The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-01

TO the burtheor, of o perpetual war. The idea was
caught upP Mr.. Calhoun, Mr.. Clay and others
who sou, ,ht to make political capital out of it,
and to marshal the people into political par ties
on ple issue. Then New England began to
fVLnd cotton mills ; Rhode Island BET up
'woollen factories Pennsylvania mined and
wrought iron. All ran to Congress, and
representing themselves as beggsrs, implored
aims in the guise of protection. History proves
that it is only on rare occasions that communi-
ties Of men have sufficient independence OF
]oftiness ofcharacter to refrain from mendic ancy
when any thing Is to be made by it. The manu-
featuring interests OF the United States made a
business Of begging The more they got the
more they wanted. When John C. Calhoun
discerned the fallacy disguised under the word
protection and denounced it. Webster and
Massachusetts, begged more sturdily than ever.
Their rapacity grew with their success. With
nav gorged by the public plumber, the indus
trials would return home to fa.ten aud whine
at the want Of protection. They said they were
starving when they were in reality fattening
on the plumber of their fellow citizens. Day
factories, and broken mills; and the ink with
which the impudent fallacy was written, the
paper on which it was printed, the tools with
which the types were fashioned, and the press
on which the sheets were thrown of, were all
bought and paid for out Of the taxes imposed
upon the public for the benefit of the complain
ants. A more astonishing example of brazen,
faced impertinence has never been witnessed
than the spectacle Of these manufacturers and
their party friends crying and lamenting over
the wrong that was done them, when in reality
they had been screwing money on false pre-
fences out of the nation for nearly forty years
Their day is ended, however, and unless Pro-
violence is unusually hard, we shall hear no
more of them than we do Of other lunatics. The
tariff may be altered and reduced or increased
according as the public wants require it. But
these changes will not be based on the protec.
tive principle Nor will any who have regard
for their reputation as men of sense, hazard
future speculations on the effect of the tariff
on imports. The figures are before the public,
and no one can henceforth pretend ignorance of
the fact that it has happened in this country
that alterations in the tariff have been followed
by the very opposite result to that expected by
the protectionists. As well might we argue
that high tariff encourages, as that it tends to
discourage foreign imports.
Hon. Mr.. RUPFN, THE HERALD AND THE
Know NoTHNGs.-Mr. Ruffin, of N. c., in Con-
gress the other day. complimented Mr.. Ben
nett and his HERALD as having done more to
further the progress of the Know Nothings
than any other man." We are obliged to Mr..
Ruffin, but beg leave to demur. There are
other persons, occupying the highest official
positions, who have done vast deal more to
advance this wonderful Know Nothing reaction
than Mr.. Bennett and his HERALD" In this
respect the President of the United States is
entitled to the first premium, Judge Douglas to
the second, Gen. Cass to the third, and various
other leading democrats to honorable men-
ton" Mr.. Pierce was elected by the Union
sentiment Of the country, for, Notwithstanding
the great military popularity of General Scott,
and his barney to the Irish and Germans, the
Union sentiment was against him as Stewards
chosen man. But Mr.. Pierce betrayed the
people-and his appointment of Southern and
Northern disunionists to the highest Offices and
of incompetent foreigners to diplomatic mis-
sions abroad hurried up this American reaction.
1t commenced with the revolt Of the New York
hard shells; but had Messrs. Cass and Douglas
at that time CO operated with Bronson and
Dickinson, they might have saved themselves,
the democracy, and perhaps even the admins
traticn. But they stuck to the spols and the
spoismen; and to recover their lost ground
they ventured upon the desperate expert.
ment of the Nebraska bill. Into this reyi-
val of the slavery agitation they plunged
over bead and ears. Disorganzation and
chaos followed, the administration was crushed
between the upper aud the neither milestone Of
the Northern anti.slavery sentiment and the
indignant American sentiment Of the whole
country. The blunders and the follies of
Pierce, the weakness Of Cass, the reckless ex-
pedient of Douglas, and the blindness of the
Kitchen Cabinet and the organs Of the spols
democracy, have, more than all other causes
combined, operated to "stir up the fountains of
the great deep" of the American sentiment of
the whole Union in this mysterious and ire.
mendous Know Nothing reaction, which even
now fcreshadows the most decisive aud over
whelming revolution in all our political his
tory since the revolution of &c. Mr.. Rufin
will oblige US in making the necessary cor
rection. The particular thunder which he
gives to us belongs to the administration and
to Messrs. Cass and Douglas Mr.. Pierce, es.
pecially, has done more than any other man
to further the progress Of the Know Nothings,n
and not Mr. Bennett. Mr.. Pierce put the ball
in notion" we have only aided In keeping It
rolling, Mr.. Rufip.
SoULE CoMNG.--Atlast we are informed that