The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-01-08
Editor & Proprietor.

nited States after founding now State on
the shores Of the Pacific, and receiving
million and half of our countrymcn, moro
or less destitute, within the last seven CT
eight years, are now enjoying with England,
4 large surplus of income over expenditure,
and arc in fair way to be once more with
out dollar of federal debt in four years
Such prosperity, of course it would BE- idle
to claim as The entire work Of any human
but it would be flying in tie face
of that prosperity, to revoke the legislation
under which the United States have bacn so
signally blessed.
We arc not going to confound those very
distinct things, post hoe and propterhoc. that
which simply follows, and that which conse-
quently results; but, at all events, a negative
IS proved, and negative is sufficient for the
purpose; the free trade tariff of 1916 has
not ruined the United States, and the dark
representations of its opponents have been
utterly disappointed. There is only one fact
that so much as suggests the thought CT cx-
PLANTATION, for it cannot be said to require it.
The imports into the United States have late
! ly been considerably excess of the exports
and it is an axiom of prOtcetionist philoso-
/
be sending to its ncighbors much more thar
tits receiving in return. According 10 this
theory, the Americans are being worsted In
the competition of commerce, and must, be
fore long, find the balance of trade much a
gaiast them. Mr.. Walker disposes Of this
view of the question by the reply that a
merica does the greater part of her commerce
in her own ships, and also receives higher
price abroad for her exports than they cost
her at home. These two considerations arc
: perhaps quito enough to account for her OK
cess of imports over exports. Other consid-
erations might be added; but, for our own
: part we must think it wholly superhu0us to
account for fact, on the face of it so far
from distressing, Of nation receiving, for 4
long period, more from her neighbors than
she gives in return.
With the tact of man who has been min
lister of finance, and who may be Presi-
J ident, Mr. Walker does not so much as al
I lude to the classes which consider themselves
; speedily aggrieved by the existing tariff Of
his country. Such classes, however there
are-spinners, weavers, lace makers, carpet
g makers, hardware manufactures, miners, ma
q chine makers, musical instrument makers,
:. and numberless smaller crafts-whO are each
: of them strongly of opinion that the citizens
, of the whole Union aIe in duty bound to
IT give very large preference to American
+ manufactures 1t is argued there as here,
e that the price of imported manufactures,
a over and above the cost of tho raw material,
consists, in fact of the wages of labor, which
y might have been found and employed at
)e home; and that if the United States will
Of do everything at home, it will save that cost
t. of foreign labor. AS similar questions have
n agitated every house hold in the world, be-
:, fore free trade or protection was heard of /;
: and as the common sense of mankind has
re long settled that, it is in many cases a pccu-
d. mary saving to buy things ready made, and
is get things done out of doors, instead of al
- tempting to do them at home, it Is needless
to say what we think of American fnanciers
y settling the question unreservedly in favor
home production.
Mr.. Walker, doubtless from motives o.
delicacy, does not expressly allude to the
- singular treasury reports that have lately
come out at Washington. In discussing thi
bearing Of protective duties, he applies hi:
n remarks to this country, aud offers an est
mate of the loss suffered by the British
of community at large, for the sake Of TIE SIN
M Gle agricultural class, by the operation of th
up corn laws. Happily, the principle for whicl
m he is contending does not depend on al,
lot such calculation.
ie, We have not been in the habit ourselve
he of considering the corn laws to have opera
mt ted so thoroughly and entirely as transfc
A of wealth to the Agricultural class from tn
= rest of the people. At all events, an est
or, mate putting that transfer at eight hundrc
of millions, we believe to be an arithmetical i
e's fusion. The corn laws have been far nor
!, of injurious to the many than profitable to II
I'M few. Without then attempting to cast u
ne the vast aggregate of mischief, we are COZ
'46 tent to call protection a scheme to tax II
ng Epublic for the benefit of this or that Glass;
- That is what the manufacturers of Ne
the England have attempted upon the rest of ii
has United States. Under the tariff of 184:
Fhel they had some success, but that success b;
al proved their ruin; and now, ike our oT
if lagriculturalists, they are demanding a recu
ltes renee tothe former tariff, on the ground
-eer good faith, alleging that they were temple
Nv thereby to invest money in factories, whit
hat they can hardly afford to keep open und
ClO- fbAAo SHIT Va uut4GS. IL
the there are just such complaints, and just Il
UGH same disaFectcd classes in the the Unit
the States, as in this country with this diff,
the lenee, that there the malignants are manufa
will Eturers, here they are agriculturalists. \
: on lanlid these complaints, in both countries
lean unexanlpled prosperity, extending to all t
Sep industrial classes, is a sufficient practical
{ a. ply to the complaints of this orthat intere
and stripped Of its former protection, That
4, IN enough forsu us. We will not cali OF ag
not eulturalista robbers, or run up bill Of da
and ges against them; but VIC are satisfied ii
CON 2nglaud can be prosperous and safe with.
n. paying them black mail
tsoli
only From The Columbus lGa.l Tines.
.ison Hard to Please.
and The coalition uuionists are hard to plea
the last year thew pr tprfaiiAnd tho ntlbfia N