The mountain Democrat., 1865-03-11
TIE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT.


Many good men believe that nOthin,
wIl thrive in the family, commonly. OF
State, that Ia not directly Eostered OF
protected by the Government Ifa re.
form 10 morals Is needed, there must b,
4 new statute to inaugurate It. If an in
convenient custom is to be abolished, the
Law must threaten it with heavy penalties
Is s,NS~ .s~4f1pFSaa is started, Il must
first have the sanction of the National OF
State authorities, and, II possible, the aid
of the public treasury. Charities are reg.
ularly presented tO- Legislative or Con.
gressional appropriations and not few
are even afraid that religion will die out
of the world il its observance cannot have
Official recognition and patronage.
II . steamship line fails in competition
with some powerful rival, il is all for want
Of suitable subsidy from the Govern.
ment The waning trade of an old sen
port, or market center, whose commercial
glory is eclipsed by some more convenient
locality, brings the sufferer at once to the
halls Of Legislation for an act to remedy
the partiAlity Of the business world. A
mandatory is started in some most IN
promising place, BY persons whose skill
is not guided by experience, and If its
projectors fail in the struggle for success,
these theorists blame alone the indiffer-
ence Of the authorities who would not
tax the whole nation in their favor. The
protection Of equal government will not
supply their need. Thev cannot bear To
abide where the outworkings of natural
laws ensures their prosperity, but thew
insist on protection while they set these
laws at defiance. He who should cast
himself from the pinnacle Of the temple
in reliance upon angelic guardianship,
would not more tempt his fate, than they
long to do by engaging in enterprises
where all the elements Of SUCCESS are to
be supplied by the arm Of national au
thority.
When the public debt Of this country
began to roll up as the war went on with
its vast expenses, these protectioniSts
hatterch themselves that there end was
gained. Zone thing is settled, exclaim
ed an advocate OF this theory, land set.
tied irrevocably for two generations t.
come; there will be no further dispute
about high protective tariff" W. noted
this assumption, and at the time we ven.
tured To hint that the settlement" was
not irrevocabe. Our remark ouly pro-
voked a sncer, and did not disturb the
complacency Of the high tariff organ.-
Nevertheless, We submit that hint a.
prophecy.
Commerce with foreign countries IS
necessary 10 our national life and vigor,
and the nation will insist upon it. A
high-tariF policy will not rule in this
country for two generations" unless the
people are kept ia bondage to drsp"iic
power. Those who are making their cal.
culations for the future Oh the bash Of
such q settlement may a. well pause nOw
and revise their reckoning. The national
debt, which so many hug as the bar to
any growing freedom in trade, will itself
be one Of the levers to overthrow the
monopoly Thus given TO home manufac
turerS. The interest on tn vast debt
cannot be paid expect by an active foreign
commerce. The means Of payment must
DC supplied by trade. A nation "living
within its(if' cannot support such an
enormous burden, any more than farm
er making his own tools and consuming
his own products can pay the mortgage
upon his land. The fallacy that because
we have not gone outside Of the country
for the loan, therefore we can support il
best by trading with each other, will lie
exploded the moment its burdens really
begin TO be felt. The nation is now liv-
ing on confidence there will come day
when liquidation u liabilities will be
necessary, and then We shall see how
much our prosperity depends upon the
commerce that sweeps over the sea. For
several years We have been pouring the
product Of the nations industry into a
great gull, in the hope by such sacrifice
TO preserve the national existence We
have received from this imcmnse contri.
button Of our wealth aud resources only
promise Of payment. If this promise is
kept, the nation must tax its energies to
the utmost. As soon as the war is ended,
settlement comes, and performance must
begin. Shall we sit down TO delve, under
this burden, and pay these hundreds Of
millions annually out Of mutual cOntribu
tons! Will the old fable of the two boys
in their (ather's attic on rainy day.
making $40 apiece by swapping jack
US? Shall we shut ourselves up from the
outside world. and grow rich by a mutual
exchange Of products? This is the pro
tectionist's theory, but it will prove moth
ing but dream from which he will be
awakened ruielv when the hour shall
come. The idea that the national debt is
so much available capital, is all delu.
sion. and will prove snare to those VIII"
trust in it When the war is over the
nation will be poorer than when it began;
the product of its industry cannot have
supplied the enormous waste Of the con.
fiict There will therefore be less capital
than ever for the use Of home nanu(ac.
lures; and it is such capital, and not
high tariff, which this class Of production
requires. For many years we shall have
no spare funds for such permanent invest,
ments. and therefore those products
which require but little previous outlay
must be our main dependence. Those
products must be exchanged abroad for
the goods that are wrnught amid great.
er abundance OF surplus wealth, and We
must thrive as Of old, by spirit Of al
venture, and BY induIging our prosperity
to trade with every cline. Thus com
merce will bear its share Of the common
burden and like the sh ps that are its in
struments, it must not be overloaded if
we would escape the perils that environ
u.s., Those who think that this trade as
fulfilled its mission. anl who expect To
build upon its ruins gigantic monopoly
of home products, will find in the hour OF
trial that they lack means even for the
foundation Of their structure. Our foreign
cOrDuaerce must live aud thrive if the ma.
ton is truly pranerana: and nrnhihitnrx