Whole JVo. 458.
Tarhorough) (Edgecombe County JV. C.J Tuesday, November 13, 1832.
Vol. IX JVb is.
The "North Carolina Free Press,"
BY GEORGE HOWARD,
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Letters addressed to the Editor must be post paid,
or they may "not be attended to.
HON. BEDFORD BROWN.
The following letter from the Hon. Bedford
Brown, (one of our Senators in Congress,) to the
Committee of Invitation, was received and read
at the Dinner given at Alford's Cross Roads, on
the 22d Sept. by the Union, State Rights Party
of Sumter district, Soutli Carolina.
Camell County y N. C. Sept. 17, 1832.
To the Committee.
Gentlemen: 1 have the honor to ac
knowledge thereceipt of your note of the
3d inst. which was not received until the
35th, inviting me to attend a public din
ner to be given by the Union, State Rights
and Jackson Party of Sumter district, at
Alford's Cross Roads, on the 22d of the
present month, in honor of their distin
guished fellow citizens, Messrs. James
Blair, William Drayton and Thomas R.
Mitchell.
It would afford mo much pleasure to
participate in the proposed public festi
val; but the distance of my residence
from the place where it would be held,
will, 1 trust, be a sufficient apology for
declining the proffered honor, for which I
tender my grateful acknowledgments.
In responding to the wish expressed
by the Committee of Invitation, to give
my views of the measures to be adopted
at the present crisis, and in particular in
relation to a Southern Convention, i am
deeply sensible of the importance of the
subject which it involves, and shall ex
press my opinion in relation to it frank
ly, though with great diffidence.
It is believed by the people of the Sou
thern States, that all hope of a satisfac
tory adjustment of the Tariff is at an end,
through the instrumentality of Congress,
and that the grievance is of sufficient
magnitude to warrant an appeal to other
modes of redress. It appears to me that
no remedy would be so efficient for ac
complishing that subject, and so likely to
exert a salutary influence among our sis
ter States entertaining different opinions
from us, as to the policy of the protective
system, as a Convention composed of de
legates from nil the Southern States.
While it would afford to our brethren
in other parts of the Union the most con
vincing proof of the great unanimity
which pervades the South in opposition
to the protective system, it would no
doubt bring together from the different
States which would be represented in the
Convention, a number of citizens emi
nent for their experience, intelligence
and patriotism, and from whose discreet
and united councils the wisest results
might be anticipated.
Entertaining these views of the sub
ject, if any remedy is to be resorted to be
yond that afforded by the legislation of
Congress, in my judgment this is to be
preferred to any other; though I owe it to
myself to express the opinion, that I am
unable to perceive any tiling in the situa
tion of our public affairs which at this pe
riod renders necessary a resort to any
other measure of redress than the ordi
nary one afforded by the legislation of
Congress. I cannot yet despair of still
greater success attending the efforts of
the friends of free trade in the halls of
Congress. Though the act of the Jast
session is unquestionably an amelioration
of the tariff system in several respects,
the period was every way unpropitious
for its fair consideration, owing la the
party excitement which the near approach
of the Presidential election produced.
Public opinion in-several of the West
ern States, is undergoing a change favor
able to our cause; and there is strong rea
son to believe, in addition to the assist
ance which the South already has from
other portions of the Union in opposition
to a tariff for protection, that at a period
not distant from this, almost the entire
West will be found by-the side of the
advocates of free trade, demanding thro'
their representation in Congress a still
further reduction of the public burthens.
You will please gentlemen, accept in
dividually, assurance of my great respect.
B. BROWN.
JThe Charleston Mercury contains a cor
respondence between Mr. B. A. Reynolds-and
Vice President Calhoun, on the subject of the
Tariff of 1S16. Mr. Reynolds in his letter to
the Kdi tor says: "I herewith send to you fpr
publication a letter received by me, from Mr.
Calhoun, on the 16th of June last. Siuce that
lime I have communicated with Mr. C. and his
objections to its being placed before the public
are now iuregoneai my earnest solicitation."
Washington, 5th June, 1832.
Dear Sir: In answer to your letter of
the 20th May, I have to state, that I have
always considered the tariff of 1816 as,
In reality, a measure of revenue, as dis
tinct from one of protection. The bill
was reported by the Committee of Ways
and Meaus,and not that of Manufactures,
as all measures of protection have been;
and instead of increasing, it reduced the
duties, and in truth, exacted from the
people no more than the constitutional
wants of the Government then required.
