': PRINTED AND rUBUSIIED WEEKLY BY, BENJAMIN- ALBERTS
Vo. XI.
T iYET T iYUI YI?
Speech of William B. Shepard,:
Of North Carolina.
Ddivmi in the House of Representatives,
January 29ifiv1833, on Iht motion, of
Jlr. Huntington to strike out tht 31 sf
"c;U 02 J Sections of "If t TMUpF
- BILL, imposing a duty on Tea ami
Coffee.
Mr"' Chairman,. '
1 moved last night that h Committee
should rise, not because 1 had any thing
to ay, that could hot be as welUaid then
as n&w, or that I had ot a1ief say then
a now, but because l had not the physic
al ability after a session of six hours, toj
gie coherency to the few'- ideas, ; with
which it is my intention to trouble the
Committee. I am well aware that, eve
Tf gentleman here is desirous of dtspos
ing of this tedious subject, without more
debate none can be. more tired of it
than I am, ; ' ;, ; .-';,-. -
.. iMan has been denominated by some
enthusiastic, admirers of politics! ecoho
myr to animal that makes exchanges,
be has here been called a plundering ah.
imal ; were I permitted to add one to
the many definition which . have .been
given by the philosophers of that singu
lar creature, I should say, he i. an anr
it. at that makes Tariff speeches' 'The
definition would undoubtedly character
ize him, as , he is known in tbb Uoited
'States, more particular Jy tn this floor
hef e docti TnduXtique,-. w'e'ajl speak on
th; subject ; I shalt; ", make no
apotogj .to ib r .
tional pror
to lah '
he
believe
jet t is t
of the i
l tne, , - ; v
1
V
T
JcCt of fs.
us ad"'it
of tit:,'
Stf. l fd
reqii er e
dtdtT-and i
Li .
the subjsct of itiii
i rtat respnnsih'.. , i
bvTS of this Houf t; a, t : ..a r t.u h,
itwe fail now' t4 meet, we basely abar!-
don the high trust committed to bar care
The United States exhibit, si this time,
t ftpectacfo hitherto unseen and unknown
viniw earrh, one that for the credit of hu''
inanity, is to be hoped will, never occur
Heaven or earth can bestow to make
thrtn happy and Conienfed, aboun(Iing in
every thing' essential to prosperity, and
even grandeur, among the natious cf the
wti Id (if the term ' is not offensive to
aom' around me) and yet ansidi all
these bkssingSi wo daily heat? i iprocLaim
cd in. hih places,! we are on, the eve "of
i revolution. Arrevolutinn tb put down
What i Sortie usurper living on the vha)
of4he community ? Som'e conqueror re-
veiling in the spoils of anqui3hed ?pr5.'
ihces, sbatchin& from wealthv jts 'abun
dance,' from- penary its pittancclio swell
the pfide, th p.jmp and power of an ?n-
r dividual? No, Sir J a revolution to'pt
down, the power of the majority of the
people themselves a revolution which
I can compare to nothing in the hist or
of the madness and folly of mank'md, but
the infidel fury ol the anarchists bf France,
wno uesecratca tne temple of the only
true God. to erect Vhat1 they I called the
statue of reason ' in its stead: The "na
tions of Europe are now contending fo?
-elf .government;: we seem to be getting
tired of it ; 0 they are cohtehdioe ajrainst
the will and dominion of one jman ;r some
here complain of the dominion" of the
.many. . What, Ion the other side of the
Atlantic, i called by an admiring world
the beiu ideal of liberty, I have heard on
ibis floor i pronounced the perfection of
Despotism, bucb, alas, is the unhappy,
. the miserable condition of poor human
nature I ' . . - '.
11 V. I . . . - m m r
uicwer roay-oe ins final action i
Congress upon the subject of the rerenue,
n .-At li l n r I.. J : . . .t
end deliberation, and after a careful in-
pectionof 6urommercialt agricultural
and manufacturing; situation, opon our
oeciston of this question rests the nros
Perity of every man in tbe comroaoitT.
I look, Sir, upoo the man who would
,u,"B'5r incso mree great interests, in
Ctssoluble m their naurai affinities, and
essential to the prospctity of every great
vuon, as a mere rmnirtr. a ooth ca
. qtjack whose nostrums tray momentarily
. w.r-w lzlo the body politic, but e
entuily leave it heggard and depress
ed. iAnd unless the fickle legislation of
Congress is to be thi re zz:': of oor in
stitutions,' and the tori, of tbe peopl
hf h? conmy e , ought t ; place this
matter on autb ja . basts, hat Hereafter,
e1fcry man .may.ireat secure hitaaeif and
his property being Under the, protection
of equal, jusfV and per ra3neriIavi'r,"
it there is a tyranny marc paculurly hard
to bear, more barrastn to the spirit, it
is that of fluctuating legislation; its op.
pression is more eere from bing uo
expec .edji no industry can obviate it, no
safari tyarc foresee it. '--O..
