Edgefield advertiser. (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, March 08, 1854, Image 1
U
EDEIL -MRH8154---**
W.F. DURISOE, Prpitr j2J9Ja'iA~J *9~x.' LVA9J *l-- - *
-! n. ...
THE EDGEFIELD ADVERTISER
IS PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY
W. F. DURISOE, Proprietor.
ARTHUR SIMKINS, Editor.
T ER MS.
Two DOLLARS per year, if paid in advance-Two
DOLLARS and FirTY CENTS if not paid! within six
ionths-and TuadE Dot.I.ARS if not paid before the
expiration of the year. All subscriptions not distinet
ly limited at the time of subscribing, will be confid
ed as made for an indefinite period, and will he con
tinued until all arrearages are paid, or at the option
of the Publisher. Supscriptiuns from other States
tnust invariably be accompanied with the cash or
eference to some one known to us.
ADVERTtsF.MENTS will be conspicuously inserted
at 75 cents per Square (12 lines or lets) for time first
insertion, and 371 cents for each subsequent insertion
When only published Monthly or Quarterly $1, per
square wilt be charged. All Advertisements not
having the desired number of insertions marked on the
tmar;in, will be continued until forbid and charged
occsrdinely.
Those desiring to advertise by the year can do soon
theral ters-it being distinctly understood that con
tacts for yearly advertising are confined to the ime
tdiate, legitimate bsiness of the firm or indivilual
centracting. Transient Advertisements must be paid
for in advance.
For announcing a Candidate, Three Dollars, in
am1Vance.
Fur Advertising Estrays Tolled,Two Dollars, to be
tiil by ithe Magistrate advertising.
SPEECH OF HON. W. W. BOYCE,
OF sould CAROLINA.
In the House of Represcnta.ives-Cbruary
a17., IL i4.
1he House being in Committee of the
~hole on the state of the Union, on a bill
to .encourage agriculture, commerce, manu
.fsactures, and all other branches of imdustry,
tby granting to every man who is the head
,of a family, and a citizen of the United States,
a homnesteatt of one hundred and sixty acres
of land out of the iulblic domuain, upon con
dition of occup siney and cntivation of the
.same for the period herein specified.
Mr. Boci rose and said
Mr. Chairman, I desire to make some re
marks on - the subject of 'the tairif. It ap.
ptears, front the report 'm( the Secretary of
the Treasury, that the surplus bal:nce on
hand September 30, 1853, was 8.2.17,
.887 78. Moved by such a vast and increas
ing surplus, the Secretary very properly re. i
commends a modlffation of the tariff. His
proposed modificalion may be summtnmed up
in three ideas. Duties of one-hundred per
cent, otn brandies and cordials, a greater ex
tension of the free list, and a unmiform duty
of Twenty-five per cent. ont all remmmittij
imports. 'T'hough I have the very highest
respect for the Secretary of the Treasury. I
am compelled to differ from him on this sub.
jaet. As regards the one hundred per cent.
duties, thley are utterly indefensible as a
financial measure; they are five times higher
than the revenue standard. and must dimin
ish the revente, and injuriously affect our I
commttercial relations with France. I caan
see no possilile reason for such exorbitant
duties, but a desire to legislate indirectly on
a great social que.stion, with which I con
ceive we have nothing to do. Passing .hy
these one hundred per cent. duties, which
are in no hartmony with the Secret..ry's gene.
ral tariff policy, I approach the two leading
principles urged by him-the free list, and a
uniform duty of twenty-five per cent.
It is important to observe what the free
list. does not contain umitin whatt it does con.
tain. It does tnot conttain atrticles of foreignt
tmtanum-ture, which ay~ come in .comnpeli
tion withi homte mtanlufntttres. It does eon
tain the raw materials of dottestic maniufac-.
tures, amid certaini exports for wthich our'
imnufactures are exchanged ,as tea anti
coffee, for instance. It is also) importatnt to
consider .what artifees will pay thme duty of
twenty.five per cent., conifessedly a high
,duty abpve the revenmue statndard-five per
cent. higher than the maximutm duties utider
the British revised tariff of 1842. It will he
found that amotngothmese articles are all for
eign products which niay come in competi
tion with domestic manufactures. Frotn
these facts, the object of the Seeretary's
tariff becomes lutminonms. it is evidently
designed to give domestic tt~mannfactures tile
utmot p)ractical protection ; anid it accom
plishes this purpose most thoroughly ; for
the'effect of adtitting the rawv material diuty
free, and taxing the manufactured article
twenty-five per cent., is to extenid proteciiion
in some instances, to forty nd forty-five
per cent. This free list is a great iniventioti;
for while it conifers amn exclusive privilege oni
the mantnfacturers, that of importing the
commodities they need free of duty, it cre
ates an atpparent ntecessity, and affords the
pretext for high duties on their rival imnports.
What a system! T1hose cozmmodities-which
the manufacturers need pay ino duty. TIhose
wvhich the people nieed pay a duly amoun
ting, practically, to about one-thitd of their
value.
.g regards the uniform duty of twenty
dve per cent., it rests ont time radical errtor
that all imaports, can pay tihe satme rate of
duty, whereas the fact is exacotly the reverse.
