The Republican journal., 1871-02-09

The Republican journal quotes Andrew Jack
| son In 1873. to disproye what Andrew Jackson sale
in 1924 in favor of disc. Eliminating tariff for the
protection of American industry. With the gov
ernment free from debt and surplus in the
| treasury, President Jackson was sensible enougl
to see that high tariff not necessary in 1887
and spoke accordingly, but with our present debt
and need of taxation for revenue there is no doubt
that his ideas of 1924 apply, and that If he were
| living he would repeat them just as he would have
repeated in 1861 his former course against southern
traitors by squelchng them out Internationally
and shy the Eternal! [kennebec journal.
| The Journal does not state the case fairly.
We quoted portion Of the Coleman letter
omitted by the Journal, to show that Jack
son was not a high tariff man, and the very
strong language of the Farewell Address as
sustaining that view. We think we made
out 2 case.
| The Journal makes q statement equally
erroneous when ii says that Jackson. had
he lived, would have repeated i'll 1861 his
former course against southern traitors by
squelching them ont unconditionally. We
know this is the belief sought to be imposed
upon the public mind by those who needless
| ly rushed the country into the late war. But
the facts of history are otherwise, and do
not give to the Journals statement the least
color Of truth. The dispute in all save its
paclication, was precisely parallel with the
slavery agitation. A high tariff of duties had
been imposed for the benefit of northern
manufacturers. The South. entirely agricul-
tural, wanted its supplies from the cheapest
market. The tariff men. with their majority
in Congress. declined TO yield. Demagognes
North and demagogues South threatened
and blustered lust rs they did in 1861
Notification of the revenue laws and resist
ance 10 the collection of duties was the idea
that fired the Southern heart then. 1t was
the precise counterpart of the notification of
the fugitive slave law by the north preceding
the late war. Passions on both sides were
hot the times were perlous, and war famed
dangerously near.
Now how did President Jackson act in this
emergency9 Did he ''squelch them out I'M
conditionally"? Congress met in December,
1882, while the fever was at its height. The
President, in his message. recommended, in
the most decided terms, Il reduction of the
tariff to the revenue needs Of the govern
ment. Parton, the careful and panstaking
biographer of Jackson slys-''THE PRESIDENT
HERE RECOMMENDED ALL, OR NEARLY ALL,
THATTHE ENUlIIFIERs DEMANDED. There were
in Congressthen such men as Clay, Webster
Calhoun, Benton, Clayton, Verplanck
They We're party men, but they were states
men. Appalled, at the near prospect of civil
war, they addressed themselves to the work
of pacfication. A compromise bill, provid-
ing for n gradual reduction of duties. was
passed and approved by the President Cal
houn went home, explained matters. the
State notification laws were repealed. and
the storm cloud blew over
We know that the view of the kenncbec C
Journal is the one which its party labors to
impress on the public mind But the truths
Of history do not sustain it. Jackson was
Democrat, and as such believed most thor
onghly in concession, compromise the recon-
Cling of diverse interests any and all
honorable measures which could shield the
country from the horrors of civil war. 1t
was fortunate for the country that the oppo-
sition then was led by men of statesmanlike
ideas. None of them expressed the be-
lief that "a little bloodletting was needed
none cried ''On to Richmond''
Upon the whole, we are persuaded that
om kennebec friend will conclude, after a
more careful examination, that Jackson was
not high tariff advocate, and that he did
not ''squelch out unconditionally'' the null-
fication of 1892