W hjCrt the tariff laws of 1 824 and 1 828
were un3er discussion, it was contended
with grai force and justice by the anu-
arn Part)v that alMree governments
sHwuiu lmcrtere as iiiuo ai possiuie wim
the domestic; arrangemews and industry
of its citizens, that alt material change.
, - i . .--, :. -- --- r
in the Dolicv of a nation, the ohirrt nf
whtctrwast the transferrins cauital from
riol occupation. to anotber should be
made - with great caution and oUly. on
great emergencies. 11 these propositions
are true, of such governmehts generally,
they ar still more worthy of attention in
a government like ours, w hie his iof
strictly enumerated powers, and- depen
dent for, its stability on public opinion
in a government where the fashion of to
day may be reprobated, by to morrow,
and an mvestment of capital, made under
the sanction of the; national iegislatorci
may be prostrated by a fn'kle JegisJaiitai,
influenced by the whim and captice ol
the mordent, or the varying policy and
and interest rf rial political parties." t
was upon sur h principles of general rea
soning, that I 8m now, and always hae
"n, opposed to the policy ol the tatifl
?ht stir b a system ought not to
'V' flio country, but that evety
permitted to follow uc h
re niost coneqtai to hit.
poiiuop. f. That- f bf Jhi
at ion t.f proper ty , " t he y
.virtuous, less exposed t
of ordh.ar y wealth, a state
C little Congenial With plain
.is;iiutioris."" I thought, likci
i th policy of protecji'felavi
doubtfal, the tariff J828 s
, A cct ad i'acx pedlehu: ita tie t pted
o rnuch jt embraced Uiibiecisf jto
posit c haracters, tfltc,. Wt b one hand ir
bwirnty with the other it imposed
tax upon the same thing, shewing, as
lia s been j,or reel I ? bse r v ed by i be a i t i-
arttt memomu'that where there was Man
avowed want of it.formatic on the ub
-la ... 1 . " '-. - ' ' t
v.t, iv t ou hi nave ocen a wiser. couto4
to alt until that informatioti was obtain
ed. In fact, Sir, the tanfTof 1828 ias
u i rntrnued byfcmany of -4 those .who as
.Uicd in making it, to. aid peculiarly any
'Pt i;-s f.f luianufacture except that of a
i't land we are nw reaping the
buter hulls of such legislation..
The act; however, has passed; it a?
4mposed on the "country. for weal, or for
wo ; it nas.disappoitued in some measure
the hopes of Its ftittids: and the prtdic-
tiuns oi its enemies ; it isrecordcd amns
your- iaw84 ana no numsn power can
place- the Kountry in th same .situaiion
3 in, pjiur to us passage. - - -fe, , - j
The question now however, is not one
of laying oh, but of taking off duties ; we
are enquiring how we shall provide for
the present posture of affairs,. our nation
al debt is about Jo be paid off, we shall
have upon our bands m large ; surplus
fevcnuCj how shall we relieve the coun
try from the anticipated .danger of Mhis
alarming pHthora I Ve.arc told hy some
oi our STaiesroenr beg pardon of the
shades of tbfc illustrious men who once
bore that name I meant., some of our
politicians, that Iho national legislature
cannot be trusted with one dollar more
than the bare necessities, the stern exi
gencies of the government require.
Bargain; intrigue and corruption, we arc
told, will sitalk barefeced and Uncovered
throughout this hall, unless speedily pre
vented. . I nave not yet,;Sir, lost ail con
fidence io rejpublicaninstjtutions; 5 1:do
not believe tfce people 'of this country are
yet sufficiently corrupted to ' send rnern
bers to this House, base enough, either
to barter away iheir liberty or squander
tneir mooey a when I; do believo 4t 1
sball think representatife goTernrpents a
mere delusion, i hae, bowcver. no bb
jection, that pent!emenjshould estimato
tbeir "j powe r pi resisting . t croptalion, by
whatever standard they please- C,''
- It is impossible at this period to discuss
this matter of the' tariff exclusively oh
its own rneritl :.it,has become ao inter
mingled with alt the political questions
of the times, Jias been
been the cause of so
,:;that.vh f is thrust into
much excitement
ON, AT THREE DOLLARS PEtt ANNUM, OB TWO DOLIui for SIX
every quesftoo and relation in "society.