With these features, it can scarcely be
doubted that the measure was in reality
one for revenue; yet, considerations con
nected with protection had no small effect
in modifying the bill. It may be said,
that revenue was its direct and immediate
object, but protection is subordinate and
incidental. To understand how far they
were blended, it is proper to state, that,
at that time, there was a debt of $130,
000,000 to be provided for. I believe
the real state of the case to be this; had
there been no debt, or a small one only,
the duties would have been reduced to
the rates before the war, or at least near
ly to that point; but on the other hand,
had not the war and the restrictive mea
sures converted a large amount of the
capital of the country to manufactures,
the duties would Jiave been fixed lower,
and more time would have been allowed
fur the discharge of the debt. In a word,
the existence of manufactures had no
small influence in deciding the question
at what period the debt ought to be paid,
and, consequently, to w hat point the sink
ing fund ought to be raised, and, of
course, how high the duties ought to be
fixed. The shorter the period, the high
er the sinking fund, and the duties must
be raised; and the longer, the lower. In
this view, it had no small influence on
Congress in determining to raise the sink
ing fund, and to fix on a short period to
pay the debt, that in so doing the inci
dental effect would be to sustain the es
tablishments that had grown up during
the period I had referred to. I then and
now believe, the policy was wise and just;
nor do I believe there ever would have
been a contrary opinion, had not the un
constitutional and unjust measures of pro
lection afterwards followed. I mean the
tariff of 1820, 1824, and 1823, for which
that of 181G, with a character and object
entirely different, cannot fairly be consi
dered responsible. In speaking thus ge
nerally of the measure of 1816, I do not
wish to be considered as approving all of
its modification. It contained a princi
ple which experience has shown' to he
decidedly pernicious, I mean the mini
mum. Though 1 gave it my assent at
the time, 1 now believe it to be such as 1
have described. The provision was then
new, and not well understood. My at
tention was not particularly directed to it.
I was not on the committee that reported
the bill; and my time and attention were
much -absorbed with the question of the
currency, being chairman of the commit
tee on that subject'.
I certainly never contemplated that the
tariff of 1816 was to be a permanent mea
sure. It was laid in reference to the debt,
and I, of course, believed that, with its
discharge, a corresponding reduction
would follow, unless the public expendi
ture would then require a continuance of
the duties; and such, I believe, was the
impression of Congress at the time. In
fact, the belief then was, that the manu
facturers would require only temporary
support, as you will see by looking at the
bill itself, some of the highest and most
important duties being limited to'a short
period. I doubt whether any one tho't,
after the payment of the debt, it would
be necessary or proper to continue the
duties on account of the manufacturers.
Had Mr. Clay said that the question
of the constitutionality of the tariff of
181G was not debated, he would have
been correct. The point was certainly
not made, at least as far as my recollec
tion extends; but my inference from the
fact is different from his. My conclu
sion would be, that the measure was con
sidered in the light of an ordinary reve
nue bill, and not difc-tinguishable in prin
ciple from the many that have been pre
viously adopted by Congress. The si
lence as to the Constitution is, in reality,
if properly considered, almost conclusive
proof, that the bill was considered as one
for revenue; for, if it had been consider
ed in a different light, that the money
was not wanting, and that the duties were
imposed solely for protection, it can
scarcely be doubled that so great a
change as that would have been on the
previous policy of the country, would
have raided the most determined opposi
tion, which would have questioned, not
only its expediency and justice, but also,
its constitutionality.
I have thus hastily, in the midst of the
pressure of business, given you my im
pressions of the tariff of 1816, and I feel
assured, when they come to be consider
ed, that there is nothing connected with
it that can in any degree justify the sys
tem which has since grown up, and much
less its continuance after the payment of
the public debt. You, of course, will
consider what I have said as not intend
ed for publication. There are many
reasons which, however, 1 need not state;
that render me averse to appearing in
the public prints, unless it be absolutely
necessary.
With great respect, I am, &c.
J. C. CALHOUN.
with a capital of a million and a half of
dollars. For the half million, the State
is to issue scrip, bearing six per cent, in
terest, which will be placed at the dispo
sal of the corporation, and to that amount
the Slate is to be a stockholder in tho
new Bank.
