The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-08-27

the duty is off, and though it is there yea
of scarcity, at prices destructive to our ez
porters, and which is now being felt by GU
farmers and millers in the present reduction
Can our farmers, in furnishing beef to tn
markets of the world, compete with the bee
from the grass plains of Mexico and the Ar
gentine Republic, and the Pampas Of Soutl
America, where cattle are fed and fattened il
herds of thousands, without cost, and now
slaughtered only for their hides and tallow
1t is next to be remembered, that if the
seventeen millions and half of these arti-
cles are annually imported over and above
all we now import, they must be consumed
by the people, and of course displace and
throw out Of use Just SO much of any of these
articles as are here produced, Now they are
all here produced except silk, of which the
required increase of importation would be
less than half q million, 10 wit, $484, ISL
Deduct that Gom $17743,632, and it will
still leave the sum of over seventeen millions
of the five remaining articles which must be
imported in addition to the last year, in or
der to raise the ordinary amount of revenue
and that importation must, of course, throw
out of use and displace from our market over
seventeen millions of dollars of the Ameri-
can manufactures of those articles. Is it not
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 agri-
culture depreciation of the price Of all its
products, by destruction of the home mar
ket, and conversion Of customers and con-
sumers into producers and farmers.
1t may possibly be inquired, why we do not
propose amendments to this bill, in order to
reach and save particular and important
branches and interests? Why we do not at
tend to the details of the bill ? l answer if
any have attended to what | have already
said, they will perceive, that from the appli-
cations of the principles and definitions stated
by the Executive, and on which this bill is
founded, it is an unavoidable consequence
that if, by any amendment to this bill, OR in
any other way any home article should sue
coed in our market, and thereby the like for
eign article should be in any part or degree
excluded, which would make the revenue de-
rived from that article less, it would be I'M
constitutional, above the revenue standard, and
Immediately, on that operation being ascer-
tanned, Congress must Immediately correct it,
and give the preference to the imported arti-
Gle. Such being the avowcd principle, it is
useless to try 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 a tariff
is doomed to death by the Presidents mes
sage, by the Secretary, and the supporters of
this bill. If | am distinctly told | am to be
DESTROYED with arsenic, have no choice in
the size of the dose.
IA =, tbot+ bn fret N
the history of our Government that these doc
trines have received the Executives sanctions;
and we are in effect told, that all the views
of all the Executives heretofore, in relation
both to the best interests Of the country, and
even as to the true extent and right construc-
ton and limitations of the Constitution, (Which
Constitution many of them assisted to make,)
were by them entirely understood on this sub
iect; and that all the various tariffs hereto
fore passed, have always been, and now are,
really usurputions and unconstitutional. l
have no time to discuss that point, but there
seems to be a degree of confident assurance
and reckless temerity in the outings forth Of
this new oracle of finance, which at first rath-
or confounds men of mere ordinary prcten-
sions. 1t should, however, be recollected that
the Secretary has tried on this community a
certain experiment, in putting forth certain
famous letter on the subject Of the annexation
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 enlarge the market for their manufac-
lures This, though urged by those well known
to be hostile to the whole system of home man.
ufactures, and who were constantly threaten
ING to destroy the SYSTEM and wholly the &C
cession of Texas would add to their power so
to do; and while the South was openly and
professedly DESTROYS of the annexation of lex
as to give to the Institutions of slavery large
field and to secure to it permanency and per-
petuity, the free States were urged to favor 1t
as a measure tending to diminish and oblite-
rate it. These views, however inconsistent,
vet took with those who belonged to the DOM
inant party in the northern and free States,
and by their votes Texas was annexed and
her Representatives and Senators have taken
their seats, and they are by this same man
now called on to assist, by their votes, to put
down all that policy by which the manutac-
lures are encouraged; and probably their
votes will determine the question. Now, sir,
after the successful performance of such an
experiment on the gullibility of the party, he
is well encouraged to put forth almost any
proposition which his sophistry can concoct.
H. MIR. Chairman, l come now, secondly,
to brief view of the proposed change of
policy, as it would affect us as an independ-
ent nation among the nations of the earth
By an Independent nation, mean one com
petent to sustain itself without the aid of 9th
ers, or their supply,in peace and in war; and
which can proceed in the progress Of improve
ment without being affected by foreign legis-
lation. Now, sir, the principle on which l in
sist is this, that whatever nation, and espec-
tally an agricultural nation, neglects to MAKE
provision by law for the encouragement of
internal manufactures and especially for such
as are really necessary comfortably to sustain
human life, and leaves this matter to regulate
itself, and holds the doctrine of always going
to buy in the cheapest market, it is always
subject to the regulations of other nations,
and is the dupe of their cupidity, and under
such course never has and never will pros
I