Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-07-02

LETTER FROM MIR. CLAY.
The following letter from Henry Clay ad-
dressed to a mercantile house of high standing
in New York, is published in the Courier Il
Enquirer. This letter, says the Courier, writ
ten "under circumstances which the letter it.
self sufficiently explains, will be read with a
thrill of pleasure by the hundreds of thousands
of Mr.. Clays devoted friends throughout the
country 1t relates to the great principl of
Protection te American Industry, and utters
words of wisdom at u crisis when they should
not, and will not, pass unheedcd. In the com
ments upon the character and claims of the
new commercial policy Of England, will be
found suggestions well worthy of attention, and
the whole letter is one of marked interest and
importance. Our readers, we are sure, will
share the delight with which we listen again
to the wise and patriotic counsels of the great
Statesman of the West. His counsel is the
more valuable, because it comes from the quiet
and repose Of his retirement, and not from the
field Of active public service. 1t is in every
way worthy of attention, and cannot be with
out an influence upon the current Of public
affairs"
ASHLAND, June 5th, 1546.
GENTLEMEN Il postponed answering your
favor until the arrival of the articles to which
it refers, which you have been kind enough to
present to me. They reached here yesterday
in safety, and request your acceptance of my
thanks for them. The pleasure that we shall
derive from using them, will be much ncrcas-
ed by the fact, that both the raw material and
the fabric are American. Their excellence at
tests the perfection which tliis important branch
of wooden manufactures has attained in the
United States, and it is the moro gratifying be-
cause of the great difficulties with which they
have constantly had to contend
On both sides of the Atlantic, the policy of
affordlng protection to domestic manufactures
appears to be under consideration in the ma
tional legislature. The British Minister has
brought forward measure embracing the doc
trines of free trade, not however without ex-
ceptions of several, and some very important,
articles. The manufactures of Great Britain
have reached very high degree of perfection
by means of her great capital, her improved
skill and machinery, her cheap labor, and un-
and vigorously enforced. She moreover pos
sesses immense advantages for the sale and
distribution Of numerous manufactures, in her
vast colonial possessions, from which those of
foreign powers are either entirely excluded, or
admitted on terms very unequal with her own
am not therefore surprised that under these
favorable circumstances, Great Britain should
herself be desirous to adopt, and to prevail on
other nations to adopt, the principles of Free
Trade shall be, if any of the great nations
of the continent should follow an example, the
practical effects of which will be so beneficial
to her and so injurious to them.
The propricty of afiording protection to Do
mcstic manufactures, its degree and its dura-
ton, depend upon the national condition and
the actual progress which they have made
Each nation, of right, ought to Judge for itself
believe that history records no instance of
any great and prosperous nation, which did
not draw its essential supplies of food and raj
ment from within its own limits. If all nations
were just commencing their career or if their
manufactures had all made equal progress, it
might perhaps be wise to throw open the mar
kets of the world to the frecst and most unre-
stricted competition. But it is manifest, that,
while the manufactures of some have acquired
all the maturity and perfection of which they
are susceptible, and those of others are yet in
their infancy, struggling hard for existence, a
free competition between them must rebound
to the advantage of the experienced and sklful,
and to the injury of those who are Just begin
ming to naturalize and establish the arts I.
No earthly qualification to the heart of n
Statesman can be greater than that of having
contributed TO the adoption of a great system of
National Policy, and of afterwards witnessing
MS complete success in its practical operation
That qualification can be enjoyed by those who
were instrumental in establishing the policy of
protecting our Domestic Manufactures. EveIy
promise which they made has been fulfilled
Every prediction which they hazarded as to
the quality and quantity of the Domestic sup
ply, as to the reduction of prices, as to the ef.
feet of competition at home, and as to the a.
bundancc of the public revenue, has been fully
realized. And II is no less remarkable that eve
ry counter prediction, without exception, of
the opponents OF the policy, has, in the sequel,
been entirely falsifcd
Without tracing particularly the operation of
our earlier Tariffs, adjusted to both the objects
Of Revenue and Protection, and coming down
TO the last, 1t seems 10 me that if there ever
were beneficial effect from any public mea.
sure fully demonstrated, il is, that the Tariff of
lS42, beyond all controversy, relieved both the
Government and the people of the United
States, from a state of pecuniary cmbarrass-
mcnt bordering on bankruptcy.
Entertaining these views and opinions,
should deeply regret any abandonment of the
policy of protection, or any material alteration
of the Tariff of ls42, which has worked so well
If its operation had been even doubtful, would
It not be wiser to await further developments
from experience, before we plunge into new
and unexplored theory Scarcely any misfor-
tune is so great to the business and pursuits of
a people as that Of perpetual change.
! am sensible that have extended this let
ter to most unreasonable length. hope you
will excuse and attribute it 10 the beautiful
fruits of a iavorite and cherished policy which
you have kindly sent 20
Your lend and obd't scrv't,
(Sgncd) II. CLAY.