Some commodities cannot pay more thani
dve per cent., anid others more than tetn per
cent., amnd hence every tariff we have ever
Jhad has proceeded onm .agradation of duties.
Tlo apply a uniformn rate of twenty-five per
cent is to prohibit umny articles, aqd iimnin..
ish t4 revetnue. T1here is one article to
which the Secretary proposes to extend even
more thani an ordiniary share of'prhtection
that is iron ; of all imaginatble thin'gs that
which tlie universal industry of the counitry,
in every .form and section, is niost itnterested
to obtaini cheap. Yet, under the euphonious
term, specific duties, this article is to receive
the lion's share of protectioni. I' entirely
dissent from the Secretary's 'recomemda-.
Uons. -I object t'o every one'of them, his
one h~undred per- cerit..duties, his free list,
his horizontal tariff of t5Xenty:five per cent.,
his specifie duties on iron.' TIhig rojected
tarifi is protectJon and montopoh~v.in their
worst becase their wost covert formns.~
will not dwell longer on this report, satisfi,
ed to call attention to Is protective features;
I pass on to the general consideration of
the subiect.
The history of the revenue system in ou
own country is instructive. Previous t<
1810, the duties on imports were extremely
low. By the first tariff act, that of 1789
w ith the exception of a duty-on carriages o
fifteen per cent., and on East India goods o
twelve and a half per cent., the highest rate
of duty was only ten per cent. ad valorem
on iron it was seven and a lalf per cent., of
cotton and woolen fabrics it was five pe
cent. lntervening tariffs, up to 1816, in
creased these rates but very little. In 1816
the protective policy was adopted. Ant
here I may. remark, that in its inception. i
was advocated as a temporary expedient
Governinent was urged to extend aid to in
fiat manufactures struggling into existence
It was not contemplated that such aid woulc
be permanently necessary.
In 1824, 1828, and 1832, however, tI
country advanced still further in the protec
t've course of policy. In 1833, to avoid r
c.avulsion, it was agreed to he gradnalfy
ab,andoned. In the act of 1833 was incor
porated the geat principle that " duties shall
be ail fur the purpose of raising such a rev.
enne as may bie necessary to an economical
admninitration of Government;" and provi
ding that after the 30th of June, 1842, n
duties should he over twenty per cent., wlhicb
was conuidered the highest point of revenue
duties. It 1842, profiting by the financial
difficulties in which the Government was
placed, and other circumstances, the protec.
tive policy was revived, in violitionai of -the
compromise of 1833. In 1846, the country
receded from this policy to somo extent. ' It
appears from this rapid summary that under
the administrations of Washington, the.fist
Adams, and Jefferson, the tariff was used
morely as 'a revenue instrument-that the
protection they favored was the u.aiversal
protection which the entire country experi
enced from loiw taxes. It further appears
that after the protective policy was adopted,
it was const:aitly progressive, until arrested
in 1833,:a consequence naturally resulting
from the mature of the system. Extension
of Government favor to any particalar farm
of industry induces a competion in it, which
reduces the profits, and creates the necessity
on the part of the protected interest for more
protection. The first necesr.ity is for protep.
tion fAom foreign conpetition ; the graiting
of this creates a necessity for further pro.
tecrion from hoame competition. The logi
cal end of the system is prohibition and
onaaties.
I am glad to see, from the Secretary of
the Treasury's reports, that, over and above
our resgrces, out debt is nominal. Alone
among the great Powers, we stand eminent
ly consl.iennus for our freedom from debt.
We are at liberty, then, to adopt that system
of revenue which we may conceive most
conducive to oatr interest. Singular and great
privilege, how much of good or evil depends
upon our wise exercise of it !
There are, no doubt, diffienuties intrinsic
to this subject of taxation ; but they have
been greatly multiplied by false and complex
theories. The best plan is always to ana.
%ze political questions into their general
principles. By so doing we escape terious
errors ; for if we are right in jhe genat prim.
ciples, errors of (etail are- comparatively
1armless. I propose to do this with refer
eace to the question of taxation before us.
What is the object of taxation I It varies
in direr.nt Governments. In some it is to
depress the masses, and secure the permanent
omianaatioan of the few.
In our country we go upon a different idea
-in theory, at least; we consider the Gov
rnament nierely a trustee for the benefit of
he pleople, and1( taxation is oanly a mneans to
xecute the objects of the trust; we regard
axation as an evil ini itself, but an evil to be
.ndu red, that a greater good may be acconm.
plished-the carrying on of Government.
With this ge~neraul idea in view, the first
priaciple of taxatioan with us should be to
take as little as possible from the people, di
reetly or inadirectly. I apprehend no one
will dissenat from this principle. TIhae second
principle is equally clear, that the burdens
of taxation should hear upon all classes and
sections wvith as much egality as possible.
Tfhird,* that there should lbe as little iaterfer
ene as possible with the industry of the
ountry. Fourth, that the mnode of taxation
shold'he constitutional.
