The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-08-29

EFFECT all THE BUSINESS of the PEG
PIE MOST NJURIOUSLY; and with n
Government expenditure offifty millions, and
revenue under twenty millions, the Govern
ment itselfmay be crushed under their COM
bned operation. To attempt il, when the ma
ton was al War abroad, and the Government
was in the money market, or soon expected
there, us borrower at home, clearly appear
ed to my mind to be unwisey jeoparding pub
lie credit and private confidence. Revolutions
are seldom reforms, and certainly reforms
need not always be revolutions. One must
reasonably fear, that, without miracle, such
strong measures, acting with their combined
power against the existing order ofthlngs in
the country, may create REVULSlON in
TRADE, PECUNIARY DISTRESS, HARD
TIMES, popular eXcitements, and sectional
ngitations, preceding another contest for the
Presidency, and do nobody any good, but n
few political agtators and rich Spectators.
Thought they would go very far toward pro-
ducing an overthrow ofthe Democratic party,
fthey did not entirely accomplish il. These
consequences were too natural not TO be APP
pretended; and the last mentioned result was
openly predicted by some, and probably an
lcipated by others, of my own friends, who
vet voted for the Experimental Tariff bill,
without approving oft. Unless it should be
repealed or materially modified, its conse-
quences now, belong to the developments of
the future, so need not illustrate the grounds
ofmy conviction by minuter statements. Let
time test its correctness.
Fourth. In none of the Tariffacts ofth u
nted States in former years was the industry
ofour own country burdened by discrimnu-
tons made AGAlNSTHOME manufactures.
Their policy was to build up and not to DE-
STROY-to PROTECT and not to OP-
PRESS. Not so the experimental Tariff
And sit not mistake to suppose that the
Republican people ofNorth Carolina were at
any time, hostile to those acts merely because
they We're "prOtGctiUe" Our hostility was
aimed at the ertea of the thing itself-at en-
IRENE protection, not protection per Sc. With
here and there an individual exception, (for
Republicans in those days were allowed to
differ boldly affirm that this was the Re-
publican doctrine ofour State and the peo-
pie will know it to be true, when remind
them that it was precisely the point of our
dispute with the Nullifers. They were against
protection ont and ont. We, the (Jackson)
Republican party of North Carolina, in par
ticular, went for incidental protection-moder-
ate protection, by n '.udicious Tariff" They
were for declaring the Tariff of 1928 and 49,
% unconstitutional, and multiplying it. because
Unprotected manufactures. We thought it
was unjust, because the protection was ca
heme, but not unconstitutional, and that the
"Union must be preserved" What the Re-
publican party ofNorth Carolina thought then,
Thought, spoke, and wrote.
And coming down to more recent events,
let me say that Mckay bill oflSi4 was
Tariff of incidental protection. which YOU and
l, and all the Democrats in Congress from
North Carolina, approved and sustained, and
the DeODIp pf il, No al, ftorpli,,o nf,
where opposed last year, and the press of the
party up 10 the Inauguration and afierward,
and even down to the day of the Report of
the Secretary of tho Treasury. Careful stud
y, longer experience, and closer examination
have confirmed me in the faith, those times
fortified, as it was, by the authority of the
Admnstrations.ofW Washington, and Jefferson,
and MADISON, and ,ilonroe, and JqcESon, all
Southern Republicans and Southern presi-
dents Is consistency treason? 1t may be
misfortune to me that was not able to change
with the times hut il would he Il crime to de-
ny my faith. 10 avoid misrepresentation,
give you the words ofthose wise aud cmi-
nent and patriotic men.
Here follow citations of the recorded opin-
ions of GEORGE WASHINGTON, Thomas JET
PERSON. JAMES MADISON, JAMES MONROE,
ANDREW JACKSON, &c. in favor ofincidental
Protectlon.' Mr. II. continues:
Now, the Experimental Tariff, as | inter-
pref 1t, fundamentally violated this doctrine
1t Disseminated, but it did so AGAINST our
DOMESTIC LABOR; and in that way, to
that extent, it made war upon the vital inter
ests ofthe North. And pray what induce
ments were offered TO North Carolina, by
this experiment, that her Senators should
help to carry OH the unnatural conflict
What, but the naked desire for an apparent
nR.txr 81,
concord. For North Carolina had no local or
State interest which will he served or elevat-
ed by it. None whatever,
The limits of this address will not allow of
illustrations by n tedious detail ofenumerated
articles. reserve that for more suitable
occasion, only remarkng, for the present that
II any should be disingenuous enough to de-
ny this characteristic ofthe new Tariff, no
one who regards his reputation will venture |
to contradict the fact that the Experimental 7
Tariff does not discriminate in favor ofAmer-
lean manufactures: and not to discriminate
III their favor, moderately and reasonably, by
a live and let live" law of love among breth-
rem OF common country,is the same thing in
principle, though not in degree, as to discrim-
mate AGAINST THEM. Verify, it seemed |
to me that its passing would be substituting
the theories of yesterday learned in the law
oiiiIe, iof the experience OF nifty years OF our
own Government, and the practice ofal civ
illzed nations, for the sake of perpetrating an
experiment upon the United States
Filth. The last objection that shall trout
Die you with, is to the new principle, that all
duties are to be laid advaloretn." 1t is not
the least remarkable circumstance, connected
with the passage ofthis act, that this new ad
oa'o'em article in the Democratic creed was
supported by the sanction ONO distinguished
name but Henry Clay's and Mr. Clay's friends
say that even he has been misrepresented to