The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1844-04-19
Frcm The Southern Chronicle
DIR MANUFACTURES.

There are many erroneous views e"
tanned in the Southern section oil tins cou".
try, in regard TO the protective sys'e e"n
thai il is OF recent Origin; ihatr " GU
,rury 10 the letter and spint Of the Iohs s
,n,;on. and that il originated with 'h'
Northern people, for their sole ana
cial benefit. Such ase not the iaes'' "a
we intend TO show.
Protection of home industry has been'
and continues to be, the policy oil al na-
lions. II was the policy Of Great bfita'h
previous TO the framing OF our Cons'houop'
and her laws and commercial regulations
have been the model for ours. III was al
tempted by many of the States before the
Constitution was adopted, by regulations
of trade, but was found Intellectual on ac'
count of want of union and general sys-
tenn. Ii was suggested, urged and adopt
ed by the trainers of that instrument, IN.
the earliest legislation under it. The ent
enlargement Of our. own manufactures ihea'
is no new system, hut 10 c0sx1 = -,
!, Constiip';ca isseihf,, and The poIcv "n The
iner is sanctioned and sustained by,amno fe'
rect opinions and practice of every a.
dent of the United States, and Of sIi y,
leading statesmen o. the country, froa ,bo
days of George Washington to the preen,
time. lnproof ofthis We intend, in as bt4r.
manner as is consistent with the subiec
to lay such documentary testimony bef6n
> our readers, as our early records furnish.
Immediately after the assembling Of the
FIRST Congress under the Constitution, pc.
tltIons from all quarters poured in, pray.
ing that Congress would take the proper
Steps TO render the people " independent
IN fact as well as in name BY adopting
measures for the encouragement and pro.
lection Of manufactures" The result was
a bull for the imposition of duties on foreign
merchandise, which was promptly passed
by both Houses of Congress and approved
by President Washington on the 4th day
OF July, l7s9--that day being again con.
secrated by declaration Of CommerSFrr
Independence, as il had before by de.
cIaraiion Of Political Independence. The
true character Of this act NAV be known
by IFS preamble, which is in these words:
" whereas, II is necessary for the support
OF Government, for the discharge of The
debts Of the United States, and The IN.
enlargement and protection of manpfac.
lures, that duties be laid on goods, wares,
and merchandi1es imported" This. be il
remembered, was the second act passed
by the first Congress that assembled under
The Constitution and when we consider
that II received the sanction of men who
were the principal agents in the adoption
OF that instrument, II would be difficult TO
conceive OF any contemporaneous constmc.
ton entitled TO more weight. This law.
moreover, passed without the suggestion
Of doubt ofthe constitutional power to do
So and by vote of forty one TO eight
Mr.. Madison, d" the father of the Conslitu.
ton, voting in the affirmative.
This We think settles the fact, that the
policy was coeval with the Constitution,
AID not considered then as conflicting with
lis spirit. We shall now show that tho
principles Of protection continued to be
the policy of the country. George Wash.
ington, " the father Of his country in his
first annual address TO Congress, on the slh
OF January, 1890, uses this emphatic Ian.
guage:
The safety nrd interest Of the people
require that they should promote such man.
ntdctures as tend TO render them indepen.
dent Of others for essentials, particularly
for military supplies"
II was during his administration, also,
That Mr.. Madison brought forward his Gel.
ebrated resolutions in Congress, and, in
Ihe course Of the debate on them used the
following emphatic language
"The States that are most advanced in
and ripe for manufactures, ought
o have their peculiar interests attended TO
n some degree. While these States re-
AIMED the power Of regulating trade, thy
lad the po'rer 10 protect and cherish such
Institutions. BY adopting the present Con-
tilution they hare hropa the exercise of
has porer into other hands They must
ave done this with the understanding hat
hose interests would not be neglected here"
As we intend to follow up this subject
egularly, IN series of brief articles, we
sill conclude this, by quoting the opinion
i Gen. Washington again. In his Inst
ddress to Congress, on the 18th Of Decem-
'er, 1906, he says:
Congress have repeatedly, and no,
without success, directed their attention 10
he encouragement Of manufactures. The
bject is of too much importance, not to
insure continuance Of their efforts in ev.
ny way which shall appear eligible"
The following anecdote of Mr.. Clay,
phic Ii Nln emu iron, Tho GnnIn.n IL. IL