- No extended argnent is necessary to es
tabish thaese principles. For what wisdom is
there in wringing froam the people their hard
earnings beyonad the waants of the Govern
met? It is utterly indefensible; for while
it impoverishes the p--ople, it corrupts the
Government. Besides, what right have we
to-more of the people's money thani is neces
s-try for the purposes of Govornmnent i None
whlatever. All beayoand that poinat is injustice
and robbery. If, therefore, by any mecans,
by direction or indirection, Government
deprives the people of more moaney than is
neessary for its wuants, it violates the trusts
reposed in it. Again, what principle can be
more consonant with the great ideas of jus
ie upon which republicanism re-sts, than
equality of taxation to all classes arid sec
ions? It was ian support of this great prin.
ciple of equality in taixation, violated only
in a preamltde, tjpat our ancestors drewv the
sword in the Revolution, and mingled their
blood with the dust of Lexingtoniaand King's
Mountain, and Buniker Hill, and Camden,
and other glorious battle-fields. This is em.
[pat icall y the great American principle, sanec
lified by the struggles of our ancestors, and
vindicated on the most memorable pages of
our history. Where is the man who would
jow abnegate iti Further: what is more
reasonable than that Government should in
terfere as little as'possible with the industry
of the countryi What more superlative
folly than for Governmneat to attempt to
give a direction to individual enterprisef
Besides, what greater injustice than to in.
terfere with labor~, the most valuable right of
the greatest naimber t That the mode 'of
taxation should be conastitutional, ift a Govt
ernent of limited powers, is self-evident.
Such a itifl' as is loissisteut with thpae
principles I favor. I say a tariff, because,
though a system of direct taxation might be
,mo.. per..,c i theory ye there are so
many difficulties in the way at this time that
I do not urge it.
Before I undertake to state the practical
results deducible from the principles I have
indicated, I will endeavor to show what sys
r' ten of taxation is inconsistent with them.
That system which so arranges the duties
on unports as to cherish one form of indus
try at the expense of all other forms, what
we know as the protective policy, is incon
sistent with them. This policy does not
take as little money as possible from the
i people ; for, in addition to the amount paid
t Government, it transfers to the manufactu
rers a large amount in the enhanced price
of commodities. As an illustration of the
operation of this system, take the duties on
I iron. Assuming the quantity of iron con
sumed in the United States to be one million
tons peiannum, which is rather under than
over the mark, at an average. cost-of $30
per ton, that' being the cost of railroad and[
bar iron imported in 1852; we fiod that the
whole value of the imsportations of..ironby
the 'l'reasnry returns of '152, as $18,9 57,
903, say $19,000,000. Dcductiintlht'value
Sfraom the total value of the ' consumption,
$30,000,000, lenavus, a value ofMSl1,000,000
to he tnrnished by the. homne i tanufacture,
which' being enhanced. in price 'to: the extent
of the-duty, shows that-we piy $3,300,000
as an indirect ta'x to the iron manufacturers
of.the country.
An exaniination of -the .effect 'f. our high
protective duties on ,other mipnpfncfured ar
tieles, would show . similar' results, for the
snn principle runs through them all. The
indirect tax imposcd-'on nt'jenac ntry iy this
system canot be lessth:i' fronti.$35,000.000
to $40,000,O00bfei' nutaan'aia suficient
amount to carry on the.Goveramnent, if econ
omically administered. And for. what is
this greit violation of principle?. To enable
the ninf.icturers to continue a business nit
urally unprofitable. The protective policy
violates the great principle of equality.
While it professes to benefit one class, it
dees so at the expense of all other classes.
Agriculture and commerce are the great in
teets of our country. and they are natural
allies to each other ; for while it is the great
idea of agriculture to sell where it can sell
dearest, and buy where it can huy cheapest,
commerce spreads its sails for this- exact
purpose, and exacts front this necessity.
Agriculture naturally desires .an external
vent for its surplus commodities. This vent
is coinnmrce. But the protective policy in
terferes to check this vent by discouraging
importations; aid to the extent that we can
not buy from foreigners they cannot buy
from us. Thus agriculture and conmerce
are discouraged.
'T'his protective policy is manifestly tin
equal to classes, but its inequality to sections
is still more obvious. The manufacturing
interestsire. in a great degrew confined to
the northern section rf the Union. It bene
fits a portion of that section at the expense
of all other sections. To illustrate this, we
will suppose the southern planter wishes to
exchange his cotton for cotton cloth, or
woolen, or iron. Under the operation of a
protection tariff' he must exchange his cotton
for a less quantity of those articles. If he
buys the foreign commodity lie must pay
Government -at least one.fourth, of its value
ftir the privilege of bringing it withn the
country. To escape this tAx, lie must buy
the home-nade commodity at a price en
hanced to the extent of the duty on the for.
eign article. Five-sixths of our cotton crop is
exported to Europe to lbe exchanged for
their products; but as we cannot import
those products without paying a duty of
twentty five or thirty per cen:., our'ability to
receive these products in exchanuge is dimnin
ished ; and as their means of buying from
us dependE on our mieans of buyinig fromi
them, they cannot afford to pay us the same
price for our cotton as they could if trade
wtere free between us. If thi~s cause oper
ates only to the exteut'of dimnishiiitg the price
of our cotton one cent per pound, then if
cotton is selling at ten cent per per pounid,
and the cost of' production be six cents, our
planters incur an absolute loss of twenity-flre
per cent., of their clear inicome. The same
principle will apply to other -agricultural pro
ducts, tobacco, rice, flour, &c. It is evident,
then, that this policy of protection is un
equal in itr operation on sections. -
This protective policy interferes wvith the
industry of the country. Instead of leaving
the bus'iess of the community to be reguila
ted by the unerring instin-et of self-interest,
Government, in its assumed wisdom, under,
takes to give a direction to tielabor of the
people. In doing this, it commits iiot mere,
ly a great folly, but a greater injustice. It
interferes with labor, in the entire freedom
of which consists all ideas of practical liberty
aid by such interference destroys its value ;
for under this system the agriculturist caninot
exchange the fruits of his toiil for their full
value, but must submiit to receive a less value
in return. What greate-r, injustice can wve
imagine than 'thisi
*That the protective policy, is in violation
of the Constitution is so obvious, that I will
not stop to enlarge upon it.
