The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-06

and protection the Incident To reverse this principle and
make protection the object and revenue the incident would
be TO nnct manifest injustice upon all other than the pro-
tected interests The largest portion OF our people
are sgrcultursts Others are in manufactures
their respective pursuits and their joint labor constitutes
the national or home industry To tax branch Of this
home industry the benefit OF another would unjust
No OF these interests rghluy claim advantage
the others. or to be enriched by mpovershng the
others All equally entitled to the fostering and
protection Of the government In exercising sound dis
erection in evyiDg discriminating duties within the limit
prescribed care should be taken that be done in
not TO benefit the wealthy few at the expense of the tong
millions by taxing lowest the uxures OF life articles Of
by the wealthy and highest the necesssres OF life
articles OF quality and low price which the poor
and great mass Of our people must consume"
This fundamental principle, laid down and ac-
knowledged IN the constitution of the Union, has
hitherto been acted upon with but little consistency,
inasmuch as most of such articles as are produced
Ia the States have been loaded with high import du-
ties, acting directly protection to such interests,
and, IN some cases. almost to the destruction Qf rev.
enue; while some Of the most important articles Of
onsumpton-for example, tea and cofiee-whichar are
not produced in the States at all, and on which,
therefore, an import duty could only operate for the
purposes of revenue, and in no way for protection,
are admitted duty free. But these are the incon-
sistencies which we have reason to expect will be
rectifed by the new President, aided by the advice
and assistance of Mr.. Calhoun, and other advocates
of u free-trade policy; policy which Mr. Polk re-
CARDS an act Of common justice to all portions of
the community of his own country. In this respect,
at least, we are glad to see that his views are not
made to depend on those Of other countries, but
tirely upon an enlightened and humane estimate of
the true interests and respective rights of his fellow
countrymen.
Mr.. Polk is friend to "plain and frugal gov
ernment," and to 'the strictest economy in the ex
penditure of the public money" and he says, "by
udcious application of the revenues not required for
other necessary purposes, it is not doubted that the
debt which has grown out of the circumstances of
the last few years may be speedily paid off,"
But this is precisely what the party in the United
States, which is most nimica to free introduction
of our goods in competition with their manu-
factures dread above all other things; and it s there
FORE not difficult to understand why they should
have encouraged the notion of the federal govern
ment assuming the debts of the individual States
The best interests of this country, and an honest
performance of the duty of the federal government
towards the whole people of the United States,
would dictate the course pursued by Mr.. Polk; and
the ultimate hopes of the creditors of those States
which at present do not pay their debts, will be
much more likely to be realized, through the results
of that general internal improvement of the republic
consequent upon an honest application of the prn-
cipes announced by Mr.. Polk, than by any fruit
less attempt-for such at last would it have turned
out with any party--to induce the recognition Of
these claims by the federal government
A great portion of the money in question was
borrowed to construct canals and other public works
That course which will render them, so far they
have been completed, profitable, and which will SO
induce to their ultimate entire completion, will be
the most likely to secure an early resumption of
those claims and their ultimate liquidaton; and to
this end, we confidently look the policy and Of
Mr.. Folks government.