The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-07-01

rr;ncipies, with having abandoned the protective
noIicy, BY their votes for the Compromise Act OF
The ed Of March, 1885, II is my duty to defend
these, my old associates in the public councils,
against so unjust an accusation and that duty
become peculiarly imperative upon me, when
have been of late, in regard 10 the true character
of the votes which they gave on that memorable
occasion. cannot answer all these inquiries by
letter. | will, therefore, this day, attempt to
answer them here; for see
"a chiefs amang takin' notes,
And faith, he'll prent 'em;'
and have reason to hope that his report of what
I am about to say may reach those who have ad-
dressed these inquiries to me.
was in the Senate at the time of the passage
of the COMPROMISE Act, was member of the
committee which reported it, and had the best
possible opportunity of knowing the motives and
objects Of Mr.. Clay, in the introduction and pas
sage of that measure. His aim was not only TO
prevent civil war and dissolution of the Union,
but to SAVE THE PROTECTIVE POLICY ] am con-
WINGED that, but for the passage OF that act, the
protective system would have been substantially
repealed more than ten years ago. and every
manufactures IN the country dependant upon 1t
stricken down,
know that nothing is more common than for
us to hear certain individuals, who are utterly ig
norant of the real circumstances which existed in
the early part of the year 1883. in spirit of idle
bravado boasting how brave!y they would have
defed the threats of the nullfers-how resolute
they would have proved themselves, had the OPP
portunty been offered them, in hanging up all
the leaders of that faction, and how rejoiced they
would have been in administering, through the
swiftly willing agency of General Jackson. sau-
tary castigation to what they term the mbecile
arrogance and bullying of South Cardinal
These and similar remarks are generally made
for the purpose of introducing condemnation of
Mr.. Clay for his agency i'll the passage of the
Compromise Act, which they say was a sacrifice
of the protective principle to prevent war with
the nulifers. Without doubling the courage or
the sincerity of those who thus often boast oil the
superio- firmuess and more manly bearing which
they would have exhibited at that crisis, ! will
endeavor briefly to show you that these gentle
men are ignorant both of the effect and meaning
Of the aci, as well as of the object sought to be
secured by its author.
1t is quite common error that the act itself
proposes a horizontal tariff Of 20 per cent On all
articles of Importation, as the minimum rate OF
duties, and the final resting place at which the ,,
reduction of duties proposed by the act shall
cease, and stand unchanged and interchangeable
forever. AT this day gentlemen of intelligence,
protesting to understand and discuss the legal
effect of this act often speak OF il as law, the
great object of which was, by system OF gradual
dimnutioD, to reduce the duties as they stood un-
der the act of 1892 to universal levy Of 20 per
cent, at the expiration Of nine years and four
months. In other words, they regarded the Com
promise Act as fixing one rate for all dutiabe ar
tcles from and after the 30th of June, 1914, that
rate being 20 per cent. ad valorem, and as con-
tanning certain binding stipulations or pledges Oh
the part of the authors of that law, that higher
rate of duty should ever, after that day, be col
lected by the General Government. This sup
position preposterous as it is, you have doubtless
observed, is an opinion quite commonly express
ed, and that loo, not unfrequently by grave egis-
lators on the floor of Congress. That the enc
mics of Mr.. Clay should have SO expressed them
selves is matter to be regretted, but when the
friends of the tariff, and the very men who pro-
TESS the utmost confidence in the rectitude and
consistency Of that great statesman, fall into the
same error, it is high time their mistake should
be corrected.
1t is perfectly true that the first section of the
act fixes 20 per cent. ad vaorem as the lowest
rate at which dutiabe articles should be admitted
after the Both of June, 1912 but the third Sec
ton of the act provides that, from and after that
day, duties upon imports shall be laid for the
purpose of raising such revenue as may be neces-
sary to an economical administration of the Gov
ernment;" and also that such duties shall be
assessed on the home paluation and payable in
cash. The leading principles established by the
act were, first, that after the 3Oth of June, 1872
sufficient revenue should be raised from import
duties alone to detray the expenses of the Gov
eminent; secondly, that no more revenue should
be so collected than should be demanded by an
economical administration of the Government;
thirdly, that the best possible guards against
frauds on the Tariff should be established by the
adoption of the new system of assessing the duties
on the home, instead of the foreign, value, and
making those duties payable in cash. Whether
these duties, from which all the revenue for the
support of Government was to be derived, should
be fixed at 70 per cent. or any other rate, was of
course, subject left for the future consideration
and action OF Congress- whenever it should be
discovered that the minimum rate of 20 per cent,
adopted by the first section VI the bill, was INSULT
Gent for the support of Government. Nothing
was further from the intention of those who pass
ed this law than to attempt TO prevent future
I Legislation, discriminating with view to protect
Home Labor, In the contingency of defect OF
ravonsia fran duties al ~ nor cont 7 hava &, a,