The protective policy, being thus in viol4
tion of the great principles of taxation aind
the constitution, should be abandoned. So
far as manufactures may be conse-quenitially
protected by a strictly revenue tariff', I have
no objection, for I tuke as nmuch interest in
witnessing the prosperity of that interest as
any other interest in the country. I only
insist that the taxing powver of the govern
ment shall not lie used unmduly to foster this
interest at the expense of all other iuterests.
Having seen what the true principles of
taxation repudiate, let us see to what they
lead, They lead, I conceive, to the lowvest
rates of revenue duties, universality of impo
sition, and discrinjiniation againist luxuries.
The revenue standard, that rate of duty
upon every comniodity whicb will affo~rd the
largest revenue, varies upon dif'erent arti cies.
Some will afford the largest revenue et five.
per cent; others at ten per cent ; others at
ften per cenit., and others at twtenty per
cent. The reason of this is obvious. TIhe,
abiity of a conmmodity to pay * ta; on iom
portation arises from~ the i'ast that the aost
The degree in which thiscot is less is van- Is
ous. Some commodities may be produced |v
abroad fifty per cent.; cheaper than here; t
others only twenty five others only ten, and a
some only five per cent. Tropical fruits e
may be produced sevill hundred per cent. d
cheaper abroad than. with us .certain cotton a
maunfactures not over en percent. cheaper. p
The revenue standard o'diffeknt-commod'- s
ties is therefore, ncessaiily various. I pro- a
pose to ascertain, as har a may be, this
revenue standard in reiigence' o every com. tl
modity; astd, having f6uand it, to graduate tl
the tariff according. toette lovest rates be. jr
low this standard whicl vill furnish sufficient e
revenue. This repudiaiys a horizontal tariff; fl
which, indeed, all expoience and all theory v
repudiates. I would ifve the duties range .
from five to twenty per cent, To arrange Ia
the details of snch aat iff would require a c
good deal of consider ion, aut involves no 0
iisurmounta'ble dilficult ~ a
.By universality of in osition, I mean that e
every commodity she d pay some .duty.
When every commod, paid son duty, ft
every commodity woul y the least amount u
of duty. It is like raisi, a given amount by C
subsciption ; the great the number of sub. t
scrilbeis, the less aio t of individual sub. r
scription. The princr 8, upon which the b
taxation on imports r is that it is an as.
sessment on consumpt. ; to be fogical, we ti
must make this asse ent universal; any IT
departure from the pri pile is a gross incet- ft
sistency. To admit s e articles duty free,
and tax others is to p ^ it a portion of con- 0
sumption, or what is same thing, a por.
tion of the consumers ;go free from -a just e
share of taxation. t justice there is in
this sort of favoritism 'beyond my concep- ec
tion. To tax consu iln, as' you profess n
to do, fairly, you mu ave universality of e
imposition, and reject e idea of a free list.
By this means you wil utionalize taxation;
every consumer -will 1 his due share of h
the burden. The onl _ rticles I would ad. It
tait free would be su as, at the lowest
rates, produced a met ominal revenue; as
natter of conveniend such artictes might C
be admitted free.
By taxing only a on of the inpqrts, i
as is proposed by the retary of the Trea. p
sury, and admitting at of articles free of fi
duty through the exest-of- a little legisla. b
tive Itgerdemain,,thd3 'urden of the duties til
may be thrown on cel in classes and sec- b
tions to the exempti of other classes and
sections. I do not .imdagine we can attain i
positive equality underany tariff; for from 'I
he particular forms eC indstry, which are c
also sectional in this try, it would be im- g
ossibl. to inrvent a -Pff that would bear ei
ith entire equality on all classes and sec. n
tions. But though weeannotattain positive P
equality, it does not follow but that we j
should obtain as much as is4attainable. It I 5'
may be said this universality of duties is not
as near an approx'natiop to free trade as tI
the free-list system. But I think the con. b
trary will appear from the slightest reflec- P
it. The idea of a free list implies higher S
duties on the remaining imports; and to the n
extent to which the taxed articles pay a b
higher duty to make up the deficiency b
caused by the free list, to that extent is the A
importation of those articles discouraged. t
While you admit some articles free, and aro w
thereby compelled to tax the remaining im- i'
ports higher, which are, necessarily more al
numerous and valuable, you more than coun
terbalance with one provision the free im
portation you eneourago with another. The as
earest practical approximation to free trade g
onsists in a low duty diff'uaed over all imn.i
orts, ad not a high duty on some articles 0
md1( no duty ont others.
