Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-02-08

peLHon from balumore-c biettv from
the Mechanics Of Baltimore-askin for
Protectiong against the competition OF
foreign fabrics.
In that memorable paper they say
That since the close of the war your
petitioners have observed, with serious
regret, the manufacturing and trading
interest of the country rapidly declining,
while the wealth OF the peoole hath been
prodlgslly expended in the purchase Of
'hos" articles from foreigners, phich our
citizens, j properly encouraged, mere fully
competent 10 furnish"
After d, describing the distress Of the
country arising from this cause, the peti
TONERS GO on TO say
at S to the Supreme Legislature of
the United States, as the guard ans Of the
whole empire, that every eye is now d.
rected. From their united wisdom, their
ardent love If their county, your petition
ers expect TO drive that aid and assistance
which alone can disspate their just ap
preh, nsions and animate them with hope
of success in future, by imposing on all
foreign articles Dhich can be made in
America such duties as piH GRE just
and deciied preference TO their hlors, and
thereby diScountenancing that trade uhjch
tends so materially TO mjure them and i'm
pouerish The country"
To this paper was annexed a lcng list
Of articles, which, ever at that day.
1lth of April l7S9-were manufactured
by the Mechanics Of fillmore.
This petition was signed by nearly
every substantial Mechanic IN the city
the whole number Of sigaers beng about
seven hundred an hnty.
The ground assumed in this earlv pc
tiiion WIS Petition for The sake of Peti-
lion, without r, ference TO any qnrs ion Of
revenue. They wished to discountenance
The importation Of such commodities as
cou'd be made in America, and to obtain
for these "a just and decided preference"
That was their main objsct. If revenue
could be got, at The same time much
the better; but revenue in their confirm.
rlation was not the principal oil ct; it
was scarcely incidental.
This PETITION was presented Ivy our
esteemed fellow ciiizen-who was per.
fectly orthodox, according to the Wig
cred, on all points touching this qnes.
tion-G' neral Samuel Smith it was pre-
sented by him hire" or four days alter The
organization OF the First Congress.
We may very faiclv infer that the men
of that day, who had just made The Con-
stIiution, and who were there in Congress,
and who sustained and granted the prayer
of this petition by large majority-we
may well infer that they understood the
constitution, quite as well as those who
undertake to expound it now. Ye, e.e
men went for Protection on lis own basis
that is, for The sake Of Protection
They had no subtleiies about the Reeve
nue. Standard Of which we hear so much
IN 'ur day.
assent, in ~ fullest terms, to The
principle OF that petition; and in the con-
test which is about to he held put the
same issue before our fellow citizens-"a
JUS, and decided preference" in our own
markets, of American fbrics before the
fabrics Of all the world abroad.-I desire
TO know if the workingm-n Of the city Of
Baltimore in 1914. hold TO the same opin.
iors with the workingmea of Baltimore 10
1889.
In 1859 BiltImore was compn ratively
village; of seven hundred
citizens signed the petition. had the
honor IN the last Congress to present
petition on this same subject, chi ny from
the Mechanics and workingmen CT the
city Of Baltimore, signed by upwards of
Nine Thousand ofour people. 1t was the
most agreeable duty ! have ever had to
perform in my public hfe, 10 present this
MISUNDERSTANDING, as il did, that in my
native city there were nine thousand
staunch and true friends Of American In
dustry, in array against the pernicious
heresy of Free Trade. Nine thousand
men who hso pledged themselves 10 sus
tain the Protective pr nciple aeains, all
combinations Of politicians, against all de-
crees Of Conventions, agans, all COM
mands of Party Lea iers.-l glored in
finding that the spirit Of our workingmen
IN favor OF Protection was as vigorous,
when it came to me in The petition If
i'f~i 10 u Nuo "ilth ~ SpiiI' - oCuF'd
Smith 10 the petition Of 17S9.-that fifty
three years had found it unimpared.
In connection with this subject of he
TaIff, have always maintained tn II
High Wages furnish one ofthe best proofs
Of the sound and vigorous condition OF the
nation. |, accordingly. advocate that
system of legislation which is calculated
20 produce full employment, and high wa
ges to the workihgman, ic preference to
the Low Wages by the establishment Of
which, il has been said, we may dispense
with protection and yet hold our ground
against the competition OF foreign indus.
try. | do not wish to see wages contract
ed, by contracting the Currency TO The
Hard Money compass. | do not agr. e
that half dollar can be made as valuable
as a dollar, by bringing every thing down
to hslf price. When this is Done, the
half dollar on the other side of he Allan.
tic NAV weigh too heavily against the
half dollar on this side, especially when
;his contraction Of the currency is substt-
,uted in place ola protective duty. The
encouragement Of The labor of our own
country, by opening to il the greatest va
rety Of occupations, and the maintenance
OF a paper currency upon a sound specie