The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-07-03
The Free Trade Policy of South Carolina.

In the year 1916 an Act was passed by
Congress, by which reduction Of FIVE
per cepiwas made on imported wooIlen and
cotton goods. The people and The states
men OF the country who were in favor of
ihe policy OF protection were opposed to this
reduction, and determined as soon as pos
sIhle to secure the adoption of niger tariff
Acco rdingly, in 1924, Henry Clay and Mr..
Adams succeeded in obtaining the passage
ioi a law by which the profits of certain
kinda OF manufactures were greatly increas-
ed. II was soon di scoyered that The manu-.
iacturers of the Eastern States, those en-
gagged IN the iron trade in Pennsylyania,
and The producers of wool and hemp in
the Northern and Western States, who con-
silluled the most important portions of the
mercantile community in the nation, were
not sufficiently protected by this tariff
Accordingly, in the session Of Congress of
lS27-'8, after long and desperate conflict
with The advocates of The one single staple
OF the South namely, cotton-a bill was
passed imposing tariff of duties The aver.
age rate OF which was nearly fifty per cent.
on imports. This Act received the votes of
all the representatives Of The nation except
these OF the more prominent Southern
States. The latter condemned it in The
most vioent terms, atigm matzed it as a ''biH
OF abominations," and began to nu,ier
threats of resistance and vengeance.
POSITION os JOHN c. CALHOUN.
AT that period the most distinguished
member of Congress from The South, with
the single exception of the patriotic Henry
! Clay. was John Caldwell Calhoun, OF South
Carolina. No man excelIed him, among
that high and brilliant galaxy of genius, in
logical acuteness, in close, clear, demon
siraiive reasoning, in his general knowI-
! edge OF the principles of International and
municipal law, and in the boldness and
fearlessness of his tempter. He was even
then the Magnus apollo of seciionaism
! and as room as the tariff of 1928 was passed
IN spite OF his opposition and that of his
coniederaes, by which the inlerests of the
/ Cotton States were made secondary 10 the
welfare of the whole nation, he commenced
/ 10 reVoIve in HIS mind the great and des.
Perate scheme or Notification IF the Ma
| iional Government would not become sub
servlent TO the promotion of the interests of
the South, could it net be possible TO resist
and overpower that Government within the
limits of the offended States Calhoun's
answer was an affirmative oue
Immediately after the adoption Of this high
| tariff, meetings were held ip several por-
lions OF South Carolina, in which the policy
| of Notification was broached, discussed
and finally commended. AT the request of
some of his constituents Mr.. Calhoun pre-.
! pared doc cumeht, in July, 1881, which
defended this policy under the existing
state Of affairs. This production he styled
"The South Carolina Exposition and Pro-
test on the Subject of the Tariff" and was
addressed to the Legislature OF The State =
That body ordered large number of copies
10 be printed and distributed and afterward
passed resolution which declared the Tar.
III Acts OF Congress foy the protection of the
manufacturers Of The North and East uncon.
! stiluionai; asserted that they ought 10 be
resisted and invited other States of the
OOuAd W uHiiS Will COuil IdTOllua IN ToslSI-
ing The execution Of those Acis within their
respective limits
AT that period Andrew Jackson and MIR.
Calhoun were personal and political friends.
But soon the latter became dissatisfied with
the administration of the former. and was
gradually alienated from him. The Presi-
dent did not condemn the high tariff. az
MIR. Calhoun believed it his duty 10 do
and from the year 1891 Mr. Calhoun took
the position of an open enemy to his policy
and his person. One cause of the hostility
which henceforh existed between these
remarkable men was the fact that at that
period Gen. Jackson discovered that MIR.
Calhoun had, while member of Monroe's
: CabineI, advised that he should be repri-
manded for his conduct during the Semi.
mole war in putting ArbuthDot and Arm
bruster TO death. Thencefonh there was a
bitter and implacable hostility between
them, which ended only with their lives.
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