self-interest inspires, how COM
oaratiyely small is the circle which mo-
lopolizes the benefits of the system
None know better than they that il is a
ystem which can never operate as an
Encouragement, but which must rather :
operate as Encouragement, to those
ranches of American industry, the pro- |
uctions Of which can go abroad and sue S
essfully compete, in the general markets |
f the world, with the like productions of {
Their countries. And yet they persist in
olding out the delusiye promise of profit
nd encouragement to be afforded by i,
. all sthe different branches Of American I
Industry"
Gentlemen, this Government will have q
D find the philosophers stone before it can 9
id and advance allsthe different interests I
all the various branches of the industry
{ the country-by its legislative inter- /
Until. that discovery shall be-
nade, all such intermeddling must at least |
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