The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-07-02
J.F. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

on this great assembage Of their works.
Let the gentleman go TO the mechanics of
this country, and let him, if he thought it
prudent, tell thai great interest that The
fruits of their industry, invention, and en-
terprise were all humbug. If he did,
Mr. S. feared greatly that they might con-
slider the gentleman a humbug himself
Was that the gentIeman's doctrine, that
the interest OF the mechanic arts and the
interests of American agriculture were
humbug2 Would the gentleman tell our
farmers that that was democratic doctrine ?
Mr. S. fancied not.
There was gentleman from England
with specimens of British goods, now &C.
cupying the commtee,room over which
you, Mr. Chairman, (Mr Hopkins, of Va,
occupying the chair,) have the honor of
presiding, almost in the hearing of my
voice, and he has been there for months
displaying his foreign goods, to influence
the votes of members 10 favor the British
and this is all fair and beautiful in the
eyes Of gentlemen who look with abhor-
renee upon this American fair, got up to
counteract this bold and barefaced British
attempt, made in this House, to influence
our legislation, to destroy our tariff, and
again inundate our country with British
goods The gentleman from Alabama
| had visited this British fair, and had he
complained of that? Had he denounced
the putting of one oflhe committee rooms
OF this House to such use as bold and
profigate attempt 10 bias and control the
Legislation Of this House2 Far from it.
The British agent had been here for
months past. He had conducted member
after member 10 his display of British
fabrics, and gentlemen ofihis House, and
the gentleman from Alabama himself, had
gone there and contemplated, he supposed.
with infinite satisfaction, these products OF
foreign industry. For what had they
been brought there? For what purpose,
to what end, had foreign agent been ac>
commodated with an apartment in house
appropriated 10 American legislation, in
the very Capitol itself? For what, but
expressly for the purpose Of swaying and
blasting and controlling the Legislation of
that House on the tariff? This the gen.
tleman had denounced in terms of the
highest indignation, when the products
were the works of American hands, and
the fruits OF American capital and skill,
and when they were exhibited, not 10 a
committee room of that House, but in d
building erected by the manufacturers
themselves, at their own cos, and whith-
er they had invited their fellow citizens
TO assemble from every part of the land
1t was all wrong that this should be done
by Americans, but a! perfectly right when
it was done by an agent OF the British
manufacturers. The gentleman could
gaze with infinite qualification on com-
mittes room filled with foreign fabrics, but
turned with disgust from a building put
up by American hands, and filled with
the splendid and varied fruits Of American
ingenuity and skill. This was q huns
bug, compared by the official paper to
"menagerie,' "bagatelle,'' and all those
glorious and beautiful proofs Of the inven.
tive powers of our countrymen were con-
temptible humbugs, the fruits of sordid
interest, the devices of avarice and cupidi-
ty. He envied no man such feelings
they were not American-they could find
no place in an American heart. But this
was a matter of taste; he went to the A.
meric0n, other gentlemen to the British
fair; a mere difference in taste. But
(Mr S. said) he had seen, in the last hour,
with emotions which he could not dea
scribe, collection of thousand ia voice,
'rhree thouaand'l American children
brought 10 look upon this sight, and learn,
in their tender years, to love their own
country better than any foreign land. A.
mong these were doubtless many of the
future mechanics and manufacturers, and
not few of the Legislators of our country.
He rejoiced that they had learned better
lesson than to prefer the prosperity of for
eigners to that Of their own parents,
brothers, and countrymen. Ii the gentle
man would step TO the window behind
him, he could behold these beautiful chil>
dren on their march to the Crpito. Was
this American sight offensive 10 The gem
tleman2 Would he destroy these Amer
lean products also, and import Them from
abroad2 [Great merriment.l He hoped
not. But he had done with the fair; and
he now turned to consider some of the ar
guments which had been adduced by the
gentleman from Alabama, for whom he
cherished high personal respect. who
was doubtless actuated BY patriotic feel
ings, and whom he should be happy 10
hear in reply 10 what he was now about
TO say.
The first argument of the gentleman
had been the position, that the effect OF a
protective tariff was oppressive, especially
on the poor, and on the interests Of agll-
culture and labor. How was it oppres-
sive upon these2 No other interest in
the country was half MS much benefited
by The tariff as The farmers, and mechan-
les, and workingmen. The gentlemen
said that it injured them by increasing
the price of manufactured commodities