The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-05-02


false representations made by these Manches-
ter men and their agents in regard 10 the char
Gcter and prices of British and American goods.
Speaking of the Presidents message, this
Manchester letter writer exolaims "a second
Daniel come 20 judgment, second Richard
Cobden;" and SO delighted were they an Eng
land with Mr. Walkers celebrated free trade
report that il was ordered TO be printed by
the House of Lords After all this, having
our President and Secretary on their side,
they ought TO have been content, without
sending their letters of instructions here to
direct us what kind ola tariffthey wish us TO
pass. But il their chancellor had sent us a
revenue bill, he could not have furnished
one to suit GrGat Britain better than the one
furnished by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Parliament would pass il by reclamation.
Sir Robert Peel understands his business; he
proposes to take the duties off breadstufis
and raw materials of all kinds used by their
manufacturers, and remove every burden so
as TO enable them 20 meet us and beat us
in our own markets and in the mar
kets of the world, where Yankee COM
petition is beginning TO give them great I'M
easness. Last year, we exported hundreds
of thousands of dollars worth of cotton goods
into the British East Indies, and bent the Brit
ish in their own markets, after paying dis
eliminating duties imposed to keep us out,
first 8, then 10, finally Is per. cent. In this
great struggle, Sir Robert Peel comes to the
rescue; he repeats the duty on cotton and
wool, and bread and meat, and every thing
used by British manufacturers TO enable them
to go ahead in this struggle with the Ameri-
cans; and whit does Mr. Walker do? just the
reverse. lie proposes to take off all prOtec-
tive duties, and imposes heavy burdens ON
the raw materials, dyestuffs, &c, used by our
manufacturers, 80 as. effectually TO PROSTATE
and break them down. Sir Robert Peel takes
burdens off his steed, while Sir Robert WAL
ker piles bags of sand on his-then crack their
Whips--clcar the road--a fair race! (Alaugh)
Such is the difference between British aud
American policy. Sir Robert PeePs present
system furnishes powerful arguments for ad-
hearing to our protective system-his object
is not to favor, but to beat us; and our course
is not to defeat, but to favor his purpose. This
will not only be the effect ofthe taritfprOpos-
ed by orr Secretary, but il is its open and a
vowed purpose and design; is il not the pro-
claimed purpose ofthe message and report to
increase the importation of british goods, and
of course, to that extent, destroy American
supply? Does not the Secretary propose to
reduce the protective duties more than one
halffor the purpose Of increasing revenuei
aud IL the revenue is increased by reducing
duties one half must not the imports be more
than doubled? This il self evident, and if you
double your imports of foreign goods, must
you not destroy to that extent American sup
ply? Most certuinly, unless the Secretary can,
in his wisdom, devise plan 10 make people
eat, drink, wear double as much as they now
do. But where will we find money 10 pay
for them? There's the rub. But startling aud
extraordinary as il may appear, our Secreta-
nv for the first time In the history ofthe world,
has boldly aud openly avowed il as the object
of Government TO break down and destroy
its own manufactures for the purpose of ma
king way for those Of Foreigners In'the very
first paragraph ofhis argumentative report he
sets out with stnting that the revenue ofthe
list quarter Of this yearis TWO millions less
than the LIST quarter of the last, and that this
has been occasioned by the substitution Of
highly protected american manufactures for for
eigR imports; and this evil this terrible evil this
.AmerieGn Secretary proposes TO remedy by
reducing the protective duties, and thus
breaking up this aboninable business of''sub-
stituf;ng domestic products" made by american
labor, out of .inlerican produce for, British
goods, made by British labor, out of British
produce. OH but be hates the British. Now,
sir, this is not only the doctrine of his ert, hut
il runs through his whole sermon of957 pa
ges. No wonder it was printed by the House
OIL rds, aud let our Secretary carry through
this bill, and Queen Victoria would gladly
transfer the seals from Sir Robert Peel to Sir
Robert Walker, for he will have rendered
hera greater service than any other man,
dead or living
But this is not only the doctrine of the
Treasury report, but of the message itself.
IL. 4 4 ~ -.
sage aims death blow Mt all American in
dustry. II suggests kind of ''sIiding scale,
so that whenever any branch of American in
dustry begins 10 beat the foreigner, and sup
ply the market, and thereby diminish imports
and revenue, this Is evidence that the duty
is too high and ought to be reduced, so as TO
let in the foreign rival productions; but let the
President speak for himself-here is his rev.
enue standard in his own words:
"The precise point in the ascending scale
of duties at which it is ascertaned from expe-
rience that the revenue is greatest, is the max
imum rate of duty which eau be laid for the
bona fide purpose of collecting money for the
support ofGovernment. To raise the duties
higher than that point, and thereby diminish
the amount collected, is TO levy them for pro-
lection merely, and not for revenue. As long,
then, as Congress may gradually increase the
rate of duty on gwen article, and the reve-
nue. is increased by such increase Of
duty, they are within the revenue stan
dard. When they go beyond that point, and
as they increase the duties, the revenue is di-
mnished or destroyed, the act ceases to have
for its object the raising of money to support
Government, but is for protection merely"
What is this but rule to favor foreigners
and break down Americans? The moment
the American by his superior industry AND
skill begins to succeed, then the duty mus
come down so as to increase foreign imports
and revenue. This is the plain and inevita.
bic operation fthe rule. and who would &c