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


porous and independent. England has long pur-
sued this course of selfprotecton, and her artisans
are in advance of the world. Her manufactures
furnish the material for her commerce, and the ba-
sis Of her wealth. France Holland, Belgium, Ger
many, and Russia, having all adopted this policy
in self.defence and being prosperous England be.
gan to be curtoed of her markets. She has sent
commissioners to those continental powers, and
pushed on them the doctrines OF Tree trade, which
she never followed. They have been deaf to her
solicitations, and told her they could never again
follow those doctrines which drained from them all
their money, until they had pushed their manuiac-
lures to the same degree of perfection as England,
and so become fully able 10 compete with her.
Finding herself rapidly beng limited i'll her mark
cts, England has finally, IN order TO enable her
manufacturers fully to avail themselves Of their
advanced skill and extensive capital, and to give
them again the advantage of all others, 50 far re-
duced her duties on grain and provisions, as to en-
able her manufacturers to feed themselves and
families at the cheapest possible rate. This was
done by Sir Robert Peel, entirely for The benefit Of
The English manufacturer, and, through their sue
cess, 20 advance the commerce and national pros
perlIy Now, what is the policy recommended by
our Executive? Why that such course should
here be taken will let in foreign articles entirely
and utterly to DESTROY our manufacturers, contrary
to the doctrine even of Adam Smith, that it is ever
bad policy FOR any nation TO diminish its artisans
Let us now briefly recall to memory short chap
ter from the history of OF our own experience on
this point. While were colonies of England,
we were not permitted to have our attention diver
ted from our agriculture and fisheries, not being
permitted by England to manufacture euen hob
nail. We were then told, we now are, very pat
ronisingly that we must feed them and they clothe
us; that it entirely best for to buy all man.
uactures of them, because they made them cheap
est. Our trade was confined to England Tor our
supplies, and what was the effect: The same 1t
lrnrf eli "a n
entire dependence the hewers of wood and bear
ers of burthens to England. When our fathers
concluded to strike for independence, they found
themselves unable to furnish themselves even with
ordinary clothing and the struggle of the Kevo-
luton received most of its aggravated sufierlngs
from the privatons which this state OF dependence
on England and want Of the power of self supply,
created. The retreat of the army, under Wash
'ington, through New Jersey, in l776, the darkest
spot of the struggle, was marked with the blood Of
the soldiers feet on the frozen ground Tor want oil
Shoes Why was this 1t was entirely because
they had relied on foreign supply of shoes, because
they acre chedpeSt; and therefore, when trouble
came they were incapable of self supply. When
the long struggle of the Revolution closed, each
State had the formation of its own tariff. Some
desired protective tariff; while others, DESTROYS o.
securing the advantage OF the foreign trade to thel
own ports, declined to lay any duties whatever-
Our ministers abroad endeavored to form CONNER
cal treaties but us the Congress had not then pow
or to enforce them, none could be formed. I'M
was a state of actual free trade from the peace o
1888; and what was the effect? We bought en-
tirely of those who sold cheapest, and that course
Of trade drained all the money hom the country
Debts could not be paid, or judgments enforced
and even in the old State Of Massachusetts, 81
great was the distress, that the people rose IN opel
revolt called the Shay's rebellion, and iorcl6l.
stopped the sitlings of the courts, to prevent Judg
ments being rendered for debts The countr
seemed fast tending to anarchy, and even Genera
Washington expressed the deepest fear that all IN
revolutionary war, and It's success, would be lost II
the result. This was but the effect OF free trade
and of buylnr where we could buy cheapest
From this we escaped by the adoption OF tn
present Constitution, wherein the power OF the sew
eral States to levy and collect duties passed to th
General Government, which Immediately exercise
that power by laying duties discriminating for th
) encouragement and protection OF home manulac
lures. 1t is true that, after this, and for man
years. all Europe was involved IN war, and we be
came as a neutral nation tie carriers for the world
aud full and high demand existed for all our pro
auctions so that manufacturers were little advance
, before we were involved III another war. we ha
} still pursued the policy of buying instead of ma
king our articles of manufacture, and that was oun
, us still IN comparative state Of dependence o
} England. The sufferings and distresses Of Thu
war were not so much It's battles, it was the eS
4 posure and disease from want of proper supple
a J. have witnessed in that war, and many presei
u witnessed it much more much OF suffering, tro
s long, cold, shivcring nights passed IN want of
!. blanket; and our Government was unable even
4 procure blankets to perform their treaties with I'll
g Indian tribes This was the result of practic
) free trudc. At the commencement Of that w
S Congress, at single blow, doubled all our dut
e to increase the revenue, but they never acquire
It the sgacity to discover what is now the doctrin
that is, that they should have loicered the duties
: increase the revenue. We struggled through tn
j. war; and, not considering the changed condltlC
of Europe which had settled back into the rursul
1t of peace and self supply, our people immediate
launched forth again into the practice OF free trad
and bought where they could buy cheapest; ar
, what was the effect? The country was lnundatC
n with imported goods; the money was all aga
q drained off, and universal distress followed The
I tried making banks, but that OF course failed,
q the specie gone, which alone can sustain thel
=: From this VIC were never fully relieved until it WI
J., done by the protective tariffs of 1921 and lS2
!. which fostered a home manufacture and hon
q market. In 1882 the friends Of free trade procure
|. the passage of the Compromise act, under who
" the protective duties were gradually taken oil al
d reduced until 1912, when the whole came down
+ twenty per cent. This was again free trade; al
ar what was its effect? 1t was precisely the same
= had always been before. We bought where '
- could buy cheapest as the duties dimnshe
IS importatons Of foreign goods increased, until
e country was again flooded with them, the spec
It was again drained of, the revenue fell below tn
teen millions, and general bankruptcy indyldu
A. and NATIONAL ensued, From this we were reliev
=, by the present tariff law, under which we we
~ prospecting. Now, it would seem as if we had be
g sufficiently taught, by our own experience, that
4 prosperity, that nationa! independence, cam
,r he sustained in the practice Of free trade.
,. What is a state of colonial dependence, and VIII
At are the advantages to England, or any other go
y eminent, in the possession Of colonies? The bene
Of to England, derived from her colonies, is that s
l. confines their trade to herself, and supplies the
in at her own price, with all manufactured articles,
or her own vessels and sends off to them her surpl
Ie goods and population. To obtain these advant
70 res she is at the expense of defending the colonl
in against other nations, and sustaining their cover
oil ment Now, suppose adopt the principles
,k free trade, now put FORTH and take all our man
70 factures from England and because they s.