The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1846-07-09
LETTER FROM MR.. CLAY.

which the letter itself sufficiently explains,
will be read with thrill of pleasure by the
hundred of thousands of his devoted friends
the country.--It relates to the
great principle of PROTECTION 10 American
Industry, and utters words OF wisdom at a
crisis when they should not, and will moi pass
unheeded In the comments upon the Char
acter and aims 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 10 the
wise and patriotic counsels ofthe great states-
man of the West His letter is the more
valuable, because it comes from the quiet
and repose of his retirement, and not from
the field OF active public service. Ii is in
every way worthy of attention, and cannot be
without an influence upon the current ofpub-
lie affairs--N. Y. Cour.
ASHLAND, June 5, 1916.
GENTLEMEN: postponed answering your
favor until the arrival of the articles 10 which
il refers, which you have been kind enough
to present to me. They reached here yes
tetday in safety, and Irequest your accep-
lance of my thanks Tor them. The pleasure
which we shall derive from using them. will
be much increased by the fact, that both the
law material and the fabric are American.--
Their excellence atiesls the perfection
which this important branch of woollen man
uractures has attained in the U. s., and tits
the more gratifying because of the great dit
| ficultes with which they have constantly
had to contend.
/ On both sides OF the Atlantic, The policy
of affording protection 10 domestic manutac-
turies appears 10 be under consideration IN
the national legislatures. The British Min
lister has brought forward measure embta-
cling the doctrines of free trade, not however
without exceptions of several, and some very
importan, articles. The manufactures oil
: Great Britain have reached very high de-
gree of perfection, by means of her great cap
ital, her improved skill and machinery, he'
> cheap labor, and system of protection
: long, perseverignly, vigorously enforced
:, She moreover possesses immense advantages
= for the sale and distribution of her numerou:
. ! manufactures, in her vast colonial posses
r s.oras. which those offoreign powers arr
, either entirely eXcEuu1u, UT acTIiflr5d on TERM,
:, very unequal with her own.
!. am not therefore surprised that unde
these favorable circumstances, Great Britain
should herself be DESTROYS 10 adopt, and I,
:, prevail upon other nations 10 adopt, the prn
q. ciple of Free Trade. | shall be, if any q
= the great nations of the continent, shoult
follow an example, the pratical effects O
) which, will be so BENEFICIAL TO her and SO in
= furious to them.
= The propriety Of affording protection t,
= > a q,
=, duration, depend upon the national condi
:" ton and the actual progress which they hav
:. made. Each nation, ofright ought TO judg
y for itself | believe that history records n
I, : instance OF any great and prosperous nation
!. which did not draw its essential supplies O
: q food and raiment from within lis own limits
u If all the nations were just commencin.
- or if their manufactures had all made equa
y progress, il merhaps be wise to throw ope
the market to the world TO the freest an
- most unrestricted competition. But it
"a =, manifest, that while the manufactures c
II some have acquired all the maturity and per
!" lection OF which they are susceptible, ar
n those OF others are yet in their infancy, srug
- Cling hard for existence, free competitor
= between them must rebound TO the advant
= age Of the experienced and skiful. aud II
= the injury of those who are beginning to nal
~ uralize and establish the arts.
~ No earthly qualification to the heart of
VI Statesman can be greater than that OF hay
ing contributed 10 the adoption of a grea
40 system of National Policy. and of afierward
NC witnessing its complete success in its pracii
an cal operation. That qualification can be en-
a. loved by those who were instrumental in es
VI IL ~; sh ,NoIinu ~ DIR
" mestic manufactures. Every promise the
IS made has been fulfilled. Every predciio
81 which they hazarded as to the quality an
~ quantity OF the Domestic supply, as TO th
lis reduction OF prices, as to The effect of con
ID petition at home, and as TO the abundance {
&C the public revenue, has been fully realized
ny And II is no less remarkable that every cour
GU Ter prediction without exception, of the opor
~ ents of The policy, has, in the sequel, bee
c.'' entirely falsifed.
lo1 Without tracing particularly the operatio
'u' Of our earlier Tariffs, adjusted 10 both ID
objects of Revenue and Protection. and con
ing down 10 the last, it seems TO me that
:" there ever were beneficial effect from an
to- public measure fully demonstrated, it is, thi
Of the Tariff of 1912, beyond all cont rovers
FIR relieved both the Government and the pee
pie of The United STATES, from state of pc
cuniary embarrassment bordering on banl
70 rupicy.
- Entertaining these views and opinions,
should deeply regret any abandonment {
A. the policy of protection, any material a
In. teralon of The Tariff of 1912 which hs
worked so well. If its operation had bee
even doubtful, would ii not be wiser to
wait further developments from experience
" before we plunge into new and unexplore