The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-02-07

oHal protection 10 time Of peace, in addition to the
power OF sefdefence n a arnis in war and, against
the ultralst OF free trade, most heartily maintain this
power and the right Of protection in this at all
times and against all nations. Il is apart from and
may be exercised independent Of the treaty making
power vested in the Legislature Of the Union; and,
without saying word for that most unwise and i'm
polite syatem called system II counters ang and
retaliatory duties, am decidedly, in general sense,
favor Of the exercise Of this power in Congress to
protect our nation commercially, in time of peace,
1 against foreign nations. | therefore answered Mr..
Cushing that was not one Of those who would not
protect American interests against British French,
Russian or Germsn, any other foreign interests
that as the nations the earth constituted there
was, and is, and must be inequality in trade between
them and it is obligation Of patriotism and the du
~ Of American legislators to preserve tho balance of
trade in our own power, 30 far human wisdom can
do So by prudent laws. Thus far, then, am for a
tariff of revenue, and for the power to protect our
own nation too, as between us and foreign nations.
All this promised, as to the general question in the
abstract and as 70 its foreign relations let US bring
the subject hDne. And my fellow cit zens, it is here,
here 1t hons where the subject throws away its abb
stractons, becomes practical aud tangible, and may
be treated Of with the certainty Of definition When
is brought home to us and 70 interests, it is
near enough 70, be Judged closely; and the moment
that you come TO teat it as domestic and not for
een question the true doctrines of equay The intel
Iglbe doctrines Of free trade present themselves, and
am ariayed on their side. The moment that we
bring the tariff question home to ourselves to our
own citizens classes individuals, masses, sections
and int rests under the same system Of laws, yield
Ing the same support and allegiance to government in
mutual regard and dependence, here ,oiA find
equality Of right to protection reigns, As between cit
zen and citizen, class and GLASS; interest and interest
Of our own couvtry, there Is u,ive,sal and equa right
opoteciion to au This IS the true doctrine of free
trade in land of equal rights Fanatics the sub
ject fasiy its doctrines and make them odious; but
properly understood in this sense but ultras in
opposition to them gainsay their justice and their
truth Free trade, thus defined, asserts that, in
own country, commerce, agriculture, mining, and
manufactures all alike entitled to protection; that
duties shall be so laid to inure neither for the
benefit Of the Others and that all shall be equally os-
| tered and cherish d. IA e8 5,5aas#l a
The ulfraisis Of protection, on the one hand-for
there are ultrasts ON both sides-seem to imagine
that there interests having equal claims pro-
lection with their interests selshy insisting that
others shall be taxed for their sole profit Hthey be OF
the agricultural class, that commerce and manufac
lures shall su, most for their sake; if of the
mercial class, that agriculture and anufac.ur shall
be altogether taxed for their benefit if Of the
ufactaring class, that commerce and agriculture shall
bear the whole burden. The enlightened theory of
fee trade is that they shall all hear their respective
s, proto tons of the burdens laid for The support of
q ivcrnncnf.
Tarse ,ltra;sis Of protection 90 further They not
ny q sell ,La al except their own interests shall
taxed for ,eir benefit but that the PRIMARY end of
all taxa,icn n, be hsir protection Free trade de-
MES tins assuu,pip lsisls that the primary end
of all taxation shall be for the support of government
and the defence Of national existence. The theory
arrays section against section, interest against ne-
rest class against class in demanding unequal
lions for discordant ends the other harmonzes all
sections interests and classes by equal contributions
! from all for one common end
Free trade, thus understood, is nothing but the
equality, harmony, and moderation Of domestic iaraion
and every rational man knows buttoo well how much
the permanecy and stability of laws dep nd upon these
three great requisites OF tariff OF duties and how
much stability and permanency conduce to the pros
pery Of slicinterests protected. And | may there
fore, we'll say that, Er from being an ultra any,
thing this subject there is nothing which much
eschew ,Itraisi either side Of the tariff ques-
ton These are, in fact, they who no less mar the
ru Of free trade than the true interests of equal
protection. ! am not one Of them. Indeed for the
that not of either class of uitraisis,
| | too ON much misrepresented in the extreme
Sou,h one way AZ am, YOU say, In the North and
East the other way. The fact is that will del
to treat the question sectional one at all The u
rasts sSrne do treat il, and continually err TOO
arraying the North agains, the South. Why is This,
when New Hampshire is as much o. posed to what is
called protective tariff as is South Carolina, and
when Louisiana is much in favor of such tariff
is the State Of Massachusetts The truth Is that
| they are interests manufacturing, mining, CONNER
cial, agricultural, which conflict with each other
not States and territories Whichever way the inter-
est lies, the man or State will be this subject.
But the sound and practical statesman W i'll look alone
first, 10 chat tariff the Government srants and secondly
TO hotc the duties may be imposed scih the most benefit TO
! all, and scith the least possible injury TO amy
And this was precisely what l endeavored 10
do in my acton upon the late tariff bills before the
Hruse of Representatives,. Had | thought that no
additional duties we're necessary for the support of
Government, in the first place should have opposed
increase Of the tariff for any other object whaev-
believe that not only the true principles of freq
trade but Of the Federal Constitution, forbid The i'm
position of duties merely for projections sake, and
| especially in the sense of its ultra advocates.
think that duties can only be laid for reveeue and
| the amount of revenue must be ascertained by the
wants of an economical administration of The Co
vernment. This Is, il is true, somewhat indefinite as
to the amount of the revenue to be raised but is not
indefinite a. to the true principles upon which reve-
nue. ought to be raised. II settles the Distinction al
ready glanced at that the primary end of taxation by
a tariff Of duties on imports shall be revenue, not
| protection. This principe was thoroughly discussed
and fully settled by the compromise act OF 1889. II
is especially incorporated in that bill, its most
seniial provision, that after June i842 such duties
| only shall be lai as necessary to an economical
administration Of the Government This, in other
words clares that duties shall be laid for revenue
only. And thus this first great principle of free trade
as have defined it, was made part Of the statute
| Law Of the land. The law goes further too il pro-
yided that in case of of revenue The duties
should be diminished Accordingly, when, in 1886,
there an excess of revenue, and it proposed
TO distribute it among the States instead of diminish
ing the duties on imports and retaining The excess of
revenue in the Treasury to meet such dim mutton of
duties, the only Of my par then in Congress,
voted against the proposition, which regard still
one of the worst Of either Of the great par
ties in the country. And not only did the act Of 1893
pas. with the provisions alluded TO- and not only has
It been acquicsced in for ten years, but author
lied by the history Of its Passage through Con
gress to assert that its true meaning and nterpreta-
ton by its own author was, to prohibit altogether the
| imposition of duties for me projections sake.
| am informed and authorized, by who saw the
manuscript drsught of the act Of 1893 before it
offered to state that "when Mr. Clay drew The act Of
| 1888, and showed it to his friends in his own hand
writing after the clause which provides that only such