New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-14
Ne. Wnlker on Protection.

Mr. Walker on Protection.
It's Ia vain that the champions Of Free Trade
,,e challenged 10 descend from the cloud land in
which they revel and meet the advocates OF Pro
lection ON common and solid ground We will not
say they dare not bat we know they do not ac-
cent the challenge. We read their books reports
and ESSAYS thoroughly bat they never look at ours
Their arguments we take up and at least Try %
answer-perhaps we are deceived as to the force
but we surely are not with regard TO the fairness
and lrankness OF our reiatations OF course, we
cannot expect in taking course 20 equal them
in sweeping and point blank assertions and those
who Judge by sound only, perceiying that the
Free Traders continually reiterate, as unquestion-
"a. assertions which we have frequently endea
vored 70 scrutinize and rebut may suppose the
case j. against US but there certainly is strong
probability that the party which hears both sides
reads both sides, forms It's judgment on a sum
ming up Of both sides, is nearer night than the
party which never hears nor reads but one side,
and does not seem conscious that there any other
Secretary Walker IS a man OF undoubted
ability, especially in the way Of making broad
assertions Give him the whole ground 20 him
self let him say what he pleases and talk as long
rs he pleaSes, with no one to interrupt or cross
examine him, and he is a man pretty certain to
make out a case-as indeed who could not aud
yet the cool observer, though as ignorant of our
line Of argument the Secretary appears to be,
would very naturally say. can't think this sys
TEN of Protection which Mr.. Walker assails the
one which such men as Frederick the Great
and William PITT, and George Canning, and Ma
4 u
kins. sad Clay, and majority OF our eminent
Statesmen, have so srdently commended. They.
surely, were not fools they cannot have been
through life so weak, blind and laundering as the
Secretary represents them. 1t must be that he
either does not understand or has grossly mis-
represented the policy Of which they were such
eminent champions
We cannot OF course, make room for a thorough
reply TO the sccretary's elaborate and extended
! attack on the Protective policy but we will in
dictate few Of its deficiencies and spprehen.
sions
The Secretary is right IN assuming that the
natural effect Of Protection is gradually to diminish
and 10 time substantially to extinguish the impor
'stion OF foreign products which rival our own
Protected branches of Industry. The end we aim
at by Protection is not the importation of Clothes
Wares, Sc. at higher prices but the substantial
stoppage OF their importation at all. We would
have the rarest and best of them still come in as
models as patterns as stimulants TO improvement,
and be bought by the rich at prices which should
teplenish the Treasury but we do not want them
TO enter LARGELY into our channels OF every day
consumption, because we believe the interests Of
the Producing Classes on both sides would be pro
NOTED by bringing them nearer together. Il One
Million British workers in Iron for American con
sumption consume 100000 worth of our pro
ducts while they remain in England we insist
the, they would consume four times as much and
s,il more advantageously for our producers if they
were working on this side of the water and the
same or still greater benefit would flow from
the conversion of an equal number Of our present
farm and other laborers into workers of Iron among
us. (see on this point Gen Jackson's letter to
DR. Coleman) The fact that they live in England is
not essential . their consumption OF our products
II is rather drawback thereon. The essenua
consideration is that they produce what our people
want, while we produce Il surplus OF such staples
Is they need. An exchange Of products Is there
fore desirable all that we ask, and all that Pro.
ANNtt'h SUMS - NHAs AhN NNNuhh-tF> DC tAhiNN n,
near each other as their work can be advantage
ously prosecuted. To aid this by legislation is no
more a contradiction of Natures laws than digging
= Canal is. Nj Walkers appalled, at the thought
of foreign Nasi0as cessng 10 buy our products
while We, If that cessation Were caused by their
artisans coming here and marking their wares
and fabrics for better wsges yet more advantage
oasly ior u.s. we would regard that as no catastro-
'roPhe al all, but great blessing to all parties
The Free Traders ought by this time to have
settled whether to rest on the objection that Pro
lection is calculated to destroy Revenue, or that
1t is calculated enormously to augment II Mr.
Polk, by position leader OF the band SAW. away
on Protective Duties as calculated aud intended
In raise enormous amounts Of Revenps x,b.-o
with to prosecute Internal Improvements hpil5
up splendid Government and all that Har3l,,
have we finished reading his Message when
the second fiddle strikes in with a screakins
reroonstrsnce against that same Protection as
destructive OF Revenue, and an assumed dem.
that the Protective Taria of az was
a sood deal less fruitful Of Revenue than the
Revenue Tarif of 20. We insist that these
performers should have tuned and
,horded their instruments before the rising of the
,prtsin.
The truth doubtless, hes between them-or,
more accurately, they lie on each side OF il. Ia
iou5tedly, under Protective Tariff there would
'e gradual falling off in the importation Of the
particular articles protected until they would sub
,antislly cease to be imported, But this implies
hat the producers Of these articles viii have be-
ONE citizens of our country, or its production have
allen into the hands of our own people calling |
thousands from the plow, the woods and the boat. |
D spin, weave, make or cast iron, construct ma
hinery' SC. &c. aud city or manufacturing popa-
alton always consumes double or treble the foreign
'xuries, articles Of taste, fancy dc that an sausl
! numerous farming population dses-wagss be-