Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-10-09
The Existing ReyuIsiOns.
LETTER OF JUDGE WILMoT.

Hon. DAVID WILMor 10 our fellow cItIzen
DAVID S. BEowy, Esq. NIr. Brown is N
, politician, and never has been. His position
, as the head uf one Of the largest domestic
, jobbing houses in the country, has given
him an interest in the prosperity Of Amer.
ican manufactures, equal to that which be
necessarily has in the trade and commerce.
of Phlad,lph To such men the policy
OF tariffs for protection, as well as for rev.
? enur, Is Of course great study, aud 1t Is
, in this way only that Mr.. Brown is con
uected with politics. Tie letter Mr.. Viii
mot has addressed to him Is upon the top
ic, just now an absorbing one, and it is
truly pertinent missive ]-Phaad. North
imertcan.
HARRsBUHG. Sept. 2S, 1857.
Drvd s. Bro,ca-Dear Sir: am
deeply pained by the news that reaches
me from your city. The sudden financial
revu!sion threatens to carry Gown hundreds
of your worthy and enterprising merchants
and business men, bringing distress to
their homes Of comfort and affiuence and
what by many is felt as a greater calamity,
commercial dishonor and loss of credit.
Its most disastrous aud painful effects,
however, will fall upon the thousands of
honest and industrious workingmen, une2
pectedly thrown out of employment, and
deprived of the means Of support for their
families.
/ 1t is truly a calamity calculated to ex-
cite the sympathy Of the most selfish and
insensible. do not profess to be able to
fathom all the causes, proximlte and re-
mote, Of a disaster such as is now upon
US. Doubtless excessive importations,
overtrading, extravagant habits of living,
and fluctuations in the currency, have had
much to do with it.
You will recollect that, on our visit to
the Gloucester mills, we had some con-
versation upon the subject of the tariff
policy Of the country in connection with
its influence upon American enterprise
and labor. The events of the last few
days have given to that subject an inter-
est it did not then seem 10 possess. That
the tariff policy Of the government has
much to do with the reyuisi0gs that peri
odically convulse the country, is doubtless
true, immediately connected as that policy
must ever be with all our financial aud in-
dus.rial interests. Tie very considerable
reduction made in the tariff, at the last
session of Congress, must have had dis.
astrous influence in bringing upon US the
present state of things, as it greatly slim.
ulated importations, causing heavier drafts
upon the country for its precious metals.
1t is great misfortune that CUR tariff
policy can not be wholly removed from the
party conflicts of the country, and placed
upon permanent and reasonable basis.
Aside from partizan prejudice, there is
not, imagine, very wide difference Of
opinion upon this subject among intelli-
gent and rejecting men.
The policy of imposing proAiJttory du-
ties, Of actually destroying the revenue
upon large share of the articles of com.
merce, for the purpose of protection,
would hardly it'd an advocate at this day.
Fair incidental protection, without gross
violation of the revenue principle, is all
that is asked or required for our manufac-
turing interests, and this should be cheer
fully and promptly extended. No one
contemplates the policy of free trade and
a resort to direct taxation as means OF
raising revenue TO meet the ordinary cx-
penses Of the government-certain it is
that never contemplated such policy
l have always looked to our policy as set
tied in this rcspect-that the ordinary
revenue is to be provided by duties upon
foreign importalious, and have ever IA
vored the policy OF such Determinations
as would afford adequate and ample pro-
lection to American interests and Ameri-
can labor.
We have an immense revenue to RAISE.
Already the expenditures of our gov
ernment reach the enormous sum OF about
sixty millions Of dollars, aud it is rapidly
increasing under the protiignte and demor-
alizing expenditures of Democratic ad-
ministrations. Iu raising this vast sum
there is ample room, by judieious and
proper Determinations, to afford to our
great industrial interests ample p'o'e;tlon
and to American labor just ami adequate
reward. | have never Intentionally vio-
lated this sound American policy, and
would cheerfuily unite, today, with the
reasonable and judicious men Of the coun-
try, in placing our tariff policy on basis
that would secure to American enterprise
aud labor fair aud just measure Of pro-
lection.
The grea, struggle in which we are now
engaged, and in which my feelings are 50
deeply embarked, is struggle to maui
tain the dignity and rights of free labor
against the degrading competition of the
labor of the slave; and I am equally in
. r..,;,r aur Amarie.p l.hnr