Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-09
parallel in the history Of commerce. il gave al

uons which excite deep interest
The idea thai we should produce every thin
that is possible, without reference TO circumstances
is absurd. The true theory undoubtedly is, tina
It Is the duty Of Government to adapt its measure
to the development and protection Of labor in tn
greatest possible degree. Labor requires capital t
set It IN motion. The object therefore, was t
hold out inducements by legislation TO capital to in
vest IN manufacturing establishments. This wa
done IN the form of protective duties on those oh
jects The production of which it was thought mos
desirable to encourage. The most important 0
these were, sugar iron and its manufactures WOO
and Its manufactures manufactures of cotton
The article which occasioned the greatest difficulty
vas wool and its manufactures. Our own supply
OF wool was inadequate. 1t was desirable to in
| crease that supply by protective duties-an excep
ton TO the general principle that raw material:
should be untaxed. This led to contest between
the wooLgrowers and the manufacturers of the ar
tice. The growers required SO high duty on 70
reign wool that the manufacturers were compelled
todemand CORRESPONDENCE high duty on wooens
Under the act Of 1923 some of the duties impos
ed were undoubtedly excessive That bill was in
fact aggravated by its opponents having acted upon
the dangerous if not principle Of pre-
venting its passage by making it as obnoxious as
possible. At all events, the South was wrought up
to violent opposition to the whole system, as ope.
rating unequaly on the States employing slave IA
Dor. In this opposition South Carolina tosG the
lead, under her peculiar theory that tax upon i'm
ports was precisely equivalent to a tax upon ex-
ports, and that average duty OF forty per cent.
on imports operated a reduction Of forty per cent.
in the price OF her cotton. Absurd as this theory
is, and was shown to be, it was admitted by its in
defatgable autlor and advocate, Mr.. McDUFfIE,
to be the only ground on which they had right to
complain of inequality. This theory, however,
actually carried South Carolina to the very verge
of rebellion, uner the name of Modification. 1t
is singular fact that the growers of cotton should
oppose themselves to the system which worked up
their own stape superseding the use of fabrics
composed of foreign materials and eventually send
ing this very South Carolina cotton after undergo
ing the process of manufacture, into India and
China, the regions whence we had so lately
drawn our own Supplies. At all events, the cotton
manufacture was the peculiar object of the vimpe-
ration of the representatives of the cotton planters.
1t is probable thai this particular hostility was ow-
ing to the fact that the success of the cotton manu-
facture constantly used as an argument in favor
OF the extension Ct the system, and thus probably,
by degrees, concentrated the actual hostility of its
opponents as being the essence of every thing
hateful.
1t is believed that a very different feeling now
prevails; and that all dispassionate and judcious
men in the South are convinced that the establish
ment of the cotton manufacture has operated and
is operating most hvorably upon its production.
1t would seem proposition too clear to doubt that
new market and increased consumption must
operate favorably on the price Of the raw material
There is no doubt, in the opinion of practical men,
that it does so. The high tariff of 1923 was most
productive revenue, with the result ofrapdly pay
ing off the national debt The extinction ofthe debt
made new adjustment of the tariff necessary.
This produced the tariff of 1892 under the first
term of Gen. JAcKsoN's administration. That Con-
gress contained large majority of the supporters
of Gen. JACKSON. A large majority also were in
favor of the principle of protection Gen. JACK
'o1' i'iA'Nh ieNoi~HuSu " JuutCtOUS HUD.
His Secretary Of the Treasury, Mr.. McLANE, pre-
scented bill fully carrying out the protective prin-
cple, and varying very little from that which was
finally adopted. The principle carried out in the
act of 1882 was the levying duty sufficiently
high to afford reasonable protection to the produc-
tons of our own industry in all branches, and to
impose no duty, or very low one, on all other
commodities. The object was so to adjust this
principle as to furnish neither more nor less revenue
than was requisite to pay the expenses of the Go.
vernment, then estimated at fifteen millions of dol.
lars. After long discussion upon its details, a
bill was framed which passed both Houses with
comparative unanimity-l32 to 65 in the House OF
Representatives, 80 TO Is in the Senate OF the
minority of 65, about one-haf consisted of protec.
tonists dissatisfied with some Of the details of the
bill, leaving only about 80 opposed to the bill on
principle. Ii is curious to see, amongst the names
OF those voting for this bill, those of JAMES K Polk
and GEORGE NJ. DALLAS. This was the state Of
the Democracy Of the country upon this question
E al that time.
The bill then passed was the result of some
concessions in its details, and was at the time con
sidered permanent settlement of this vexed CUES.
ton. Happy would it have been for the country
{ had 1t been so. But the short period of year
/ W. l,,l - =, a.;