New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-13
VIII ON PROTECTION

Mr.. John Stuart Mill, III reply 10 the ihNl-
tation of a New-YOIl admirer, has condensed
into a letter his reasons for regarding the
Protective policy rs injurious to our country
That letter we herewith publish; and, though
we could have wished so eminent and so ma
ture a disputaHt as its writer would have set
his American disciples the example OF treat
ing his antagonists as though they were not
necessarily either knaves or fools, We proceed
to review its leading positions.
/. MIR. Mill asserts that what is called Pro-
lection is necessarily can employment of the
" the powers of government to tax the many
" with the intention of promoting the pecuniary
" gains Of a few" This libel on the living
and the dead - this reckless assertion that
Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison,
George and De Witt Clinton, Clay, Jackson,
A. ]. Dallas, Daniel d. TomDhins. Richard
Rush. and nearly all the great men
OF our country's past, intended to rob
the great mass of their fellow citizens in order
TO enrich favored few-iS gross insult to
the memories most hallOwed and cherished by
our people of all parties. 1t was entirely
prOppr that Mr. Mill should regard and rep
resent those patriot statesmen as mistaken
rs seeking to advance their cOuntIyS welfare
bv means which wider experience, a ripper
wisdom than theirs, have condemned; but he
outrages the decencies of debate in thus wan
tonly impeaching their motives. We will not
retort his abuse; we simply remark that Mr.
Mills defamation of our cOuntIy's wiscst and
truest patriots proves him incapable OF judg-
ing or oOmprehending them.
II. Mr. Mill asserts that the support row ac-
corded to the Protective policy is "a signal
"instance of dupery," which finds its impulse
and aninus in the interested craft of hand
full of "wealthy manufacturers" This is of
course, Mr.. Mills opinion. But we oppose to
it the historic, undeniable fact that
the foundations of this policy were
laid by our Revolutionary patriots,
rhen THERE WERE no Ue0ihU mdnuJdc-
tarers among us, and scarcely any but the
rudest and poorest manufactures OF any kind.
When Washington recommended Protection i'll
his early Messages, and Hamilton demonstrated
the wisdom and benefcence of the Protective
policy in his great Report and the first
Federal Congress, in enacting its first Ia1ii,
declared that measure necessary for the pro-
lection of manufactures" as well as for rev.
enue the wealth of all the manufactur-
ers in the Union would not have suf
feed to buy an average Congressman. Jackson
and Clay-bOth representing constituencies al
most exclusively observation-disclosures their early
arguments for Protection mainly on the
ground not that existing Manufactures needed
such defense, but that an ill-paid, dropping Agri
culture imperatively required the creation of
Home Manufactures, in order that adequate,
constant, remunerative markets be brought
to its doors These arguments were adj
dressed by republican legislators to
republican masses whereof at least
nine-tenths were farmers, and by them
heartily responded to. Mr. Mill is emphat-
ically contradicted by our Economic history in
| his assumption that Protection to our Industry
was dictated by manufacturers or wealthy
men of any pursuit. The wealth of our
country has always been largely concentrated
| in the seabOard cities; and the Protective
policy was naturalized here in defiance
of the public opinion and the votes
of those cities. Boston fought desper-
ately for Free Trade down to 1928 !;
! New-York City never yet supported the enact
ment of any Protective Tariff; while the heart
of our State, and of the Middle States gener-
! olly. has always been true TO Protection. Mr..
| Mill ought to learn somewhat Of our history
before he presumes thus to misrepresent and
defame our wisest and nOblest patriots.
Ill. Mr.. Mill thinks that all the wealth which
il supposed TO be created by the introduction
and establishment of Manufactures in n region
nrcyiously devoted to Agriculture alone is
" merely transferred from one business to
another" OF course, he thinks so; but our
adverse conviction is based on WIDE personal
experience and observation. Born IN the
heart of New England sixty years ago,
in n region then almost exclusively agn-
cultural, We have seen tbo manufacturing