The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-18
From the New York Evening Post.
THE FATE OF THE TARIFF.
who spills the foremost foeman's life,
That marty conouerS In the strife

That party conquers in the STRIFE"
The lines we have quoted are part Of Highland
auguIy m one of SCOTS poems We are disposed
TO apply them TO the battle which is about to be
waged in Congress against the protective system.
lance has already been broken in this fray on the
floor of Congress- and one ofths veteran combatants
Of the protective system has been made bite the
ground. In the letters of our Washington cores
pendent Of to-day and yesterday, may be read a
short account Of the debate in which Stewart OF
Pennsylvania was foored by a backwoodsman.
From the backwoodsmen we confidently expect
good service in this warfare during the present Con-
gress. The time has been that they were caught
by the specious common places of protection to
American industry, Independence of foreign ma
tons, and SO forth; but they understand the
real meaning of these phrases full as well they
who invented them. We look to the west for re-
form Of our commercial code.
Mean time we want to see what answer will be
made to Mr.. Johnson's short and easy method OF
obtaining all the benefits of high tariff without the
trouble Of enacting and enforcing such tariff. The
manufacturers have only to enterinto understand
ing with each other TO reduce the prices of the at-
cles they offer u.s. and should have at once those
lew prices which they and their friends tell us are
the sole object Of the protective system Ii they
put their prices sufficiently low, they will have the
entire possession of the market.
Correspondence 1.-THE NJ " Evening PsstJ
WAsmSeros, Dec. 10, I6i5.
omitted yesterday to notice the somewhat signi-
icant debate which sprung up in the House on the
tariff question, between Mr.. Stewart, of Penasylva-
mia, and Andrew johnson, of Tennessee. 1t was
altogether spontaneous, and the part Of the DEM
ocrats entirely unexpected; and If the debate was
unexpected, am sure the part taken by one Of the
debaers at least, was matter Of equal surprise to
the House.
Mr.. Stewart is a man of good mind, has long
been mounted on the tariff hobby, and has made
himself familiar with the usual specious llacies by
which the restrictive system is sustained He speaks
often, and is very fond of obtruding this subject on
the attention of the House; but whether he does so
from motives of vanity and because he deems himself
irresistible on this topic, whether it is because he
really and honestly believes that he has got hold OF
the one idea which must eventually save the repub-
lie, provided it ever is saved is matter of speculation
Nevertheless, whatever may be his motives, or
whatever may impel him. he never suffers an oppor-
tunity to pass Careless whether be apropos NAL
apropos, by which the advocates of protection, as
well as its opponents are sometimes very much an
noyed. The debate of yesterday was case in point
Nothing could have boon ill-advised and inop-
perfume than the debate which he brought on, and
from which his friends were compelled to extricate
him; and, at the same time, nothing could have
been more signal than the discontinue which he re.
ceived at the hands of the Tennessean Mr.. John.
son is very quiet man, is mechanic, not much ac-
customed to public speaking; and presume he wa.
the last person Mr.. Stewart would have expected tc
encounter in debate in the House of Representatives
and certainly the very last man from whom hi
would have expected such an overthrow.
1t was SO handsomely done, too, that the efec
was almost irresistible The turn so ingeniously
given to the questions with which he prefaced hi.
more elaborate arguments, was exceedingly fne;n mol
did Mr.. Stewart recover from its effect during tn,
remainder of the contest. You will recolect, h,
commenced by inquirng Of Mr.. Stewart whether h,
wished for protection" for the purpose of incrcas
ing prices to which Mr.. Stewart replied, no: tn,
effect of protection was to reduce prices. To which
Mr.. johnson retored, that he doubted whether III,
Pennsyvanians in general understood that they wer
besiegng Congress to get the prices of their good
reduced: he thought that it was simple operation
which did not require the n,erpostion of any legs
lative powerthat every person was at liberty to
duce the price Of his commodities to as low rate al
he pleased: and proceeded in this strain through th
hour allowed him foS speaking And if ever tn,
utter absurdity of a position was satisfactorily de
monstrated, it was done on this occasion.