The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-07-11
LETTER from MIR. CLAW.

Letter from MIR. Clay.
The following letter from HENRY CLAY ad-
dressed to mercantile house of high stand
ing in this city, under circumstances which
the letter itself sufficiently explains, will he
read with thrill ofpleasure by the hundreds
orthousands of his devoted friends through
out the country. 1t relates TO the great prin-
ciple of Protection to American Industry, and
u,ters words of wisdom at n crisis when they
should not, and will not, pass unheeded. In
The comments upon the character and aims of
the new commercial policy of England, will
he found suggestions well worthy ofattention;
and the whole letter is one of marked inter
est and importance.
Our readers, we are sure, will share tho de-
light with which we listen again to the wise g.,
patriotic counsels of the great Statesman of
the West. His letter is the more valuable,
because it comes from the quiet and repose
ofhis retirement, ind not from the field ofac
tive public service. 1t is in every way wor-
thy of attention, and cannot be without an in
fuence upon the current Of public affairs
.New York Courier.
ASHLAND, June 5th, 1916.
GENTLEMEN:-I postponed answering your
favor until the arrival ofthe articles to which
il refers, which you have been kind enough to
present me. They reached here yesterday
in safety, and request your acceptance ofmy
thanks for them. The pleasure which we
shall derive from using them, will be much
increased by the fact that both the raw mate
rial and The fabric are American. Their eX-
cellence attests the perfection which this i'm
portant branch of woollen manufactures has
attained in the United States, aud it is the
more gratifying because ofthegreat difficult
ties with which they have constantly had to
contend. ,
On both sides of the Atlantic, the policy Of
ailordng protection to domestic manufac-
lures appears to be under consideration i'm the
national legislatures The British Minister
has brought forward measure embracing the
doctrines of free trade, not, however, without
exceptions of several, and some very impor-
tint, articles. The manufactures of Great
Britain have reached very high degree of
perfection, by means other great capital; her
improved skill and machinery,her cheap Ia
bor and under system of protection, long,
perseveringlv and vigorously enforced. She
moreover possesses immense advantages for
the sale and distribution other numerous
from which those offoreign powers are either
entirely excluded, or admitted on terms very
unequal with her own.
| am not therefore surprised that under
these favorable circumstances, Great Britain
should herself be DESTROYS TO adopt, and to
prevail on other nations TO adopt, the princi-
piles ofFree Trade. shall be, ifany of the
great nations ofthe continent should follow an
example, the practical effects of which, will
I've so beneficial to her and so injurious to
them.
The propriety of affording protection to
Domestic manufactures, its degree, and its
duration, depend upon the national condi-
ton and the actual progress which they have
made Each nation ofright, ought to Judge
for itself believe that history records no
instance ofany great and prosperous nation,
which did not draw its essential supplies of
food and rainTent from within its own limits
IL all nations were just commencing their en-
'reer, or iftheir manufactures had all made e.
quail progress, it might, perhaps, be wise to
throw open the markets of the world to the
f'eest and most unrestricted competition. But
it is manifest, that whllethe manufactures of
some have acquired all the maturity and per-
lection of which they are susceptible, and
those of others are yet in their infancy, strug-
Cling hard for existence, a free competition
between them must rebound tothe advantage
ofthe experienced and skilful and to the in
Jury of those who are just beginning to nat
,uralize and establish the arts.
No earthly qualification to the heart ola
Statesman, can be greater than that ofhaving
contributed to the adoption of a great system
ofNational Policy, and ofafterwards Witness
ing its complete success in its practical opera
ton. That qualification can be enjoyed by
those who were instrumental in establishing
the policy ofprotecting our Domestic Manu-
features. Every promise which they made
has been fulfilled. Every prediction which
they hazarded as to the quality and quantity
oithe domestic supply, as to the reduction of
prices, as to the effect decomposition at home,
and as to the abundance ofthe public reve-
nue., has been fully realized. And it is no less
remarkable that every counter prediction,
without exception, ofthe opponents of the
policy, has in the sequel, been entirely faisi-
fled.
Without tracing particularly the operation
otour earlier Tariffs, adjusted to both the OBJ
Iects ofRevenue aud Protection and coming
down to the last, it seems to me that ifthere