Daily American organ., 1856-02-23
HOUSE, OF REPRESENTATIVES,,

DEAR SIR: Ny official engagements have pre-
vented an earlier reply to your letter of the 9th
instant, received some days ago.
lam not q candidate for office, and presume there
can be no serious disposition to connect my name
with canvass for the high position you mention.
You desire an expression Of my views on the tariff,
and having no concealments in reference to any
of the great questions now before the American
people, 1 give you them briefly and frankly.
You will readily perceive that it is impossible to
enter into details upon that great question in
single letter. hastily written under the pressure of
circumstances by which am just now surrounded.
In early manhood adopted, on this subject, the
principles of Washington, jefferson, Madison, and
Monroe, when they were defended by those la
unented American statesmen--Clay, Webster, Har
nson, and their compeers. "Where such men lead
,cho dare not follov" Ny feeble voice has been
raised in their advocacy through many conficts.-
] believe in the American doctrine laid down by
Mr. jefferson in his second annual message:
'To cultivate peace, and maintain commerce
and navigation in all their lawful enterprises; to
foster our fisheries as nurseries of navigation and
the nurture of man, and to protect the mdnnfac-
sures adapted to their Observation-Disclosures are
the landmarks by which we to guide ourselves
in all our proceedings"
am in favor Of defending An,eriea. labor and
american gerias, as well as the american ballot
Dor, against the adverse policy of foreign nations
and foreign influences.
In raising revenues upon imports to defray the
expenses of the General Government, would adj
vocate a system OF discriD,ination which would
give protection to the labor Of my own country
ala oc I'D
which the God Of nature has 30 bountifully be-
slowed upon our happy and favored land. should
certainly adhere to such system until other gov
ernments tender US reciprocal free trade and ma
tional equality.
Ny Views on this subject cannot be better ex-
pressed than by adopting, as do most cordially,
the language of Andrew jackson in his letter to
Dr. Coleman, Of North Carolina, written at this
city on the 26th Of April, 1924, and which you
win find in Niles Register, vol. rs. p. 245:
Heaven smiled upon and gave us liberty and in
dependence That same Providence has blessed us
with the me ans Of national independence, and ma
tional defence. IL we omit, refuse to use the
gifts which he has extended to us, we deserve not
the continuation OF his blessings He has fill ID our
mountains aud our plains with minerals-with lead,
iron, and copper; and given climate and soil
for the growing of hemp and wool. These being
the grand materials Of oar national defence they
ought 10 hare ertended to them adequate and fair
projections, that our own manufactures and labor
crs may be placed on fair competition with those
OF Europe and that we may have within our coun-
try supply Of those leading and important arti-
cles, 90 essential in war"
In short, sir, we have been too long subject to
the policy of the British merchants. 1t Is time
that we should become little moro An,ericanised,
and instead Of feeding the paupers aud laborers of
England, feed our own or else, in short time,
by continuing our present policy, We shall all be
rendered paupers ourselves"
Very truly, yours, &c,
LEWIS ID. CAMPBELL.
e. j. NIGHTINGALE, ESQ.,, Providence, R. /.