The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-05-22
Report of Secretary walker.
ON THE TARIFF.

The report Of this officer ls always read
with good deaI Of interest. !, relates to
one Of the most important departments OF
the Government; to that Department, at
any rate, which sustains all the others. II
is, besides, made the duty of the Secretary,
in his annual Report, in addition TO the es.
Inmates Of the public revenue and public ex.
pend,ures, to lay before Congress plans
for improving or increasing the revenues
from lime TO time, being, as expressed,
for the purpose Of giving iyormGtio" to
Congress"
The theory Of our Governments is, that it
is Government OF The People. The early
practice under II vas for the people, by
their delegates in the two Houses Of Con
gress, to originate the laws intended for
their own government, leaving the Esecu.
tive branches 10 their appropriate duty Of
carrying them into execution. The theory
OF monarchy is, that all laws emauate from
the Sovereign, and his Ministers oily have
the initiative of them. General jackson
was the frs, PresiJen; who undertook TO
practice upon the monarchlcai theory. His
successors Of the Same dynasty follow HE
example; and we are here, 10 this Score.
fary's Report, presented, not with plan
but arguments in favor Of pan, to change
entirely the system by which our revenue
has been collected since the establishment,
OF The Government. This system, more
especially adopted 10 1916, and sustained
for thirty years by oil our subsequent lie.
gisla,on, is pronounced by this modest ser
want of the people as unequal, unjust, CT
orbit0nt, and oppressive. This system
he proposes 10 change IN favor OF one 0
which he gives Us, m many words, con
fused outline.
We propose to examine, with all the re
specl due 10 high officer OF the Govern
ment, some Of the assertions, theories, anl
speculations contained 10 th;s very e3.faor.
binary Report.
His object, as ne were long since lnfo,.
med by letter under his hand, published
in the newspapers, was to btins the laIif
down to the" revenue standard OF course
much curiosity existed 10 learu what he IN
derstood or intended by this caballsiit
phrase. Without finding any very precs'
definition Of the term, We have no difficulty
10 getting at his meaning, Especially aite
comparing il with the Presidents Message
IN which the theory is more plainly stated
A revenue du'y is one 10, only producin!
revenue, but must be so constructed as I,
avoid 10 the slightest possible degree be
coming protective. A revenue duty is an
iagoDislical to a protective duty. 4 dut,
which, by design or accident causes SIM
lar articles 10 those on which it is levied /,
be produced at home, 30 as to lessen tn,
revenue, becomes thereby protective, aur
must be reduced Discrimination NAV b
made for revenue, bat not Tor protection
A duty laid on articles Of winch none ar
imported cannot be collected, and is there
fore clearly unconstitutional. These ar
the Fundamental principles on winch lh
new system is 10 be established. He thu
s,a,es the object of the protective system
ga protective tariff ls question regar
ding the enhancement Of The profits Of cap
tai; that is its object, aud not TO augmel
the wages Of labor, which would red1c
those profits. 1t is q question Of per cent
sge, and Is 10 decide whether money yeste
10 our manufactures should, by special lie
gisla,ion, yield profit Of ten, twenty, o
thirty per cent, or whether II shall remain
satisfied with dividend equal to tina, &C
cruing FROM the same capital When ,nyes,e,
40 agriculture, commerce OF navigation"
II is difficult to say whether the aboy,
paragraph betrays greater ignorance O
the objects aud grounds on which the pro
sec'ive principle was adopted aud engrolte
into our revenue system, or Of the mo.
common aud universally admitted pflBclple
of political economy. The protective sys
TEN was 20, introduced or advocated BY III
possessors Of capital, nor for their benefit
IL is a well known fact that they were, wit
few, it any exceptions, opposed to II.
was the patriotic democracy Of the counir'
which advocated aud introduced the sys
ten. What was The argument Tue couu