The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-01-10
From tho Augusta Cons6tahoralist
PROTEC tfNG LABOR BY LEGfSLA.
TION.

re0poislriessct tae PlotcCtfo tdIlu SCHeIue II
bpposi,ion to the simple truths Of II ~ trade
The hope Of the restoration of The iniauitoi,
tariff Of 1912, stimulates to the revival Of thei
of refuted theories. On what calculation
their hopes are based, it will REMAIN for lh,
.hext Congress to exhibit. But feelers arc nov
thrown oat in hitherto ah,i.ptotective regions
10 see how the proposition win be received.
Georgia has hitherto been opposed to th
9octrine Of the right Of Congress to assume the
guardianship of The industrial pursuits of the
people, and 10 lpgislate directly for the protec
lion of American labor. The partaity ant
abuses Of the system have been SO palpable
That no member Of Congress from Georgis
Sentured to vote for the tariff of l542. Lee
hs wait patiently to see if any Of them will
vote for 7 restoration Of its principles. We
believe, however. that the days Of protective
tariffs have passed away forever in this country
and that no other commercial country will
much longer stultify itself by unnecessarily
multiplying restrictions upon the free inter
course Of her people with other nations.
- II is claimed to be wise, Just and consti,u
tional to protect labor by so legislating as tc
enhance the value Of certain of its products.
What is the effect of this? Clearly to require
alarger quantity Of the products of labor moi
protected TO buy the products of labor that is
protected. What A. produces is enhanced in
price by the effect Of legislation. Therefore,
B. must pay. in the products of his labor, more
for what A. produces than he would if the GO
verumeni had nol interfered. The protection
given TO A. therefore, is given by taking the
s'money out Of the pocket Of B.--or what is the
same thing, il is taken out of his labor. Go,
sernment cannot interfere between her citi.
zens in this way without committing injustice.
oAll that she has right to do is to give all an
: equal chance. If B. prefers to take the pro
ducts Of his labor to c., in foreign country,
and buy Of him, because G., producing the same
articles as A. in this country, gives him bet.
ter trade than A. will, he should have the right
: TO make the exchange. But unjust as is the
system to the great hody of the people. it is
peculiarly so to sections of the country which
can derive from it no compensating benefit.
There arc whole communities and States which
would prosper under il, when, for the protection
of the particular pursuits and interests Of their
citizens, commerce would he fettered and the
whole country laid under restrictions. But in
the South, there is no labor that would be en-.
HANGED by it. There is no pursuit, the profits
Of which would be increased by revival Of
the protective system. In Georgia, especially
the people ask no legislative protection, and
could be benefited by none. unless it were
projection against the manufacturing States of
: the North. But it would be clearly unconsti
tutional to impose protective tariff between
the trade of Savannah and Boston, and Lowell,
and Providence, and Philadelphia. The very
welkin would ring with the iniquity If it were
constitutional and should he adopted. Yet If
protection is a good thing, why should NOT
Georgia. if il could do so, pass laws to exclude
all Northern made products Of the loom and the
anvil, or levy such tax as would immensely
enhance their price. If this would be wise
policy, and not an unjust interference wilt the
rights Of her people to trade where they can
trade to greatest advantage, then why not carry
the system out, and enact restrictive laws to
restrain the intercourse between the seaboard
to prevent the Cherokee people selling their
-four, their bacon and their beef to the cotton
planters Of the midands, and thus compel the
latter 10 raise these for themselves!
The government would he only acting in the
spirit Of this restrictive policy, were il to pass
a law laying duty Of S, 10 or 20 dollars per
pound. on Chinese Tea, in order TO protect Mr..
Junius Smiths seven hundred tea plants, which
he has recently imported with view to grow
that luxury on Southern soil.
. If people are let alone they will find ou, how
best to employ their labor proitably. They
will not need government foresight or advice
on the subject. All attempts TO legisate them
into prosperity and profitable employment, are
q tax and a burthen on the labor and the profits |
of ten men where It is bounty 70 one. Ifthe
government makes one mans labor more pro-
ftable, or the products of his industry more |
costly, or enhances his wages by the effect of
dts Legislation for his benefit, some one else has
got TO pay for it. Some one else has to pay
higher price for these things than they would
have cost, but for this interference between the
Of mankind in the interchange Of
labor. The imposition Of restrictions on trade
10 a war upon commerce, and on every pursuit
which is benefited by an active competition
among the markets of the world.
> The SOUTHERN PLArFoRM.-The Wash.
iugton correspondent of the Philadelphia Bue.
tin gives the following as the substance of Ger.
lain resolutions said to he agre ID to by the
meeting Of Southern Members of Congress, on
Friday evening last:
= RESOLVED, That the South, have an equal in
Ierest in the Territories of New Mexico and
California, is willing, as princPIe,ofequily, to
accept the terms Of the Compromise Act of
36. 30.
Resolued, That the South is willing the said
Territories shall be admitted into the Union as
States, upon the presentation of Constitutions.
IN which fhs sr,h;ecf of SIayerv 10 arrod pou
appeal, to the decision ofthe Supreme Cour, Of
he United States, such questions 10 be omitted
b said Constitution, until the decision, as afore.
aid, is awarded. I
Resolrea, That the South will accept of