Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-06-25
Whole No. s IS

b'age Oft ,eir works Let the gentleman go 10
the mechanics ofthiS country, and lei hlm, IL ne
thought it prudent tell that great interest that
, the fruits OF their industry, invention, and en-
terprise were all humbug. u he did, MIR. D.
feared greatly that they might consider The gen
teman n humbug himself Was that the gen
teman's doctrine that the interest OF The me
chanic arts and the interests Of American agri'
culture were a humbug2 Would the gentle
man tell our farmers that that was democratic
doctrine Mr. ;. iancied not
There was gentleman from England with
specimens of British goods, now occupying The
cpmmitlec.room over which you, Mr. char.
man. vi. HoPKSs, ofVa occupyingihe chairD
have the honor of presiding, almost IN the heaf-
ing Of my voice, and he has been there Tor
months displaying his foreign goods, to influence
the votes of members 10 favor the British and
this j. all fair aud beautiful in the eyes of gen
tlemcn who look with. adherence upon this
American fair, got up To conntcract this bold
and harelarcd British attempt, made IN Tins
House, To influence our Legislation, To destroy
our tariff, and again inundate our county with
British goods The gentleman from Alabama
had visited this British fair, and had he COM
planned of that Had he denounced The putting
of one of the committee looms of this House TO
such a use as bold and proRigate attempt 10
bias and control the legislation of Tins House 7
Far from it, The British agent had been here
for months past. He had conducted member at-
ter member to his display Of British fabrics. and
gentlemen Of this House and the gentleman
from AabIma himself, had gone there and
contemplated, he supposed, with infinite salts
faction, these products of foreign industry
For what had they been brought theref For
what purpose, to what end, had foreign agent
been accommodated with an apartment IN
house appropriaicd to American legislation, in
the very Capitol ilselfl For what, but expressly
for The purpose of swaying and bla>ng and con-
trolling the legislation of that House on The
tariff! This the gentleman had denounced III
terms of the highest Indignation, when The pro-
duets were the works of American hands, and
the fruits of American capital and Skill ana
when they were exhibited, not IN COMM lee
room of that House, but in building erected
by the manufacturers themselves, nj their own
cost, and whilher they had invited their fellow
citizens to assemble from every part Of The land.
| was all wrong that this should he done ny
Americans, hHt all perfectly right when 1t was
done hy an agent of the Brush manufacturers.
The gentleman could gaze with infinite gralih-
cato on a committee room filled with foreign
fabrics tu turned with disgust from building
put up 10y American hands, and filled with the
splendid and varied fruits of American inge.
nully and skill This was a humbug, compar'
ed by the official parer 10 menagerle,
" bagacc," and all those glorious and beaui-
ful proofs of The inventive powers Of our cOun-
trvmen were contemplate humbu2S, The fruits
of sordid interest, the devices of ayarice aud
cupidirv. lie envied no man such iceIings--
they were not Americau-thcy could hnd no
place in an American heart. But this was u
matter Of taste he went TO the Asricnn, other
gentlemen to the British fair mere differ
ence in taste. Put (Nlr. :. said,) he Ind seen,
in the last hour, with emotions which he could
moi describe collection oi athouSand voice,
X " three thousand American children brought
| to look upon this sight, and learn, IN their ten
der years, To love their own country better Than
III
many of the future mechanics and manulaetu-
rerS and not a few of the future legislators of
our country. lie rclucCd that they had learn
ed lesson that 10 prefer the prosperity OF for
tignerS to that of their own parents, brothers,
and counirymen. II the gentleman would step
to the window benind him, he could behold
these beautiful children on their march Ia the
Capitol Was this American sight offensive To
the gentleman Would he destroy these Anne.
rican products also. and import them from
ahroad1 Great merrImeni.I lie hoped not.
Bur he had done with the fair; and he now
turned 10 consider some of The arguments which
bad been adduced by the gentleman from Ala
.bama for whom he cherished high personal
respect who was doubtless actuaedb 10y patriotic
feelings and whom he should be happy to hear
i'm reply to what he was now about To say.
Il The first argument of the gentleman had been
the position, that the effect of protective iailh
was oppressive, especially on the poo' and on the
il oppre>sivc upon these No other interest IN
The country was half as much benefited by the
tariff as the farmers, and mechanics, ahd
wurkingmen. The gentleman Said that IL in
iured them by increasing the price Of manu-
lacrured commodities for the genleman> as
SerlIon was, that protection did invariably IN
crease the price of the articles protected. Now,
in reply. Nj. :. would distinctly put forth this
assertion, to which he challenged contradiction,
viz: thai there never was prOlt eilve duty
levied IN this country, on any artlcle which we
could and did manufacture extensively which
had not resulted IN bringing down the pIce oi
that article and he challenged gentlemen To
point him to a single instance in reference 10
which this was not uue. The prices ot eom-
moducS. instead of being raised 10y protection.
had been reduced 10 one-tmsd, one-ioufih, and
even To one-lenh and one-welnh part of what
had been paid for them when imported IRON a
broad The gentleman, If lac had walked mp
to the Fair, might there have seen American
cotton, such as had cost when the enormous
minlmums were FIRST imposed for it, protection
/ by MI LowndeS aud Mr Calhoun, eIghly.ilve
cents yaId now ready to lie delivered ~ any
quantity, and of better quality, III seven cents
and wooieu tents, sold IN lSlO al Slxlv'hle
cents now selling oi much better quallly, Tor
thirty FIVE; and lhcSe articles were subject 10
. the very hghe>, duties ~ the whole catalogue
4 proving, beyond all soAteSlailun, The ifn ~
/ the pTopt>Iiun denounced n au ah>urdllk ~
The gentleman, that the highest dmlcN often pi'"
.duce ibe lowest prices, shen LEVIED on mii,lr>
which We can supply 10 The eSienl oi our own
wants Here was the result oi American M
dusty, skill aud Improvement, when hii ice
\ In net oru their own energies and occupy, luHy
and freely their own applopIme markets,
d. without The disturbing aud destructive romTe'
Iurion olthe paupcr Iabor OF EuroPe. Mr.. :
had mentioned the article Of cotton, because II
-, afforded striking illustration ot the general
doctrine showing that The mnlmrniS, the hieh-
csi protective duties, hsd Produced The ereaieN
reduction oi prices. Bul The same thlne was
rur. to a grea cr or less extent, with respect To
every projected article m the entire ltl, Nj,
: stated mcontrovcrihlc matters oi iaci, TIE
challenged cunlradclion-he coNncd m'rSli-
pailon--he dehcd gentlemen To d>PI"'e an
atom ol what be had asserted And, Ia pu Tins
truth IN the strongest light, he repeated that the
highest and most abpoxiouS duties, ih' sc alb.
horrcd minimunlS. against which genilcn eh
had wasted such furious denunc ,alions, pre- enl-
. cd precisely the vcty cases where the 7, due
tion nf pTice had bc,u the gr'stS. Those du.
ties. IL i said nov anonuicd 10 Two and hice
hundred prr cent. q rdiOpm And Why