fn the few discursive remarks which I
intend making on .this subject, I hope
the committee will .pardon rbe, if ia fol
lowing the.teiamplea;'-o.otbert.-;t'talk
about that Subject mt inUresting to
myself. It may Very properly be asked
why Ibis inordinate derfre, at this session
of Coogrts, to hurry ?hr y -rt II;
a LIU oi such vast impurtaiwe '-as his e-'
idenciy i r The biii of July, 1832 has
not yet gone into operation : no inan can
tell iisprecise effect ujon the revenue ol
the countiy. , li as that bill been touhd
tu deceive its fiiends in reducing the Wv
enue ? I will i trouble ihe" Committee
with a few wordln relatiuh to that meit
sure ; l am more inclUicd to do so. be
cause I perceive it is shout to be nittr
dorcd io the womb, and' before the fioai
blow-is struck, I will do it an act of pas
sing justice. V Having voted for that bill,
in company with a latgerj majority ol my
colleagues, and a majonty of the boutb
ern delegaiionas a bill to reduce the
revenue of the government and to relieve
the people, from the pressure Sol the tar-,
iff system, I am surpriiteirto find endea
vors very itidustriously made, to circulate
a belief, mat so far fromlalleviatiug the
burdtrns of the South, hey ' are aggrava
ted by that bill. I saw an article in tbe
Telegraphi of this city, puMUhed a few
days ago addressed to the people ; of
Georgia, and bearing among others the
signature ol a gentleman on this floor,
(Mr. Clayton! containing the following
wuius,: r -v i ne
ibnn : jf r . . . . . j
18o2 is distinctly marked .V, liaibimn sh-f
v,iaia.icr oi inc-act oi.il. t.... ... . . t
cd credirs, its recjinsHion ol rnsh ra.f
.ncnt,its increase of the "value of ti e
. ,i . , , ..- . a,ue bl ll,e
pound steiltug, us discriminatine duties
..III .1. .1 . . . . , . .
W,M :tr ouraviia im nosed utiov
vou are det itlflli t
told that this act is a concession .' an ef-
,j ..' . ' " ,:v-"vm, j et youarc
lort to model ate, the butgenVof' the
outb, that, like the travelled duve, . it
comes with the olive branch to gKe ou
I,,ture securiy. I he'' ChCroUS klSSof!
Adas is nqirn:ore c" a concea..:
sion with the .odious e tf protec-
tltili retained a rhe ,ent vjolirv of
inc government lf,0, .. is no coces-
siun, its object is rather to lull vou into a
taise SCCUttiy 1 his paper, although
addressed to the-; ptople of Georgia, j
eviocnuyjntended lor tl.o whole South,
and conveys aiv imputation upon-' Uie rn-
telllgence or integrity of eef y;Southern
ami-iaiin genucman who voted for The
hill of 1832. - As one ofihostt-indirduafs,
1 am not disposed thar the. slfghtest laint
of inconsistency sbalf be attached to anv
vote, of, '.mine U gratify, any' nriari, any Set
of men, or any party whatever. Upon
tne. suojrci oi tnia tanU, I have acted
upon 6ut one set of priii. ipjei, and upon
tnose same.puncipies, i intend to contin-
ue to acr.-.. i . " - -'
This is a repetition 'of a charge'eon
KC'erally ihroughout the southern-coun
tty. I hesc loving appeals to one's con-
tamed in an'address niihtih-rV ,h. I
t!arnlina He Iriraiinn .K....I.. . r. . 1. ... . I
- . ...-r,....vu ojiui nj niter kip ciosc I
- f tlie last rssinn.,nt ..iUi.ij I
Ktituents are ndt .generally fair uhirctai' r : .
ofcriucism,,they are inteiHlcd fV thrr!?
nnrtin! rr 4t fVliL.t. i. - .
rr,,:- ;;v4ul msnusnip, some.ot tnose
now ever so notorious-in connection with
this tariff matter, that. thev carrv irreat
we'B ' t with,! hem , amonf; ? I w o 'thir ds of
tne people south of the Potomac, it
thereforef,b?comes necessary that even
srnaii errors such as great mmdf inad
vertently make, snould atonce
rectcd. I t is very Idle to aay
be1 cbr-
that the
tarlfTrwtlf l ft in .i , . -
r., . .ivvuiiitu me princi
ple or protection; u recognized il no
more, and no less, than evev? act for re
aucing revenue, or raising revenue has
' . v.. - i i.
