Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-06-12
NASHVILLE:
FRIDAY, JUNE 1s, 1857.
The TarIGand she public Lands.

The Tariff and the Public Lands.
When our neighbor of the Union and
american, first urged the increase of the
tariff, against our proposition, that the
States shall share equally in the benefits
and advantages of the public lands, "high
protective tariff" seemed to be its greatest
fear. Through this medium all the evils of
the measure were to be filtered BY sim
pie reference to the distinction between
protection and revenue duties we dissi-
pated this groundless alarm. Our neigh
Dor drops the protection humbug, and
upon the question of simple and slight
increase Of the tariff, draws a most vivid
and horrifyng picture of taxation-making
the memorable tax-gatherer the great scare
crow, in the business. He runs his eye
over the financial reports Of the country,
and discovers, that salt and woolens, iron
and sugar, are among the first subjects Of
taxation. He presents to his readers a
tabular statement Of the amount of reve-
nue. derived from these and other sources,
and with an Indignation and strength ofex-
preston, rarely surpassed, denominates it
a System of stealing money from the peck
'ets of the unsuSpecting, in order that they
may be deluded with the idea Of escaping
direct taxation. We purpoSely denomi-
mate the system stealing, because as the
! "PArmor says, there are thousands Of
'men in Tennessee who do not know
"any thing about the duties on i'm
| 'portS,'' We are inclined to think the
q" fever of indignation has carried our
'neighbor beyond the limits of proprie-
! ty, Finding the position of the American
party impregnable, so long as the past poll
cy Of the democratic party, both in respect
to the tariff aud the public lands, shall
be continued, he turns with singular grace
leSSneSS, upon his own party. For the last
ten years the democracy have had the
work Of making tariffs in their own hands
They have arranged the duties, which
have produced the very results, of which
our neighbor so bitterly complains. Mr..
/ PoIK'S administration fashioned that of
1876, under which we have the table
presented by our neighbor; and that of
1857, by Mr.. PIERCE'S, by which, our neigh
Dor SAYS, "theSe duties were, in some re-
SpectS, modified, but not materially chang
ed" What excuse is there under heaven,
for the democracy, for continuing this SyS-
TEN, when they have had the government
in their own power-thiS System of steal
ing money from the pockets of the unsus-
pecting" What do the people of Tennes-
see think Of that party, which has made the
tariff, and by which the pockets of the peo-
pie have been flched, but still continue it?
VIII you not 'diStruSt the candor of that
man" who lifts up his voice and warns you
of evils, but is at the same time riVetiDg
those very evils upon you by the very means
which he condemns?
The truth is, this is all sheer humbngge-
ry. The Union and American knows, that
the government must be supported, and
that the people must pay the expense, in
one shape or another And-the people are
honest enough to be willing to pay it, and
we have heard no complaint from the PEG
| ho c,b IC hot hn
democracy have levied such a rate of du-
ties, as that they have yielded a revenue,
largely in excess Of the current wants OF
the government and by which a system OF
corruption and extravaganza has been set
on foot, at which the common honesty Of
the people revolts BY this"syStem Of steal
ing money from the pockets Of the unsus.
pecting," the expenses Of the government
have reached the enormous sum Of but lit
tie less than serenity three m1ljOns per annum
ave purposely denominate the system
stealing" because the present democracy
have, under this system, not only thus OBJ
tanned the peoples money, that they may
be deluded with the idea of escaping direc
taxation" but that they may also dispense
with the public lands, and build up tn,
States North and West of us, that tn,
rights of the South may be placed at dis
count when opposed by government patron
age and government aidat the North. Thi
course has been pursued, the South ha
= been thoroughly and effectually throttled
by the avarice and fanatcism of the North
aud is now fainting and dying for want o
breath in Kansas and other territories
= The government, according to democratic
theory and practice, can lavish its bount,
with unstinted hand upon Iowa, Wiscon
sin, Minnesota, &c can yield up the pub
lie lands, aud resort TO the tariff on suga
and iron, and the manufactures Of cotto
and woollens, for this purpose; but when tn
South, when Tennessee, steps forward ant
demands her share, the ovtcry is made tina
an attempt is about to be made to gail
dishonest possession of the peoples none,
-forsooth of the '1eathern purse" of tn
staid farmer. "QuoHsque TANDEM abatere
&c How long will you strive to delud
the people with such flimsy pretensons t,
economy? How long abuse their patience
with such arrant humbuggery? How lonl
do you expect to play upon the popula
credulity, by such unmitigated sophistry
aud ill-concealed hypocrisyl
The democratic tariff theory has uni
| eor.,rr ,,or.;..o1 "a l;scorlinc, all dfscr;p,