Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-10-10
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FOmery Correspondent.
Co7rap9nssses Of the Uaion ana 4ne7iean.
GARRHETsBUEe, Ky, Oct. 8.
G. G. PorypExrER. Eso:--In my humble opinion /
but Two causes have ever existed st al likely to /
produce disruption Of our glorious Union, and /
those are the questions Of slavery and protective
tariff; and now that the first and most dangerous |
has been settled BY the passage Of the Kansas-Ne-
brasks bill, in the principles Of which all parties
seem willing to acquiesce, we are threatened with
with the latter. Indeed, protective tariff seems
to be the only principle upon which ell the "Odds
and ends" about to be united in opposition to the
Democracy, agree.
In view of the re-agilatiOn of this threadbare
subject, and even at the risk Of being tiresome or
sstelliDg thrice told tale" / am tempted to give
you, in substance, the views depressed years ago.
Of wise statesman, who possessed the addltienal
Recommendation Of being no psrtizan There Is
great danger in the adoption of system OF legs"
latioR which places the pursuits and industry Of
individuals under the guardianship Of the Govern
ment, thereby making it the srbiter Of every mans
privste affairs. This direct appeal to the seihsn
principle, which it is the great end Of every govern
ment to render subsergient 10 social principle At
once enlsts the personal interest OF almost every
man in the acts of his rulers, and Of course e4oes
his passion in every discussion Of public ahalrs,
not because they involve certain principles iavora-
BILE OF unfavorabe TO liberty, but that they affect
his own particular private business. The effects Of
system Of legislation, by which government as
sumes the right of protecting any particular branch
Of industry at the expense Of all others, at once
arrays the different classes Of The community IN
direct opposition to each other, and appeals di-
reetly to the selfish principle.
The operation of an exclusive encouragement to
one class Of industry is always felt to be more or
less Injurious, because it gives to one certain ad
vanlages denied to others. In this way cOmmuni-
ties will be split into conflicting clements which in
stead Of cooperating tremendously in the general
good and Strengthening the nation by their union,
become rivals, and Of course, enemies, When by
single act, government can put money in the pOck-
cts Of one class Of the community and take it from
others, it becomes the arbiter Of the interests OF
the whole and the people, instead Of minding their
own afairs and pursuing their own course, will be
gazing towards the seat Of power, watching its
movements and calculating their consequences to
hsr individual prosperity. Principles are lost sight
of in the miserable scufe of rival classes, and the
INQUIRY is not whether the acts of government are
in conformity with the fundamental principles of lib
erty but whether the acts Of government are in cOn-
fermity with the fundamental principles Of liberty
but whether they will put money in our pockets or
/ take it out The new and powerful excitements Of
fered to the selfish principle, must, of necessity
render the struggle of party more violent and dan
/ perous Elections which are TO decide simply
] whether your favorite candidate or mine is to be
chosen, will excite only OrdinAry soIicitude; but
when the choice of any particular man or set Of
men is to affect the individual interests of large and
powerful bodies, whose prosperity or ruin may de-
pend on the success of one and the defeat Of amos
Their. the struggle eulsts some of the most irritable
passions of our nature, and will be carried on with
a violence dangerous to the very existence of the
body polite. Some of our states are almost eKelu
sively agricultural; others have large interests
invested in manufactures and others are more or
less controlled by the mercantile class. Now, it is
very obvious, that a system of legislation which
shall select either of these great interests for ezsu-
sive protection must of necessity rouse the opposi-
ton Of those states whose interests lay altogether
! in different direction. They will oppose it Of
course, and if successful put it down. and then the
other interests disappointed at being deprived Of
legislative patronage, viii become disconnected and
retire from a oOnfederscy which they may think
offers them no sufficient equivalent for the burthens
J it imposes.
That this is no fancy sketch, and that there is
real danger to be apprehended from the passage of
high protective tariff, let the memorable events
/ which occurred in 1882 testify.
! had intended to give you some account Of the
terrible hail storm which recently visited our cOun-
tv. but I am saved that trouble by your pun gent
/ correspondent who halls from Montgomery. say
halls from Montgomery, for really his storm Of puns
was as blocking to the inside Of my head was the
yeritabe hail 10 the outside and it strikes me that
had he been ont il the aforesaid Storm the gas would
would have been expelled from enc Of the disciples
Of Coke through sundTy spertures. h.