New-York tribune., 1869-03-18
MR. CAREY1S LETTERS.

We print this morning the last OF a remarkable
series of letters on Political Economy and the in
fuence of our several Tariffs respectively, ad-
dressed 20 Commissioner Wells by Henry {.
Carey of Philadelphia, who has made Political
Economy the study OF his life, and whose
former works on this topic have been trans
lated into most European languages. These
letters will soon be published in collected
form, and we trust they will thus be widely
circulated and read We are sure none but
those who would not be persuaded though one
"rose from the dead can read these letters and
not be impressed with the thorough knowledge
of the subject they evince and the candor
and courtesy with which the authors views are
commended
Herein, at least, the champions of Protection
have q decided advantage over their adyer-
saries. They have arguments more forclble
than sneers They write with evident con-
seriousness that there is another side to the
ouestion, and do not attempt TO ST.
lence objection and drown remonstrance
by clamor against mOnopOlies," selfish
" schemes class legislation" &c, &c. We
could rctort every one Of these clap
trap phrases, il we chose; but We can do much
better. We can shoc, by the clearest and
fullest testimony, that the periods of highest
Protection have been those of our country's
widest and fullest prosperity-her most rapid
growth in Industry, Art, Wealth, and even
Commerce. Time and again have The Eren-
ina Post and its echoes said To us, II
Z" Won pass the Black Tariff you are now
concOctng, you will paralyze Industry, you
will destroy Commerce, you Will annihilate
"our Revenue from Imports" and in every
instance we have defed these prophecies
and the accompanying maledictions, and the
sequel has proved our adyersaries mis-
taken and their prophecies false. In every
instance, Labor has been more generally re-
warded and better paid under our Protective
Tariff than under its lower predecessor; while
Revenue from Imports has been promptly,
steadily, largely augmented, and Commerce
extended and made prosperous. Time and
again have we quoted the prophecies and con-
trasted them with the facts; yet The Post
compelled to silence by the utter, emphatic
discontinue of its dolorous vaticinations, pro-
ceeds to reiterate its prophecies as though they
had not already been repeatedly brought TO
open shame. Never yet was Free Trade sup
planted by Protection in our National policy
that Labor did not find more ample and varied
employment with fuller recOmpense; never yet
was n Protective Tariff enacted by Congress
when the resulting increase of Revenue, as well
as of General Prosperity, did not laugh to
scorn the arguments by which its passage had
been resisted. We fully comprehend the tap
which rendered this inevitable; our adver-
saries, though they ignore the law, cannot do
better than ignore the facts also. If there was
anything to bo said in tho premises they
would know how TO say it.
Yet the Free Traders are very busy and de-
termined. At their meeting in our City last
week, they subscribed some $4,000, avowedly
to break down our present Tariff and substi-
tute one after their own heart They did not,
like their last lecturer at Cooper Institute,
proclaim themselves hostile to any Tariff what
ever, and in favor of supporting the Govern
ment and paying the interest on our great Ma
tional Debt by tax on Incomes only flor
which an Income Tax Of forty per cent. would
not sufiice), but their principles lead to this
goal whenever they shall have the courage Of
consistency. We exhort tho friends of Protec-