Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-08-13

1 nut, blIg hhlhh ull cnLTc uCluslOI. HdNO HOb
time now fully to expose it. | can merely say
here, that this will little help that part Of the coun-
try who buy and do not sell flour and provisions;
that when our home market is destroyed by the
ruin Of our manufactures, the wheat and provision
grower will seek the foreign market and there
meet in England the wheat and provisions of the
continent selling at prices runous to him, because
raised by the labor of men and women working to-
gcher in the fields at six pence per day, and find
ing their own provisions of black bread and water.
Has not this been fully tried already? Is not our
-four now selling in England, though the duty is
off aud though 1t is there year Of scarcity, at pri-
ces destructive TO our exporters, and which IS now
being felt by our farmers and mlers in the present
Can our farmers, in furnishing beef to
the markets Of the world compete with the beef
from the grass plains Of Mexico and the Argentine
Republic, and the Pampas of South America,
where cattle fed and fattened in herds Of thou
sands, without cost, and now slaughtered only for
their hides and tallow?
1t is next to be remembered, that if the seven
teen millions and half of these articles are annu-
ally imported over and above all we now import,
they must be consumed by the people, and ofcoursc
dispace and throw out Of use just 50 much OF any
of these articles as are here produced Now they
are all here produced except silk, OF which the re-
,luired increase Of importation would be less than
holf Million to wit, S4S476l. Deduct that from
Sl77i3G92 and it will still leave the SUN Of over
seventeen mlIL2lS OF inc UVc TclOuluIl1 ulllClcS
which must be imported, in addition to the last
year, in order to raise the ordinary amount Of reve-
nue. and that importation must, Of course, throw
out Of use and dispace from our market over seven
teen millions o! dollars Of the American manutac-
lures. Is it rot then quite obvious, that this must
not only deeply embarrass and utterly destroy
large part or ALL Of those who now produce these
articles here, but also visit back on our agriculture
depreciation Of the price of all its products, by
dnctr Of tho home market and n
of customers aud consumers into producers and
farmers?
1t may possibly be inquired, why we do not pro-
pose amendments 70 the bill, in order to reach and
save particular and important branches and inter-
ests? Why we do not attend to the details OF the
bill answer, if any have attended to what
have already said, they will perceive that from the
applications of the principles and definitions stated
by the Executive and on which this bill is founded,
it is an unavoidable consequence that it, by an
amendment to this bill, or in any other way, any
home article should succeed in our market, and
thereby the like foreign article should be IN any
part or degree excluded, which would make the
revenue derived from that article less, it would be
unconstitutional, above the reuenue standard, and
Immediately, on that operation being asce:tained,
Congress must Immediately correct 1t, and give the
preference to the imported article. Such being
the avowed principle it is useless to try to save any
particular branch, because we are here told that,
if it now succeeds it must be destroyed as soon as
that success is known. Protection by tariff Is
doomed to death by the Presidents message, by
the Secretary and the supporters Of this bill. II L
distinctly told am to be destroyed with arsenic,
| have no choice in the size of the dose
1t is indeed tue that this is the first time IN the
history of our Government that these doctrines
have received the Executives sanction; and we
are in effect told that all the views OF all the Exec
utives heretofore, in relation both to the best ter-
Of lp and nc In
and right construction and limitations of the Con-
sttuton, (which Constitution many OF them as
sisted to make,) were by them entirely mlsunder-
stood this subject; aud that all the various tar
ifs heretofore passed, have always been, and now
are, really usurpations and unconstitutional. L
have time discuss that point, but there seems
| to be degree of confident assurance and reckless
temerity in the outings forth Of this oracle oil
! finance, which at first rather confounds men oil
mere ordinary pretensions. 1t should, however, be
recoiected that the Secretary has tried this
community certain experiment, In putting iorth q
certain famous letter the subject OF the anneXa
ton of Texas, and therein, among other arguments
the East and North part of the country were urged
to 90 for the measure because 1t would greatly en-
large the market for their manufactures. This
though urged by those well known to be hostile to
the whole system Of home manufactures, and who
were constantly threatening to destroy the system
and who by the accession OF Texas would add tC
their power to do; and while the South was
openly and professedly DESTROYS Of the annexation
of Texas to give to the Institution Of slavery
larger field, and to secure TO it permenency AM
perpetulty the free States were urged to favor it a
measure tending to diminish and ebllterate II
/; These views, however inconsistent, yet took witt
those who belonged to the dominant party in TIA
northern and free States, and by their votes TeXa
was annexed and her Representatives and Senator
have taken their seats, and they are Dy this sam
man now called on to assist by their votes, to pu
down all that policy by which the manufacturer
are encouraged and probably their votes Will de
termine the question Now, sir, after the success
full performance of such an experiment on The gul
libility of the party, he is well encouraged to pu
forth almost any proposition which his soph'str
can concoct.
+ II. Mr.. Chairman, | come now, secondly, to
brief view of the proposed change Of policy, as
would affect us as an Independent nation among tn
. nations of the earth. BY au independent nation,
, mean one competent to sustain itself without tn
4 aid of others, or their supply in peace and in war
and which can proceed in the progress of improve
n ment without being affected by foreign Legislation
: Now, sir, the principle on which | insist is hl
# that whatever nation, and especially an agricn
tural nation neglects to make provision by law 10
v the encouragement OF internal manufactures, an
especially for such as are really necessary comfor
= ably to sustain human life, and leaves this matte
to regulate ITSELF and holds the doctrine of Away
8, going to buy in the cheapest MARKET il is Away
Z subject to the regulations of other nations, and
i the dupe of their cupidity, and under such cours
IS never has aad never will prosper, but will IN fac
d be but colonial dependence.
l. This principle is sustained by the history of othC
ID nations, and the experience of our own. Look
ID Portugal, once the proud possessor of eXtensN
ID fleets and valuable eastern and western colone
Of and in high prosperity. She formed with Engl9n
Z the Methuen treaty, by which she was to take nc
It clothing. &c. of England, who made them cheal
lie est, and England was to take her wines and whit
p has been tie result? From the pride OF glor
y Portugal has regularly descended in the scale
ir nations, and has now for long tlme been pract
t. cally colonial dependence of England. Spa
r followed the same policy; she, too, took all ht
of clothing and manufactures Of England, who mad
W them cheapest, and contented herself with ralsn
A. merno wool, for that kind of sheep have been
,e Spain from the time OF the Romans ms wo
3. thew supplied to Flanders and to England, and toe
A. their cloth of them. as some gentlemen propose