The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-08-08
Passage Of the Tariff Bill.

The yeas and nays were called upon
ordering the amendment to be engros-
sed and the bill to third reading, and
resulted yeas 81 nays 27; so there was
a tie vote.
The PRESIDENT rose and said:
The Senate being equally dividedon
this important question, | may be In
dulged in briefly stating the principal
reasons for the vote ! am required by
the constitution TO- give.
Excluded from any participation IN
forming or modifying the bill, am bound
TO sanction or condemn ii exactly in
the shape in which it stands. The re-
sponsibility is deeply felt. 1t belongs,
however, to the Office assigned to me
by my felow-citzens, and will be as
sumed with frankness, and, hope. not
unbecoming frmness. The consequen-
ces of my decision, either way, moy
seriously affect the country. No one
can entertain, as to that, profounder
solictude. But, after summoning to-
my aid the best purposes and best
lights that can command, the. conse-
quences, be they what they may, must
be hazarded.
The system for obtaining the reve-
nue. necessary to support their govern
mentis established. directly or Indirect
ly, by the people ofthe United States,
within the limits, and agreeably to the
prescribed forms of the constitution
Whatever is ascertained to be their
will on the subject, all should undoubt-
edly acquiesce in. That there are
known and approved modes by which
their will is expressed, cannot be ques.
toned; and the public officer who
reads that will with candor and integ.
rity, may feel assured that he conforms
to the institutions OF his country when
he makes it the guide of his conduct
To my mind ample proof has been fur
nished that a majority of the people
and of the States desire to change, to {
great extent, in principle, if not funda
mentally, the system heretofore pur
sued in assessing the duties on foreign
imports. That majority has manifest,
ed itself in various ways, and is attest
ed by lis representatives in the other
house of Congress, by whom this bill
has been approved, and whose votes
undeniabIy indicate the popular sense
in the large proportion of eighteen Out
of the twenty-eight States. In this
Senate an analysis Of the vote before
me discloses that while six States
(Ohio, Virginia, New Hampshire, Geor
gia, Michigan, and Maine) are equally
divided, eleven Louisiana, Pennsyl
vania, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachu
sets, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Con
necticut, Maryland, North Carolina
and Vermont) are against, and clever
ARKANSAS, Missouri, Alabama, Illinois
Indiana, South Carolina, Mississippi
New York, Texas, Tennessee, ant
Florida) are for the change. Peculiar
ly situated as am in my relation to thu
national legislature, these impressive
facts cannot be overlooked. In cas-
free from constitutional objection,
could not justifably counteract, by
sort of official veto, the general will.
The struggle to exert without abate
ment the constitutional power of taxa
ton in such manner as TO protect b.
high duties on imports many OF the pre-
ductions of our own soil and labor fror
the competition of other countries, ha
endured for more than thirty years.
During that period system ofhlgh ta1
alton has prevailed with fluctuations |
success and failure. 1t is as vigorou!
ly and as exactingly insisted upon no,
as ever: and indeed it would seem, i
some instances, as if the longer the az
vantage of particular tax was enjoy
ed, the stronger became the desire 70
its continuance, and even its augmer
tation. And yet it ought to be remen
bered that this exercise OF the taxn
power by which the great mass of cor
sumers are made to swell the profits {
afew branches of industry, was orig
nally intended to be temporary, to b
continued only so long as its contin.
ance was necessary to the industri;
Independence and safety Of the who
people. Such was the language, tn
inculcation, the spirit, in which it we
proposed and justified by its earlie'
and wisest friends. The design was
foster feeble "infdnt'' manufacture
especially such as were essential to tn
defence of the country in time OF wa
In this design, the people have pers,
vered until, with some, but not weigl
ty exceptions, these sapplipgs have t;
ken deep root, have become vigorous
expanded, and powerful, and are pre-
pared to share the common lot tofhuma
pursuits, and to enter with confidenc
the field of free, fair, and universal con