The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-12-16
times more Importance, the country would INV he

times more Importance, the country would n'm fe
prosperous, and the people happy.
And here comes up The cry of "pr,tection PR :
tection% from those red-mouthed advocates Of
free trade" who neither understand nor care for
the results of this Utopian fancy, free trade"--
II is enough for them to know that the term free
trade" is put into their mouths by those rampant
and reckless demagogues who control the Demo
cratic party, and the consequences of this fallacy
are wholly overlooked. If by the consent and
concert of the more important commercial nations,
a system of free Exchanges of all commodities pro-
duced or manufactured by them, could be effected,
the United States could safely and advantageously
agree to adopt the system, bat every man of COM
mon information knows that not one Of the Euro
pean nations has given up, or can be induced to
give up that system of selfprotecton, on which
its prosperity at present depends.
Look at the comparative tariffs Of the United
States, Great Britain, France, Germany, and you
will find that the liberal policy Of the United States,
Is not rccprccated by either one of these nations.
Each Of them is governed in its tariff system SOLE
ly and exclusively by considerations ofse interest
or se!fproteetion. ge @a
But sir, / do not advocate high protective
tariff in the United States, as a measure of pro-
lection to manufacturers, but solely on the basis of
general and necessary protection to the moneta-
ny and financial interests of the Whole country.
These important interests which pervade and
affect the entire nation in all its branches ofin,lus
try demand from Congress, such an adjustment of
the tariff, will result in keeping the balance Of
trade ever and always in favor of the United States
There is not and can be no diversity Of interests
between agriculturalists and manufacturers on this
question of keeping the balance Of trade in favor
Of the United tates, and by this means supply
ing every part of the Country with the necessary
substratum of gold and silver, for governmental,
banking and circulating purposes.
Yonr banks ond railroad companies (say the
President and Secretary haze opsrtraded" Sir's,
Messrs. President and Secretary, if you viii re-
store to the country, the more than three Hundred
millions Of gold and silver, which your tariff regu
lators have encouraged adventurous merchants to
send abroad in exchange for ,truries, geEgaws,
fnery and nonsense, your assertion will be proved
to be unfounded. Continue your suicidal policy
of draining the country Of specie, and not only
banks and railroads. but your own beautiful sub
treasury system will collapse and you will need not
twenty millions, bit too hundred million Of treas
ury paper before this present administration shall
yield up its BREATH
Mr. Editor: am not afraid of the now odious
term protection. am for no partial protection -
for no bounty to any class of manufacturers or to
any class Of agriculturists. am for that general
and universal protection Of American interests,
which will render our nation prosperous in all the
departments Of industry and business. / hold it
to be a burning shame, aye, disgrace, to its 60
vernment, that nation like ours, possessing all
the elements Of wealth, greatness, prosperity, COM
mercial and financial independence, should no,o
or ever hereafter, be tributary to the prosperity Of
other nations at the sacrifice of its own.
If am asked to develope the means of render
branches Of its industry, respond, Buy nothing
from abroad that can be produced at home. Com
petition amongst our own people, will speedily
bring down the prices Of all manufacturers, to a
proper basis. Lay your duties for revenue upon
such articles as cannot be procured al home. If
England, France, Germany, or any other nation
refuses to purchase our cotton or to pay for it in
such articles as we would require, the world would
soon be supplied with the cotton fabrics which
they require, direct from Our opn manufactures.
Let not our Southern cotton growers be alarmed
at these views. In the commercial world, cotton
is king Europe must have it, or surrender her
present monopoly in the supply of cotton fabrics
to those portions of the world, which, do not pro-
duce it.
If Europe fails to purchase our cotton, two
years would not elapse before the United States
Nould become the great fabrica or, and supply
her place.
shall not now enlarge upon these views. I
have only proposed to furnish hints for the more
full consideration of others.