As regards luxuries, the duties should ho di
higher on them than on-necesasaries, because a
the rich whio ehnnsume thenm are able, with L
loss burden to themselves, to pay a hIgher m
rate of dnty. An individual with an income fr
f $20,000 per annum, can better spare ten ih
per cent. of it for govmernmeut, than one of' a'
5500 can spare five per cent. Tlo insure, v
therefore equality as mruch am may be, luxn. A
ties should pay a higher rate of duty. But 4:
this principle should not be pushed. too far ; t(
for experience has shown t'hat high duties "
n luxuries consumed entirely by the rich,
operate rapidly to diminish their consunmp. i
ion. As an -illustration on thls point, in c
England, from 1823 to 1824, the rate ofp
duty on French wines, was thirteen shillings r
nine pence per gallon, at whinh the con, s'
sumpion wvas only one hundred and seven, 0f
yono thousand eight hundred and thirty- i
eight gallons pe annum; in 1825 the duty
~as redueed to seven shillings three pence, it
nd during the subsequent. 1ou- years, the ti
average annual conisumuption rose to three .T
undred and -sixty thousand four hundred o 0
nd fifty gallons. And an exorbitant duty 0
n luxuries, by disc-ruraging their imnporta- pl
ton, may diminish the dematnd for the pro- s
ducts of our industry, for which these luxu. ti
ties are exchanged.- To explain, France is fr
enable to buy our cotton and tobacco, to a s
ertain extent, with her brandies, wines, and ni
silks. If wve tax these articles too biglily, it "
will re-act upon ourselves, and affect the .
demnd for, and 0Qine..gundy the price of, a,
ese staples. 'c"
Such a tariff as the one I have rscommen.-l
e would, I think, carry out, as near as ni
d$ lie, the prjiOilesO Qf taxatin I have im! sI
dicated as desirable. The smallest amount6
ofmoney , ,uld'hie taken from the people t
directly by Government: the Indirect ta; tob
the manufacturers would be as small as pos- I1
iblo. The burdens cif taxation would fall
as equally as possible on all classes and see.-e
ions. As little interference as possibly ly
'vould be had with the industry of the coun? os
try. .4nd it would be strictly constitutional. ly
Iinvita scrutiny to my recommendations, al
td I confidently challengo the ablest finan- th
iers in this H ouse to suggest a f.ariff system tr
vhich w-ill be more reippnsive to the great 0;
principles of taxation I have subnijtted th
to you. pt
There are tryo striking fasts which indi- re
cate the neaessity for the lowest scale of 19
mere revenue duties, if we aina et anything ri
jjle a perrmansilt tarjff systerp. The #rst is n
~he onsot bepeingof the cost aof Aner- .c
n eanufactures frqn the jgreatest abun. 4
da..ce of apntal and born, nnl the~ nrogrea. f
ive improvements in machinery. he taritm
vill be constantly in a transition state. At
his time twenty per cent. on many articles
f foreign manufacture may afford a rev.
nue. In ten years the cheapening of pio
uction may make twenty per cent. oper..te
a a prohibitory duty. This great pi-inci
le works in spite of our laws, and will con.
tantly tend to graduate the tariff lower,
nd extract from it the protective principle.
notIer fact is the progressive increase in
he class of consumers. The population of
be country is increasing in a geometrical
atio, and revenue duties must be at'the low.
at point, or we will have periodical over.
owings of the Treasury against which every
-ise Goverunient would guard. In twenty.
veyears uripopulation will be fifty millions,
nd a tar.iff so loe as only to -produce fifty
ents to 'each iiJividaal will furnish $25,.
00,000. This fa'ct is dperatini every day,
nd we w6uld be blind indeed to shut our
yes to its necessary results.
The principle deducible from these two
t,the reduction of the cost of home man
factures, and the' increase of the class of
onsumers, is that we must abandon protec.
re duties, or have no revenue: and that
venue duties must be low, or we will have'
)o much revenue.
The difficulty from a revenue tariff is not
iat we will have too little revenue, but too I
ich., As an evidence of this,'I would re.
sr to the results of the present tariff
lessrs. Webster, Evens,. Winthrop, and
thers, strongly insisted that the tariff of '46
rould not furnish sufficient revenue. They
stimated the receipts from twenty-two to
,venty-six millions, and yet for 1853 the re
eipts from this tariff were. $58,931,865,52,
early three tijnes.morer iban the.smnallet
stimate. I have no doubt, tbat-i' we aban
on the . protedgiv.. nJic-y,' ity red eet in of
te duties, which.i nvry be fo'ud.T mctica
le to make at this time,..will.be follio d in I
ss-than t.n -years.bi' asntfher sprplus in the
'reasury ; for -the resQUrt es of the country
re in an extraordinair-stt o.development.
ur commerce on olim o1. our oceans, the
aciflic, is yet in its infaiey, excluded as it
from the Eastern'Archipelago by -the cu
idity of the Dutch, and from Japan by a
erce conservatism. When it bursts these
arriers, and glitters with the treasures of
i gorgeous lEast, the.most sanguine will
e astounded.