done since, the orgaoizaikonVof ihe gov
v., j. llt9: Bucgatiorj, sincrelore is
merely gratuitous. vs regards " dimin
ished credits and cash . payments." the
impolicy of the existing lav was so satis
factorily shown, by the memorial of the
anti-tariff convention that :T voted to re
peal, in compliance " svith tho uoani-
mou3 wish ns. expressed ia tbo rnemdrial
olthe southern people. ,
Another source of lamentation is " the
iuereased value of the pound 8terIinc.M,05icv '(""'Ot take UD the tariff
uy tae law ot 1799 regulating the value
of foreign coins, Ube pound sterling of
England was estimated to be worth
84 44of . oqf currency : oniric to the
fluctuation in thTelative vaiue of gold
vritU3 :,alQnb.ad J,e!ome
S4.80 crs. 1 voted to put it at its true
v.t.:. r 4 . t Z "
things by jbeirigbt namesr iTiahow:
ever, a still better treason, vhenT vote fbr
a bilf laym a duty off 10,34 or; 25-perraroumeftt u!,ef'T beneath gentle
cent , when I assist -in publishtnir to the!ro?n, who deal in the sublimilieg 0
woria that sueb a duty , has been laid,
.... - - . i . , - . .
am desirocs cf dealing; candidly and fair-
ly, with the public. -J would oot assist io
-j"! cfan in-
.;'!cri
Jn the
- '
IB
r e r.t ci-urss
- ical cun-
ci much 'j
e: 1 ::
measure.
, The oiU-of July, however, it is said,
inaks discriminating duties; it releases
luxuries from taxation, and throws tho
burden of supporting the government
upon he necessaries of fife, it oppresses
the poor, HiSis is pitiful, 'lis wondrous
pitiful," and doubtless has been tbe foun
dation ot many a moving address and
eloquent harangue. It may have been
aud io the fur ioso language of the day,
tlut g rinding, cruet, and unrelenting tna
jorijr of Congress, insensile to the,, mise
rieathd suffering of an oppressed peoplf,
havead the unprecedented, enormous,
and dicing effrontery ;W grant to V high
toned tid chivalrous people, their era
and cofhe without ta.. Horrible aa.tAis
charge siems to be, and alarming as i is
to a conscientious man, it is Very as- to
sho w. t hat U comes with a v ery bad grace
from the source it does ; and as applies
ble to the state of things in" the. ftuib,
has Iktle or no foundation. It is dificult
in a country so prosperous as every part
of tAe United States is to draw a di&tinc
7n between luxuries and notessarie in
every community, they are merely rla-
- ...s, in i uuv ouu saute soici li
-...Z ...:.,.V-.
- ; . - . . . - .
V 'ence ; as society advance, in
refinement what waaormer y a oxury
h,,nm . J
Ui;i. .-,k.",k: r-i-t : L : k.,J
w "WVMOI j.. T.UUHI V
' " - ,BV ,uw oune nonorauis
gentlem.an near me TMr .ChoateT that
tne souinern people,, m proportion to
their wealth and population, : are : non
consumers, is literally true ' r .
It is perfectly well known" to e
gentleman familiar with jhe domestic
rangetnchtS of the mass of the. soutnei
people, that two thirds of them are Cll
in their own;'domesiie manufacturer: , 1
he k now o many planters, the owners
of large" families of slaves, who purchase
not hu,g from ; he stores but iron, salt, tea,'
coflVei aueaand a, fevvoiher "trifling
artic les bf ioxury or oov enience - No w
is it or more't tmpwrtant to these men
thaUhe'sriouid purchase such articles
as tea and coffee cheaply, which tare oi
daily and constant use, than the broad
'et0bs "of JSngland ; the latter surely arr
not so essential loinejr corn tort, and lb
wapt of tlietn is not depriving them of at.
ariicU opon which they-set much value?
1 beJT prefer their own domestic manu
factures, and I hope the day never' will
anive when the loom and the spindle ate
to be 'Silent around the hearths of our fa
tbers ; to tne there is no sight more cheer
g. lhan that of a family clad entirely 6v
its own labor i if presents a spectacle of
substantial comfort and sturdy indepen
dence, not surpassed in anyjejuarter of the
giooe. I coniess 1 never visit Such
vated and purmed in feeling : I go back
in imagination to other . tnues, When the
men ol homespun were legislatine in
your halls of Congress and . fighting the
battles of the revolution. .So lone- as the
Federal Government's tax gatherer does
not cross the doors of this worthy class of
society, trvey are inaepenaent ot Jts legis-
lation ; seurc in the 4 noiseless tenor of
their way,'' they are happy, unmolested
1 "y tne visions oi avarice, or tbe dreams
of ambition. If this distinction between
necessaries and luxuries Ver substanti
ally true, who has any right to complain ?
