New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-22

shall hare pe<a YrtYofb1 IOI eUOs s~T
have the Free Traders been siout these dozen
yearr, with their Presidsnz' Messages, Treasury
Reports, Con pgressiopal Speeches, Do Bows he
views and Hunts Merchants Masszines' Ii full
swirg ip the Government, and dozen years eIPe-
rience Of the benefits Of just 20 much Free Trade
a. they saw to give a. have not yet prepared toe
country for the full dose, when is il likely to be 10
condition?
Whenever we have lad, foI few years. any
approach TO Protection, its advocates have always
pointed with exultatoD to the resulting property
and progress. When, on the other hand, our sdSer-
sa,ies have undertaken to overthrow Protective
Tariff they hsy, nevs. been able even to pretend that
Ibdustry was psi aly zed and Trade stsgnant Turn
back to the speech of M Clay in 1882, or to these
Of Messrs. Simmons and other Protectioni,ts In
46. and note ho Y confidently, trumphantly, they
appealed TO the existing prosperity - reason for
letting the Tariff alone. There might be caviis as
to the cause Of such prosperity; there was no dis
pute a. " TIE fact
But DOW. after twelve years Of Free Trsde-just
such Free Trade as the Free Traders saw ft TO give
ur-we al do know ths. enterprise ia dsheartened,
coed part meagerly paid, while the en- ploJing GLASS;
whether engaged in Agriculture or Manufactures,
is positively unable 10 pay more because Of slug
eish markets and inadequate prices. We say made
quate prices, while We insist that Metals Wares
and Fabrics would generally be cheaper under Pro-
lection than they now are. 1t is constant
and eager demand that insures cheapness. We
for. h;sa fnr tulc
the sum we now receive for it, if we could eel bat
a few copiea, and had but cspricious and casual
demand even for those.
The Ertnixg Post proclaims that Shipbulding
and Navigation are forsakiug us-thst even the fe@
steamships now built or reftted among US obtain
good part Of their boilers and machinery from
England, because her makers-in the very focus
of the worlds demand for such articles-can and
do make them cheaper than our people can DO.
In other words the maker who has dozen orders
every month, and bis shop constantly full Of work,
can uDdersel his rival who Only has dozen orders
year, and these perhaps all in the course of two
months. What the result is, we oil know; and it
is just what was TO have been expected.
The remedy suggested by The Post is "the hair
"of the same dog" that is, absolute Free Trade,
instead of our present approximation to it. Let US
admit Iron free for the benefit Of our mschinis:s,
then vessels free for the benefit Of merchants,
and 80 on till we get al our work done in Europe,
and have nothing to do but eat, drink and enjoy
ourselves.
We are not about to controvert his doctrine.
We shall here only insist that those who pretend
to believe it shall act with some show of con-
sistency. 1t is wrong to act as though the People
were fools, and had to be coaxed and schOoled by
degrees into enduring what their own interests
mperatively require. If Free Trade is the true
theory, then any sort of tariff is pernicious
imposture. If tariff be not benehcenty Protec-
tive, then it is most unequal, unjust, oppressive
contrivance for raising revenue. We Protectonsts
when in power, always act as We profess. If you
ask US what We mean by Protection, we answer,
"The Tariff of 40" That was doubtless imper-
feet IN its details, but it was right in its principles
and most benefcsnt in its results. The country
never bounded 80 suddenly out of stagpation and
grew 30 rapidly in thrift and productive efficiency
as under that Tariff. That the aggregate Of the
National wealth would this day have been at least
reward of industry at least One Hundred Millions
more, had that Tariff stood unaltered till this time
We believe as firmly as We do our own existence.
And, so far from paying higher prices for our Man
ufactures than under Free Trade, We belieye We
should now be building steamships and making
boilers for other nations instead OF sending to
Europe for our Own.
The XXXVth Congress is to reassemble in De-
cember, and the Free Traders have clear majority
therein-a majority which they may lose in the
next House. We exhort them, therefore-nsy, We
defy tbem-to act according not to our prnci-
pies, but to their own. You believe, gentlemen
or, at least, say you believe-that absolute Free
Trade and Direct Taxation would be the best
policy, but you think the People net yet prepared
for it. But if you prepared just act up to your
convictions, and let consequences take care of
themselves. We are tired Of chasing you around
Point No Point, and hearing you attribute to our
principles the fruits of your undoubted measures
Give US, then, at the ensuing Session, just such
Tariff as you bcliere in, a. We did on our part In
40, and let the People judge between us. If your
doctrine is right do not fear that the People viii
not appreciate and uphold it. With the tremen
dous advantage you posse" IN monopoly Of the
votes of all who do not read and nearly all who do
not think with the Cotton planters pledged to your
views and the powerful influence of British Manu-
factures and Commerce at your elbow, you ought
rot to be afraid to bring your principles to the
tex of practical experiment Why do you hang
back