:'o prevent these future surplus accumnla.
ois, I would authorize the Secretary of the
reasury to reduce the duties a regular per
ntage every six months, after a surplus he.
an to accumulate, until the receipts only
1ualled the wants of the Government. It
may be ohjected that this is a dangerous.
ewer to intrust to an executive officer ; but
do not apprehend the people can ever be
riously injured by a reduction of taxation.
From such a tariff as I have recommended
me material advantages would be iocalcula
le. We would approximate as near as
ossible to free trade-thc great privilege of
lling where you.can sell dearest, and buy.
g where you can buy cheapest-the richest
Won which, under a good Government, can
extended to the industry of any country.
griculture and commerce would feel the
och of a magic wand. Manufactures
ould rest on a more natural, and conseque-t
a more permanently prosperoums baski. U.
I interests, however, the commercial would
the most benefitted. Of all parts of the
onfederacy, no spot would he so electrified
the imperial city of New York. The
rlden streams which free trade would pour
to her hip would lie richer than the sands
the Pactolus. Her merchant prinices
old light up their miarble halls with Alad
n's lamp. -Horace W~alpole once said, with
foresight in advance of his age, " ma~ke
ondon a f'ree port, and by consequence the
arket of tho world." Mamke New York a
e port, and London and Amsterdam will
at the mouth of the Hudson. Indeed thes
van ingeu wvhich wvould result from this ad
mne to free trade be(ggar descriptioi.
me~rican industry would spring to her feet,
id, breaking the chains which have hither.
Sipededh her progress, her giant tread
ould shake the continent.
I have no doubit there are some around
e who will dissent from this picture, and
maider any departure from the proteective
licy as a 'great cnlamity. To all sich, I
'call to mind the notes of woe wvhich were
mnded In 1846, on the passage of the tariff'
that year, modifying, to some extent, the
ore protective tariff of 1842. Mr. Niles,
'Connecticut, said " that if the bill passed,1
would be equivalent to a general conifisca-;
an ; in describing the disastrous conse
iences to result from the repeal of the act
1842, growving eloquent, lie saidm, " the
1y parallel to it was to be found in the re
ml of the edict of Nantz." M~'r. Simmoins
tid: "This bill (tariff of 1846) was to
ke the daily bread from the orphan, and
01 millions whose employment- would be
~ept awvay." Mr. Huntiington protested
Iainst the bill in the name of his people,'
who were about to lbe thrown upon the
orld without bread or the means of obtain
g it." Mr. Webster, in his peculiarly fell
tous manner, said, " all the industry of the
nd is'against it; the manufacturers are
~anst it; the importers are against it; the
ipowners are against it; no nmn cries,
osave it; it is against the sentiment of
e laid.". Such were the melancholy fore
>din1's with whioht the modified tariff of
946 was ushered into being.
I appeal to the signal progress of the
untry sjice then, though we are far from
wying free trade yet, as the best commeptary
ithese p>rotective prophiecies. I would,
wevr, particularly refer to tha jncr~ease
'imports and tonnage, the best possible
,eroetrs of the prosperity of thje conn
y. In 1844, the imports werpo $108,435,..
33, agai'st $108,118,31I in 1633 showing
at under the protective policy, while the
pulat on had increased .ope-half, ipiports
mnained stationa4ry. In 1853, under the
ss protective tariff of 1840, imports had
im up to $267,977,047. In 1833, the ton
'g was 1,700,151 ; in 1844 it had only ini.
-ease4 to 2,280,095; in 1853 it had expan
4 to 4,407,010. Thjese mre stubiborn
ct.. .,, if each bn the rnin to resuk~ from
a departure trom tne protective poney, com
mend me to such ruin. The country may t
well say to free trade, in the words of the.
maiden's love song, c
"Ruin is sweet, if thou undo me." c
Those protectionists who oppose a further b
reduction of duties now, will, I trust, be b
somewhat guarded in their propheries of c
woe. Great as would be the material ad- r
vantage resulting from an adjustment of a
your tariff strictly to the . revenue standard, (
the moral advantages would be greater. As r
Mr. Burke philosophically remarks, the spir- r
it of liberty in modern society inheres in the 'I
taxing power. And there are no people t
more sensitive upon this subject than the s
people of this confederacy. r
It cannot be denied that .the taxing pow- I
ers of this Government have been exercised t
unjustly to the section to which I belong. c
We are not ignorant of our wrongs, what
ever may be the patience with which +we I.
endure them. You now have-, a fortunate c
and happy opportunity of remodeling your g
financial policy on great (principles of truth
and justice. , Will you avail yourselves of a
it. I trust you will. Before us is a future ih
more glorious than - was ever given to any f
patriot mn any age to look upon. To realize c
it, it is only necessary -for those ire whtose i
hands is the direction of public affairs, to o
e!evate themhselves to the dignity .of their o
mission, and, rising above class and section- 1
al ideas, advance boldly in the path of truth, g
justice, and the. Constitution. Place the a
foundations of your Government on those
great principles, and faction and anarchy
and fanaticism will in vain seek to impede
our triumphal progress to prosperity, to a
greatnes=, and to glory. Under the influene'e t
of: these ideas, the star of our destiny, as it -
w++heeled its majestic course full circle, .t
flanming through the mighty firmament, sub. o
li'ed with the grandeur of its hopes, would o
move the universal human heart, for in its 0
wondrous'ascension men would see the im- , e
pulsion of a god. a
I haie thus endeavored to put forward la
these great principles upon this subject which I
have been so long and -so ardently cherished is
by the State of South Carolina. The mas- n
ter inte'l:cts with she was able in the past s
so gloriously to illustrate these piinci,'les, ;
have fallen into eternal night. The light of P
their genius still flashes along the pages of ti
your bhitory, but they are no longer of the d
earth. -To those of us who have succeeded l
them upon this arena, remains only the'hum
ble task of manifestin'g our fidelity to the 1
great truths which they inculcated.
