Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-02-24
sLINGToN IOWA: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY "a, 1914.
Synopsis or MIR. M'Dul1le's great
speech against the Tariff.


speech against the Tariff.
In the Senate, on the 29th ult., the resolution
Of Mr.. M'DUFriE in favor Of reducing the tariff
70 an average Of 20 per cent. being under consid-
Grafton. t, ,,.f.,#,.
Mr.. MeDUFFIE addressed the Senate during |
two hours and half in reply to Mr.. EvANs's re-
marks Of Monday and Tuesday last. He stated !
that in addressing the Senate second time on |
this great question, he could give the most sin |
cere assurance that no consideration but that of |
its acknowledged magnitude, and the deep inter-
est which large portion Of the people Of the
United States felt in it, together with his own
profound sense of the responsibility of the sta
tiou which he now occupied, and the duty which
NJ 0Wed to his constituents, could have induced
him to trespass thus far on the time and patience
Of the Senate. He regretted the necessity i'm
pesed upon him, for many considerations; among
which be admitted was the embarrassing one in
allusion to which the Senator FROM Maine had
laid down the maxim that truth is eternal; and
that the same truths are involved in this question
now that were twenty years ago; and that It was
Impossible for any human mind, however gifted,
to present new arguments, where the arguments
which preceded have been exhibited in such a
variety of forms. He felt the embarrassment
growing out OF this state of things; for he could
with the utmost sincerity say, that if there were
any one thing more disagreeable to him than an
other, it was, in addition to the repetition OF his
own ideas, to be obliged TO repeat the ideas Of
other person. And he knew that he could say
nothing now that he had not repeatedly said ten
years ago, in the other branch OF legislation, as
well as out of it. He was, therefore, conscious
that whatever he might say, would revolve on the
Senate like a twice old tale, taxing tn, ear OF
drowsy man. He would, however, endeavor TO
address the Senate with as much brevlty as was
consistent with the great interests involved in
this question: Mr.. Med. then proceeded to re-
view the remarks Of the Senator from, Maine in
the order in which they were presented. He re-
GREETED that when the senator had laid down for
his rule OF argument the inductive process Of rea
soning by which Lord Bacon superseded the syl-,
logistlc system ofthe ancient philosophers, he did
not adhere more closely in the progress of his re-
marks. Had the senator studied more attentive
ly the inductive system, he would have found
that its aims and object were to collect from all
ages and all climates such an amount OF facts as
would enable the trne philosopher TO lay down
laws Of eternal truth with regard to things within
the compass of human knowledge, as immutable
IS those BY which the great universe was govern
ed by the great fountain of truth and justice.
Lord Bacon had laid the foundation Of that sys-
tenn Of political economy which, some one hum
dred and fifty years after this time, was matured
and given to the world BY very celebrated
Scotch philosopher, Adam Smith. The great
principles Of political economy, established by
the latter. had, for the last fifty or sixty years,
undergone the most rigid examination OF philos-
ophers and statesmen, and yet remained unchang-
ed and Interchangeable. 1t was upon these princi-
pies that he { Mr. McDurFIE) had rested his as ;.
sertions, ESQ slightingly alluded to as sstheories"
by the senator from Maine,) that what you add
in duty to an imported article enhances its price,
and that it is no more the interest of nation than
of an individual to make for itself everything it
consumes, to the exclusion of all exchanges with
other nations, referring to Adam Smiths illustra
ton Of every man being his own laborer, mechan-
ic, artisan, cS the result Of which would BE- that
he must become "Jack Of all trades, and good at
none.'. The doctrine laid down by Adam Smith
for nations was drawn from that which was hest
for individuals; and that was, for every man to
sell all that he could make or produce, better or
cheaper than others; and buy of others all he
wanted, which they could make better and cheap
er than he could himself. And vet this was the
doctrine which he Mr.. Med. had laid down in
relation to the exports and imports of this coun-
try; and against this great truth, war had been
waged by the manufacturers OF this country and
their friends ever since this protective tariff sys
tenn commenced. When they could not meet the
great truth of this principle face to face they at
tempted to sheer it down by calling it ''theory."
To prove it a ''theory" in the sense with which
they wished to stgmatize it, they showed their
ability for home manufacture, by manufacturing
facts to suit their purpose. No people on the
face of the earth could compete with them in that
species Of manufacture; they wanted no protec-
ton for it, for they could out manufacture all the
world in the fabrication of 'sfacts," in support Of
their system Of enriching their own pockets, by
draining the pockets ofthe rest of the community.
The next topic to which Mr.. Med. alluded
was the doctrine of the senator from Maine, Of
doing away with poverty by refusing to tighten
the burdens of the people by taking OFF taxation.
The senator seemed to think that Congress was
endowed with some magic power Of legislation,
and that they could pass an act setting forth "be
it enacted &c.. that from and after the 1st ofJuly
next all poverty shall case in the United States;"
and that forthwith indulgence would vanish, and
affluence would take its place. What could Con-
gress give, that it had not? Could the general
government, acknowledged to be as poor as
church mouse, bestow on the poor wealth it had
not to give? Would mere words do it? But the
general government could TO much to relieve
those it has impoverished by its mischieyous and
inqutous legislation; it could recall its cppres-
sive and unjust enactnents, by which one portion
of the people, and that vastly the largest, was
made tributary to another. 1t could unshackle
industry, that il had bound and Frustrated; ii could
set that industry Free and give all an equal chance
to use, to the best advantage, the means and adj
vantages that nature, SOIL and climate gave them.
All this it could do by restoring the truition of
natural rights TO those it had wantonly and OPP
pressively debarred from enjoying it. They
and he spoke of the farmers Of the Southwest and
planters of the South--did not want any protec-
ton. They only claimed impartial legislation,
and to be left free to take the fruits of their toll
and industry to the best market-to buy what
they wanted in exchange at the cheapest market
In abiding to the quotation made by the SEN
ator from Maine from the statistics Of England
showing that Of S26O, 100000 Of manufactures in
England, she consumed 1870 herself, and Of the
part exported only sent 10 millions to this coun-
try--Mr Med. admitted that this 1-l2th would
have no greater effect on prices in England than
that Of 26th portion; but he contended that the
opening Of free exchange of the raw cotton OF
this country for the manufactured cotton Of Eng
land would greatly extend the capacity Of Eng
land to supply the world more largely with her
manufactures, and that thereby her market for
our cotton would become more extensive--ex-
ports larger
| He pointed out the absurdity Of the principle
assumed as fundamental principle BY the man
ufacturers; that In raising duty the foreign man
ufacture is made to bear part Of the burden. Car
nv out the principle, and What would it lead to,
but that It would be best to so contrive our tax
alton as to make foreign nations pay it ali?-put
all the burden Of our taxation on the people OF
other countries? Suppose it is attempted: will
not these other nations retaliate, by putting the
burden of their taxes on Us? Then we refuse TO
nav their taxes, and forthwith they refuse to pay
| ours: there is an end TO all interchange Of COM
modities, till both agree to pay their own taxes
| Themselves. saH sN.