New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-06


were commenced BY Calhoun, and with gooa pros
pects Of success. with the Boston Federallsts, but
they were broken of by Calhouns sudden de'er'
unation to withdraw his name from the canvass
He did 20 with the view of aiding in Gen. Jackson
election. of ruling through him, and Of coming In
as his successor Still, the favorable impression
which he had made upon the North as truly ma
tional man, above the narrow local preJudices
of which the Southern politicians generally were
accused, was shown by the almost unanlmlty win
which be was voted for as Vice-President
| Asa member of Monroes Cabinet, Calhoun re-
commended himself still further to the fragments
of the old Federal party, by putting himself at the
| head of section whose great object it was to
amplify the power of the Federal Government. He
had been great champion of the new National
Bank, the bill for which he introduced AMI piloted
through the House. He was leading champion,
too, of internal improvements under the authority
and at the expense of the United States and in his
Newspaper organ established at Washington to
prepare the way for bis nomination as Monroe's
successor, Crawford, who afterward became the
regular Democratic caucus candidate, and all
those who adhered to the old Democratic ideas of
q strict construction of the Federal powers, were
| rdiculed as "radicals"-men of narrow souls and
vulgar ideas.
Calhoun became the Southenleader, Van Buren,
WAS the Northern leader, of that powerful cOmbi-
| nation formed against the administration of John
| Quincy Adams. That combination was made up,
as the Adams party was, of a mixture OF old Fed
erasts and old Democrats; and, if the old Federal
lists who formed it were much fewer in numbers
than those who united with the Calhoun party this
numerical deficiency was in measure compensated
by the greater yirulence of their Federalism. AS
Adams claimed to be the regular Democratic sue
cessor of Monroe and as such continued to carry
out the old traditional policy of that party it was
none but the very mildest type of Federalists, if
any, that he dared appoint to office. All the
more ultra and violent of that party-such men, for
instance as Buchanan and Taney-haying no hopes
from him, naturally enough went over to Jackson,
who so long ago as the accession OF Monroe, had
recC mmended the admission of Federalsts to office.
Tie triumphant Jackson party became the
Democratic party; for, among other spoils Of vic
tory, they possessed themselves OF the badge Oh
American legitimacy contained in that title. Hay-
ing made Jackson President, Calhoun expected to
use him as mere catspaw for carrying out his own
schemes of ambition. But finding that Van Buren,
had at least as much influence as himself, and that
the old Genera was not to be ruled or managed,
be at once put himself at the head of an opposition
which had been gradually maturing itself on the
part of the South against what had been one OF the
most notable and characteristic points of Demo-
cratic policy for more than twenty years preceding,
and which had begun to assume very formidable
aspect
The policy of Protection to domestic manu-
features by means of heavy duties on foreign
fabrics was prominently Democratic policy.
1t had been taken up as necessary consequence
and corollary of that system of commercial re-
strictions suggested by Jefferson and adopted by
the Democratic party as an offset to the agrees
sions ON neutral commerce by the bellgerents OF
Europe, and particularly by Great Britain
Hamilton, in bis famous Report on Manufactures,
had indeed defended the policy and cOnstitutonalty
of protection; but the first practical protection of
any consequence was that afforded by the embargo,
the non-intercourse and the war. and by the double
duties imposed so long as the wsr continued and |
for year after To these double duties succeeded |
the tariff of 1s16-the first professedly protective
tariff we ever had. This tariff was warmly advo- |
Gated by Calhoun, and was carried by Democratic |
votes against the strenuous opposition of the |
Federalists. To this succeeded the tariff Of 1924,
still more protective, voted for almost or quite |
unanimously by the Democrats of Pennsylvania,
New-York, New England, Kentucky, Ohio and the
Northwest, and thus adopted by decided ma
joIty as the policy of the Democratic party, and
approved by Mr.. Monroe, Of whose Cabinet Cal
houn was member.
The New.England Federalists including almost
the whole mercantile class, had warmly opposed
this tariff but, seeing it adopted in spite of all their
opposition to it, they wisely submitted to the deci
sion of the majority, and forthwith turned their
attention to manufactures with no less Of industry
enterprise and success than had distinguished their
pursuit Of maritime commerce. But though the
violent opposition Of the Federal merchants to the
system of protection was thus brought to close,
it was more than replaced by an increasing oppO-
siton to it on the part of Southern planters which
was .till further aggravated by the increased tariff
of 1e2e, reembOded in the Jackson tariff of 1892;
for as yet the great bulk of the supporters of
Jackson were tariff men, and Jackson himself had
been supported and elected as the friend Of
"judiciOus tariff"
1t was at the head of this Southern opposition to
the policy sustained by the great body of the Demo-
Gratis that Calhoun placed himself; and under his
guidance this opposition passing all ordinary limits
soon took nm form nuII;6caf;o and thraaf- |