Tus RcsstA- DErT.-The present Rs- fe
sian debt, the interest of which is payable n
at Baring's, in London, and the principal of S
which was chiefly negotiated through this e
house, is computed at. $136,846,000. The
debt bears 5 per cent. interest, negotiated t<
from 1829 to 1833, with the exception of S
$37,500,000 four and a'half per cents. issued fr
in 1850. Tliis's the Foreign Debt of the y
Empire alone. 'T'here is a domestic Debt, t,
created originally in 1817, ar.d now compu- ha
ted .to snm more than equal to the Foreign ; I
say in our. urrency 6140,000,000. An t
Engis wiiifer says the debt was authorized ti
to sectire the government paper money and 1
other flonating e-aimns at a fixed rate, and C
thei-ely to make the paper rnbles a eonver- at
tible currency.. In 1821, these paper rubles e
amounted to 010 millions. In 1830, by a I
ukase of the Emperor, they were made a b
convertible currkney, at the rate of $3 50 er
piper for one silver ruble. And so at an Ex- th
hange on London of 33. Id, to the ruble,
the whole wold represent a sterling amounlt
yo 428,100,000: the~ hard cash to represont t
which is supposed to he about 120,000,000 h
f rub~les, or about $00,000,000 in the Jmnpe- tI
-il Bank. This fund has been raised by "
he issue of Domestie. Bonids, bearinlg 6 per h
ent. interest; the amount of which is some. i
where about 8125,000.000,
THEu EvENING P1IAYER,-WVe oan Soare'e- al
l imagine a scene more full of beauty and Ic
eaning than that presented by the little childp
ho kneels at his mother's knee to ask God's a
lessing upon the sleep into which he isi
bout to enter. There is a gieat deal of hb
ignificance in the mighty prayer. It recnllsd
he past to-day, and it reminds us 'of then
utre to-morrow ; leads us to feel how much p
o-ay's words and deeds will affect to-mo- j
ow's: and, above all, tg-teach us that the "
reatest physical or mnoral power which we g
ay possess is not our own, but lent to us
y a kind Creator. Sir T1. Brown says that tr
'Sleep is Death's younger brother: and -so I
like him .that I dare not trust him without jo
ny prayers." Who will deny that the, a1
ight's rest is sweeter ,for having received a s:
ather's blessing ? Received, we say ; for
oes not every one that askis receive ?
You look upon the babe asleep in his a.
radle, and say it is a picture of perfect re
ose. You are right. The infant feels the
fullest faiih im' its imother's or its nurse's care, t'
nd thus its ropose is perfect. 'The child is
will growv to manhood, ad his face will no
onger wear th-mt happy loojk of peace and ba
ltith, uiless he has learned to turn fromn - a r
nother's to a Father's care and love. If, at t12
his mother's knee, he has daily asked for am
that love, lhe will still have tile trustful child's H
spirit wvhich hung so beautifully over his in
ancy, and grow every day more .andl nere
ike those who, having " become like little tl
hildren," are ready to enter the kingdotm of (5
payen.li
Parson BlfowN~ow, in exposing a default- e
ng subs~rriker, who has " fled to parts un-p
uknow," owing him six dollars, uses the
the fplflowing tall language: d
Let him be pubilished in every, journal in- U'
xistence, unpjl his defalcatigpe is knowvn ; amid
upon the waves of the Euxine let- his mean
ness be borne along with the shrieks of the 0J
rowning Austrians, and the grohnis of thes
dying Turlss! .And may. the deep-dyed a
waters of the Danube hide his body from the w.
eye of man, when tile sabre of' the Cossack bi
md of the Turk shall have drank deeply, of
iis blood ! A nd may the close of 1854 never
permit ghe sun to shine upon another rascal, tU
who nyay abseond in our djebt, to.o mean and ir
oq djis~onast pveum to write .us ando promie ei
opay f. . . ti
BAD LITERATURE.-We receivea some
me since- from tl.e publishers, DeWite &
)avennort, New York, a volume consisting
f a collection of stories by Solon Robison,
riginally contributed to the New York Tri
une with which sheet Solon now appears to
e connected. We have not noticed it, hto-'
ause we believe it to be -a book that should 4
at be admitted into any family. it presents
tableaux of lile in New York city, in its
Forst pbases, illustration in stylo by cdarse..
ess, vulgarity and obscenity. It brings ~ its
aders in contact -with all-.these; agd as one
as well said, a man migit as wbll expect
h be clean after being dragged through. tbe.
treets of New York, as lo expect any. refi
ing inflience.frdm the perusal' oC -such-a
ook." '" Hot Corn" should not be-read'by
te young. Familiarity with crime :and
egration is no safeguard.
