The daily union., 1846-09-02

eously be termed oppression Of American labor" :"
Mr.. W. selects one Of the toiling >mions''-the
bold pioneer, who with his axe fearlessy encoun
lers our heavy forest and subdues our rugged SOIL
making valuable and permanent conquest over ma
ture for the benefit of man. and whose only partiei
patton IN the benefits" Of this system Of "protee
ton TO American industry" consists in his being
heavily Jared for everything he in his sustenance
and IN his toll. He is an American laborer-one in
stance out of millionsi-hs is portion of the in
dustry" of the eountry-hs does not seem 10 have
the sympathy of the peculiar friends of ''labor-nor
does he ask il He has added )" says Mr.. W.,
" something to the worlds stock and made that
which before useless subseryient to the happi-
ness and support Of his race. Has he in his noble
undertaking asked the bounes Of government in his
behalif Has he come with greedy and selfish
grasp, demanding from the public treasury premi-
um upon the land cleared by him, or upon the wheat
aud corn raised as the product Of his labori Sir,
this man asks only PROTECTION FROM THE
SPIRIT OF RAPAClTY AND WRoNGm
Notwlthstandng the ponderous blows inflicted
following him in his remarks, that he is ''protec-
tionst" himself-not exactly in the sense in which
that term Is understood as applied to high tariftes,
but "protectlonlstn Of the right kind. We hope
there will be, before many years pass over US
nay, we think there now, or would be, at once,
If a little more thought and less camor we're be-
slowed Dpon the subject of the tariff-many mil
lions Of protectionists Of what the razor-strop man
would term 'the same sort" In the paragraph
which follows, Mr.. Wllmot avows his protective
principles" IN the true eloquence of the heart-they
are the principles Of a man, Christian, a demo.
crat-prlnciples upon the dissemination OF which
God himself will smile approvingly. Letters of gold
would rot be too precious TO be used lp preserving
the record Of such sentimentsi
"Sir, am in favor Of protection. here ayow
myself proeconist in the highest and lrues sense
Of the word. demand prosction for labor against
the cruel exactons OF capital. demand protection
for the equal rights OF the people, against privileged
and monopolizing class, upheld and sustained by
partial legislation. ] claim protection for the hard
earnings OF the poor, against an insdIous system
that plumbers by stealth, and eats out his substance
Why, SIR, in the name Of humanity, seek TO heap
burden after burden upon the back Of labor Is not
the lot Of the poor already sufficiently hard' Has
not wealth already sufficient advantages over pow
erty' IL has influence and power, and too onen,
even IN this free country, commands the high sta
tions OF honor and profit The rich live in aluence,
surrounded with all the elegances and luxuries of
life. Their children grow up around them, and are
amply advanced and provided for. The poor toll in
heat and in cold for plain and homely subsistence
suffering many reverses, enduring many pryations.
His children toll by his side, leave home at an
early age to toll In the fields or workshop Of the
stranger. Against this democracy makes no com.
plant. Democracy seeks not TO deprive wealth Of
any of its legitimate advantages IL asks not to
take from the rich farthing of its riches; but
does demand that these advantages shall not be in
creased by the partial enactments the government;
that no system of direct indirect bountes be es-
,abshed, by which portion of the earnings of the
poor be taken TO swell the already oyefhowiDg cof-
fers OF the rich. YET under the thin and hmsy
disguise OF protection TO American labor, such pol
icy is attempted to be fastened upon the country.
will war against it while | have breath. | have
warred against it at home before my own people,
and shall not desert their cause now"
To the declaration of the restrictive tariffites that
hey desire TO give the farmer market for his sur
plus productions Mr. Wilmot replies: "Give to
him. then, the market Of The pOrldl seek not to restrict
him IN his choice, by system Of restrictive and
prohlbtory duties, which leads TO countervailing re-
strlctions, and by its narrow and selfish policy
ders those who would otherwise become purchasers
unable TO buy. But it is home market that is to
be given to the farmer. That is, by shutting him
out from the markets of the world, and confning
him to one, you place him completely in the power
of those who control that market, either to sell at
their prices not sell at ALL Not only this, but he
must be prohibited from seeking the best and cheap
est market in which to purchase articles necessary
for the comfort of himself and family, and must buy
of this same privileged class at the prices they may
find 1t for their interest to demand. Thus upon
both sides the farmer is yfseeedr'
Mr.. W. proceeds with some plain talk about this
much talked of but little understood subject can
scarcely fail to comprehend:
81 have already, sir, glanced at the argument so
much insisted upon, that this system will give to the
farmer a HOME MARKET. What, | inquire, has it
yet done towards that end The surplus agrcul
tural productions of Ohio alone would feed, twice
over, all the persons employed by these manufac-
turing establishments that have grown up under this
system. What isto be done with the remaining
surplus Of the vast west, and the middle States,
For thirty years we have heard that home market
was to be created; and yet, during this time the az
ricutural productions have increased in ratio as
ten to one, over the consumption of these large
manufacturing establishments. Does the farmer
look to the prices current Of Lowell ascertain the
market price of his wheat, his pork, and the pro-
ducts of his dairy! No, sir; he looks to the prices
they bear in the great commercial cities Of
board, and their price there under sound currency,
is in the main governed by the price they command
in foreign market More Of the productions of
the American farmer have found market during
the last year in the dependencies Of Great Britain
alone, than all that has been consumed by this same
home market promised by the protectionists. Yet
by their policy they would destroy the foreign
market, that they might control absolutely the
price OF the farmers products, they now do that
OF the woollens and cottons he wears and when
one State had glutted this home market they
would cry out, as have heard some of the savans
of this school, that there was an over produc-
ton IN the country; that there was too much
wheat, corn, and pork raised; that the farmer
was too industrious, and produced too much. This,
suppose, is one mode of encouraging home indus.
try. They would, repeat, destroy the foreign
Market for, by refusing to purchase of foreign coun
tries, you make those countries unwilling, and, in
deed, unable, to buy of us. Suppose, SIR that the
Potomac was the dividing boundary between two
nations, which, for convenience, will name after
the adjacent States of Virginia and Maryland; that
the soil of Virginia was adapted to agricultural pur
suits-wheat, and all the productions of the farm
could there be raised cheaply, and in abundance
that the soil of Maryland was of cold unpro-
ductive sort, but, owing to her mineral treasures,
water-power, and other facilities, all the branches
of manufacturing could he carried on advan-
tageousy. Would it not, inquire, be for the
mutual interests Of these two nations to exchange
their respective productions to the extent of their
wants. Would they not naturally and bene-
hcially do so under the ordinary laws of trader
No one, think, will deny it. Let us now sup
pose the beauties of this restrictive system to
break in upon the hitherto benighted farmers of
Virginia. They learn to talk about protecting
Virginia labor--the advantages Of a home market,
and resolve, by high restrictive and prohibitory Ia
Hah,, h. -