Alabama. Efforts are making in Al
abama to get up a State Convention for
the purpose of adopting some plan of ac
tion to resist the oppressive exactions oi
the Tariff. At a meeting lately held in
Wilcox county, after declaring that they
"consider the miscalled American Sys
tem as a dangerous, palpable, and flagi
tious infraction of ihe Constitution, as
unbrotherly, unjust, and so oppressive ia
its effects that it cannot and will not be
submitted to' the following resolution
was adopted:
Resolved, That with a view to the attainment
of some plan that will concentrate the undivided
action of the State, it be recommended to our fel
low citizens of the several counties,, to elect dele
gates to assemble in Tuscaloosa, 'on the first Mon
day in December next, and invest ihem with full
powers on behalf of theeood people of Alabama,
to protect our citizens from the grievous and op
pressive operations of the protective system.
Petersburg Times.
The Cherokees. The Athens Banner
of Oct. 19, contains the following inte
resting information:
"We understand from a source entitled
to some credit, that this misguided peo
ple have lately held another meeting for
the purpose of taking into consideration
the terms offered by the General Govern
ment, for their removal west of the Mis
sissippi. On which occasion, it is sta
ted, President Ross delivered a very ablo
and eloquent Message, in which he clear
ly established the independence and na
tionality of the Cherokee tribe, and that,
in the event of the election of Henry
Clay, their nation would be respected aa
such. He opposed the policy of treating
with the General Government, at least
until after the result of the Presidential
election was known; which sage advice
was taken, and the Council 'broke up,
without doing any thing."
Tennessee. Tho Legislature of this
State has taken up the subject of Nulli
fication. Mr. Dunlap submitted the fol
lowing resolutions in the House of Rep
resentatives, on the 24thult.
Resolved by the General Assembly of the
Stale of Tennessee, That whilst the people of
the State of lennessee will heartily co-operate by
all peaceful and lawful means, in bringing about
a reduction of the tariff until the revenue arising
therefrom shall be limited as near as may be, to
the wants and expenditures of the General Gov
ernment, they will not resist, nor aid or abet in
resisting, the operation of 'the law of the land.'
Resolved, also, That no one State in the Uni
on possesses the power, under the Constitution,
either by 'the Convention of its citizens,' or by
the intervention of its Legislature,' to nullify
and make void within its limits, any act or acts
passed by ihe United States of America in Con
gress assembled, and in Ihe forms prescribed by
the Constitution thereof.
Mr. Bradford offered similar resolu
tions in the Senate, on the 26th.
The Nashville Banner expresses the
belief, that Mr. Dunlap's resolutions.
speak 'the unanimous or nearly unani
mous voice of the Legislature, and the
prevailing sentiment of the great body of
the people of lennessee.
A bill has passed both branches of the
Legislature, incorporating a State. Bank
Gale. The Washington Union of tho
2d inst. says: We learn from Captain
Webster, ot the schooner 1 arborough.
arrived here a few days since from New
York, that on Tuesday week a sever
gale of wind was encountered at seax
which continued for four successive days-
It is feared that a deal of injury has been
sustained by vessels on our coast at the
time. Captain Webster reports schoo
ner Ann Sophia, Fulford, hence for Phi
ladelphia, ashore on the southern poinS
of Beacon island; schooner NeJor, Haw
kins, hence for New York, ashore oh. tho
Middle Ground, between Beacon Island
and Blair's Channel. Both vessels wilt
be gotten off by discharging cargoes.
Several small craft ashore about the bar.
The schooner Henry Waring, Hobbs,
from New York, bound for this place, en
countered the gale while at sea: had her
sails, fore-yard and jib-boom blown away-
bulwarks stove, and decks completely
swept, rut into femithville, Onpe. Jear,
to repair damage, and will proceed to
this port.
Unfortunate Occurrence, Wo learn
from a correspondent, tha't on Thursday,
2i)lh ult. Honestus ii. t,oon, of Johnston
county, returning horie in company with
Mr. Devereux.IWAvihs,a young man and
near relative, with whom he had devoted
the principal part of ihe day to squirrel
hunting, accidentally shot himself, aod
expired within a few moments, apparent
ly without any pain. This melancholy
accident was occasioned by Hilling from
a fence on which they were sitting. Mr.
Boon was a young man, just entered up
on the stage of life, in the 22d year of his
age, with very flattering prospects, ana
was much resj)cctcd.-Qc7c Star,