Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-04-18

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mise, to quiet South Carolina and re
store peace to her. His views, he oh
served, respecting the American system
for the protection Of home MANUFACTURER
were well known TO the country; there
fore he could not be made to believe tha
a tariff for this purpose was at any time
wrong. Ours is widespread and ex
tensive country possessing the materi
ais, the genius and enterprise for sue
cessfully conducting manufactures, anC
unless we sought to develop the raw
materials which our aeountry possessed
he did not think we could call ourselves
n free and independent nation. IL We
do not use the genius and industry fol
our own advantage (which the very
spirit of our, institutions requires us tC
do), we shall be left to the tender mer
cies Of other nations to supply our ne
cessary wants, while our own people will
| be left, as mere tillers of the soil, to re
ceive, perhaps, an adequate return for
their labor, as our country would have I'd
come in competition with the remainder
/ Of the world in their products, especially
those of the field. 1t is bad enough,
| he continued, I" for individuals to com.
promise, but nations should never do SO,
especially in domestic affairs. Itsettes
nothing, but only secures repose for the
time being"
This question of Tariff or Protection
for home manufactures, said Mr.. Clay,
is one which has interested some
of the greatest minds of our country.
For years have given much attention
to it, looking upon it as the great Ameri-
can question, and as involving the life
and prosperity of our common country.
Ours is large and widely extended
country, having great diversity of soil
and climate, and raw materials of every
| description sufficient to make us en-
phaticaily a free and independent peo-
pie. 1t is to become the home of mil
lions yet unborn, both native and from
as many climes as we possess in this the
promised land. The question then
arises; What is the best way to render
the people intelligent and happyY Free
from all entanglements of monarchy, the
emigrant finds his way to America;
here he is not shackled, but goes forth in
pursuit of what is cougenial to him.
here, he says, | will live and educate
my children well, because all that have
or may have will be my own, and there
is nothing to molest me-. With these
feelings, he goes forth with all his pride
and ambition excited. We see him on
the far-off prairie, in the workshop or
factory, carrying out these manly and
great ideas of self-support and preserva-
ton. In little time the village, the
sehool,house, workshop, spring up in the
waste places---the work of his busy hands
because he has received the full value
of his labor. All, in a country like ours,
cannot be merchants, or manufacturers,
or farmers; but each in his varied pur-
suits in life must unite in one grand
whole for the common good and pros
perity of all Without this, there would
be no harmony, and consequently no
prosperity. 1t, therefore,, becomes our
people, which is one government, to see
that every branch of industry is fostered
and taken good care Of 3
Everything that we do, also observed
Mr.. Clay, is the result of labor, and
sometimes very hard labor, both to mind
and body. In this consists the value of
everything, and all are striving to OBJ
tain enough of it to make themselves in
dependent. While the basis of all Eu-
rope is underpaid labor, IN our own
country it is, thank God, well-paid labor,
so that every one shall receive enough
for his labor TO enable him to enjoy more
of the comforts of life than are TO be
had in any other or older countries. In
America the laboring man wants bet
ter education and more of it for his
children. He wants better clothes and
more relaxation from labor than is TO be
found in any other country These are
the inducements for the emigrant to
come to our country, for he feels and
knows that all these are embraced in |
the great principles of free institutions,
and he will never be satisfied with any
thing short of this.
Some people, said Mr.. Clay, argue that
there should be little or no protection |
given by our Government to home man
ufactures, but that all should purchase
where they can buy the cheapest, etc.
This would seem to work well in theory,
but, in my opinion, it would not work so
well in practice; for, if all were farmers,
there might remain on hand worthless
surplus to supply the wants of con-
sumers. Home consumption must be
found for the produce of the soil; other
wise, the whole country would lose, and
we would cease to be independent within
ourselves as a nation, except so far as
the produce of the soil is concerned. It
is then, continued Mr.. Clay, simple
question of labor, particularly so in a
country like the United States, for every
thing starts with labor in deriving its
value from it, and our people should
consider this question Of labor as the
great source from whence they derive
their fortunes and happiness. tits not
that England or any other country can
make a ton of iron (which they oan)
cheaper than it can be made in America,
but the question is, shall we give up the
making Of iron in the United States.
with all our vast resources for doing SO.
because iron is made and sold cheaper
in foreign countries than in our own:
thus leaving Us Gt the mercy of foreign
countries for this article of prime neees-
;ity. The same may be said Of many
lther articles made cheaper abroad
which should be made in our own coun-
ry. , ~
This question, then, of q tariff for the
Of American industry, be it
or anything else, is simply
hat Of labor, being quite as important
IS that of revenue for the support Of
he Government. Whenever, from the
lensiiy Of the population Of the United
states, it could compete with all other
latiOns in the rate Of labor land he
ioped that labor in America would al
Tays be higher than that Of other coun-
ries), then perhaps all tariffs might be
lone away with, as the United States
gould be able to compete with other