We are surprised to see that the Hon.
olin Belton O'Neal writesa.laudatory.notice
f this work in the lasi Southeru Patriot;
ives the price of it" to the young people of
outh Carolina," and enjoins upon fathers
nd mothers,'as a duty-to. their children, to
uy this book as a valuable auxiliary to the
ilfilment of the obligation, ."train up a
bild," &c. 'An exchange before us, sp eak.
ig of the book, says that " it is not as un- {
bjectionable as Don Juan, or the Mysteries -
f Paris, because it wants the refineuenx of
oth ; it is coaser, broader, plainer.' .A'sin
ular auxiliary to training up a child in-t i
ays of virtue that book must be.
[Carolinian.
TiHE N. Y. Evening Post in the coarse of
sensible article, recapitulates many interes.
ng facts, calculated to show the iinmense
enefit that has resulted, or is likely to result,
the Western States, through the- agency
f Railroads. In 1840, Illinois prodnced
f her staple, Indian corn, only 22,000,000
f bushels. In 1850, the aggregate a'mount
. to 57,000,000. And so with most of the
ther-States. Railway facilities have stimu
ted agrioltur.e,.and induced hundreds of
Lrmers who othdrwis' wbuld in vain have
uglt a maiket for their produce,to engage
ore extensively in the cultivation of bread.
uffs. 'je surplus, of course, finds-itsvway.
astward,'and thus; Railroads, in: the first
lace, encourage and hssist in theindustry of -
ie West, and in the second, they pour ad
itional millions-of agr icultural produce into?
t lap of the great Atlantic cities.
ARRE.CT OF A . MURDZER,-The' Il'incl
urg (Va.) Express states that a young man;;
ained Cocke was arrested in Richmond
tw days ago, who, in 1551, shot. a young
ran named Win. B. Sanderson at Holly
prings, Miss. The circumstances of the
ase, the Express says, are, as follows;
" Some time in. 1851, Cocke was egbaged
h e rnarried to a young lady at Holly
prings, Miss. Sanderson.being an inim ate
iend, he requested him to address . tis
sung lady himself, merely to test her faith
him. Sanderson accordingly addressed
r, was accepted, and they were married.
i ahout twenty minutes after the' consuma
on of the cerenony, Cocke asked Sanderson
step out into the street with hini a minute.
aving gone a little distance from the house,
drew a pistol and shot S. dead-the ball
riking just above the mouth. C. made his
:cape.
The Express adds that Cocke will proba
y be retained in custodav until the Gov,
nor of Mississippi mikes a requisition upon
e Governor of Virginia.
TrE LOVED ONHS AT HOME.-Go ask
e inebriate where are the loved' ones at
me; and how often will he tell you that
ey are gone, andI that he has no home!
he fire once burnied brilliantly upon his
~arth~stone, and the -smiles of a3yoingand
ieffeciionate wife swelled his noble hear}
ith joy nd lhe was truly happy.' The
ildren of.his pure and hallowed lovd.were
,out him ; the dimpled hands and sunny
ks elicited from th'e deep fountain of his
are arnd nmanly heart the strontg current of'
father's affections,
Ah! years agone,. and. the wild seducor
is led haim from affluen~ce and respectaibilit~:
awnj to poverty and' disgraice! The rose
io his wife's cheek was blanched ; the dimi
d hands' and cheeks of his dear little ones
erc reduced to skeletons b neglected 'and
ant: the warm affections of his-heart wverp
me ; no noble aspirations flamed within his.
anly breast ; all! all !are In ruins ! Delirium
eens have 'seized upon him; his wife h'as
ien laid in.the silent - tornb,. and here little
es by her side-he .only remains' of .his
iee hapgfanib/; lie.only left to tell the
d tale of his~ fall!
He commienced his downuward career as a
shinable, moderate drinker-planting him
If upon the weak idea that he never would
a drquha'ard. ' Sineh has-heen ihp faite of
any a inoble spir'it;t they have been dlepoyed
om homew-entirely unconscious that Rum
winning them 'away from their fauities..
Then, Moderate Drinker, w~hen you are a
nmt to lift the sparkling gobletto -your lips;
member that' the nexzt will advaince,.ol
at iuch Ilarther in the course of the Drunly
d! REM[EMBE.R THE LOVED ONLs A7 .
OE !---Knight of Jlerico.
FOR the inforimation of the conductors of
e press geuerally' we Inve''to informp them'
ys th Washington Star,) that' th'e lawt
nits the amount to he paid by the hgd of
her Department ijn Washington rfor news-s
tpers (fo - his department) to'- $1Q0. -. This
msehence is, that they are unable to pag
r the papers.a gressed to them astreads of
~artmen4q from all quarters of the dounty
dess formally ordered to be~ so seit..
TIE -QUEaN.--Qu'en Victoria,' at- th0
ening of aqlimeut, was attied' in a
ledid dress of silver 'tissie, over whlch
as a' robi of crimson velvet, orninn d'
ith gold jabiand e'rthine,'and she wqre a
illia~nt tiara of -pearls and diamonds.
NE.1?T, AL GoNE.-Gen. HiouZistanyS
at of' three hundred members of.ongress
atteadance wyhen the Missouropromie
as passed, thirty.-hree yer 'ae wily
rP n an-Reaton. Ever'ett. and himself.