Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-08-02
The Case Stated.

and what claims have they upon the American
people for support? The Wings, here at the
North, tell us they are aiming to establish a pro-
tective tariff to protect our industry and skill a.
gainst the dcpredations of southern slavery and
foreign labor. This is very desirable; but what
prospect have we Of securing this end by going
with the Wings? This party, it must be remem-
bered, extends into, yea, possesses its controlling
power in the Southern States; and no one is fool
ish enough, with the experience we have had, to
expect Southern Wings will favor any more of a
protective tariff than barely enough to support
government; and of the moderate determinations
for protection which they would countenance in a
revenue tariff, THEY acould claim a 'LeetIe' more
than half So that if Northern Democrats, as the
Wings affirm, are united with the South in favor
of merely a revenue tariff, then the Northern
Wings will be left in a hopeless minority, and all
their loud promises of a high protective tariff will
be but as a dream when one awaketh! But again:
are Northern Wings really aiming and desiring
to fulfil all these lavish promises on the subject of
protection? Not long since our Wing presses and
orators were advocating a tariff of duties for pro-
tect,on, without reference to revenUe-'protection
for The sake of protection,' as they called it; but
how is it now? Henry Clay is 4 declared to be the
embodiment Of their principles upon this subject,
as well as all others-and what are his sentiments?
" Let the amount which is requisite for an econOn1-
tcat administrator Of the government be raised ex-
clusiveIy from a tariff; and in adj usting a tariff for
THAT PURPOSE, [rtUenuel let such discriminations
be made as will foster and encourage our own do
meStic industry" So said the late Wing Nation
al Convention, in substance. SO the idea of pro-
lection for the sake of pretection,' is abandoned,
and a revenue tariff, with incidental protection, is
substituted. Compare this with the views of Mr..
Polk on the same subject: 81 am in favor of a t-
riff for REVENUE TO detray the expenses Of the gOv-
eminent economically administered. In adjusting
the details of a revenue tariff, l have heretofore
sanctioned such moderate discriminating duties "a
would produce the amount Of revenue needed, and
at the same time afford reasonable projection TO our
home induslryr' Thus, both parties are contend
ing for the same kind ola tarif in principles ta-
riff for reuenue, ~affording incidental protection. 1t
is true, in adjusting the details Of such a tariff, the
two parties differ somewhat, but not half SO much
as upon alnost every other national question brot
uVIOI HClH uHh I 10 CHudhy uuCJ tnHl VAt' all
Buren, and his friends have been the supporters Of
the highest tariffs we have ever had, while Mr..
Clay and his friends opposed them. Now Mr. Clay
is declared to be the champion of protection, and
the Van Buren, party opposed. Thus parties and
tariffs are continually changing and unsettled, and
euer wiN be while Slavery rules, and can only sub
e sist by .such an entire change Of national policy
every few years as shall appropriate the savings
of northern industry to supply the wastes of slave
holding extravaganza. The truth is, as parties
: are at present organized, it is utterly in vain to
= hope for a settled tariff policy, that shall secure to
us the avaiIs OF our industry-and we should Just
. rs soon think of attaining this end by going with
e one party as the other. The Wings tell US, too,
n that we must go with them to prevent the annexa-
+ ton Of Texas; but this is just as groundless as is
S their promise of a protective tariff. Southern
: Wings are in favor of annex alton, and many OF
j. them are looking forward to the election of Mr..
j. Clay, as the 'SUrest guaranty Of annexation upon
!. honorable grounds A Sound national currency
is also promised US if the Wings succeed. How
do they propose to improve the present currencyI
l. Mr.. Clay, should he be elected, and the Southern
e and South Western Wings, will attempt to estab-
: fish a National Bank-while Northern Wings, If
y they have any regard for the wishes and interests
y of their constituents, will oppose such a measure;
e so that if anything of the kind is attempted, we
IS shall have a more Babel-like confusion than ever
e upon the subject of the currency.
And how is it with the democrats? In short.
IS they are opposed to every thing the wings support,
and we might have said, as the shortest way of O.
e numerating wing principles, that they opposed
is whatever the democrats favored. The democrats
" are yet beating the air, if haply they may hit the
ghost Of Bidde's Bank-are determined to bring
e Texas into the Union if possible, and to bow
down to southern taskmasters at any rate.
n We appeal to every intelligent and honest free
man, if these parties are not contending about less
than shadows, compared with the browning polit-
ical as well as moral evil of this nation! Every
e one knows that slavery is a greater evil than any
and all others combined; that it engenders more
y pe%cIniary distress than all other causes; that it has
d monopolized four-ffths of all the Offices and WELD
70 ed the powers of the general government for the
S last fifty years; that it has rendered our Constitu-
d ton a slaveholding document; that il repudiates
e and is fast destroying the glorious idea of mans
inalienabIe rights; that it has trampled under foot
it our constitutional right to petition Congress; that
it has bound us by a strong law of congress to kid