: If luxuries tend ' to elevato man in the
scale of social existence; if ihey follow
in tke march ot civilization and. make a
part of it, why in a government of equals
should not every thing that .tends to re
fine our natures, to smooth the asperities
lot life and elevate man in the scale of
animated beings, , be placed within the
reacb of the poorest individual in society I
Having diaposed of the morality
oktnii tnatter, Jet us now look to its
D1' . ioj, sna comparing it witn
the act of 1828 ask gentleman if a
reduction of the" dutieton iron: on
cotton t ffoods. on auirar? on nnnllon
C!olht;pn tiegrd clotitok: on blank-
ett, &c?,Wis not a reduction of" the
j .v ' ' "..v . .
duties on the necessane of life, tbi.
d v IpZ i bj Xhe
Plal? rule of subtraction, a fpecies
1 1 metaphysics ; J will take the rule
i - . . -. . - .
Ubey themselves have furnished.
- The tlieory tvhich'hai prod'
d-jced
granting a boon in the
strument, and institt
latter part rendering t
To have pursued a
might have evinced
iing, but would not 4
thercputaiiohof tha A:
as one ot the hurrJct ?
MONTIIS, rAYADLCN-ADVAtn-
0..
sue h
excitement in
, .," v - ; . . . . , t
t,
t: : . ' -i...- ' '
lire : ; f . f .
u t l t:.- e:.tfV- ':
thus exnounripd hv nn rf it a iWt...
, -j w... . .... wv.f. .
upportera, Ueport Committee oh
Wayg and Means bj Mr. McDuffiet
February 8V 1832, A ilie restric
tion imposed upon the production ofV
southern industry are affected by the
agenceor indirect taxes, Ihe bar
dens imposed onon the idantin v
i e -
States by the-protecting system, ar,
nol verv lnaernratlv nah(llfH iltr,
; J - - .
the amount of taxes levied upon thrtr,
productiona. And; tvlen lUe in.f
equality of the government diburFe- ,
ments are added to Hie ineqtiatitv of
contribuiions exacted by import du
ties it may be confidenTly aflirm'ed that
the burdens imposed upon thtvpian
ting Stalest by ibe laxalton, prohibit
tion and disbursement of the federut
government are more than equa to -the
amount of taxes levied upon thoe
imports which , are obtained in ex-
change for the three great aricul
lural staples of cotlon, tnbaqco, anr)
rice.- That a doty upon an "import
is equivalent to the same omountuf "
rfutympon the export which ha bren
exchanged for- it, is but a self evi- -
dent proposition to aH ' rorrtct-
IjrcGrrM
plar
t! L7"
o
ee .
rbm
ected. j..
ii
.iwior lhe
truef and ! at mam
t. -i ", .r Ittliicli
i ' X ..'.. those
till j if w e
: - uho hy
' ' ' - illus
iT -ti.,
' !"
iresent occasion, the growers of. rice , i
cotton nod, tobacco, which articles' .
constitute I wo thirds of the Amet iVart
B M m . K bbbk w m . B Mm mm J a mr w-mw mm m f m
goods, pay two thirds of the gro
itmour.t of duties charged on foreign
rjiportaltons, or as has been etima-
ed 40 per cent, a per cent fomewhnt
below the true amount, let ti apply this
rule to the reduction of duties by th';
arm ot loja, to ascertain thn relief
yielded "lo the rice, cotton andiinbuc-
co men mi the reduction of the tev-
enue by the bill of . Julv. IJ2. a- '
mounted to; $5,I87,)78,, as tvas esti-
mated by tue Treasury DepartmenJ,
the relief to those, individuals exclu
sively, uaf $2,014,831. I thi no
relief to lhis class of society? They
must inow otherwise, if tliey honest-
y believe ihey bear so large a filiate (
m. m m . m - v mm mm mm wm, m m mr mm m mr u m w t m mm
consideraiion the small class of ifidi- . .
viduals even in the South, directly in-
w a u s. a a XX II J IB VI c lOlS IIMV
terstea in tne production of these arr
tides, the relief to them, under thit
view pf their case and by that blJ,
was ot vast importance. - But, bir,
what becomes of this oppression on
the poor? Are the poor the growera
of rice, cotton and tobacco, or wa it
ineitded as a mere 'figure of,spefcchr
apatiietic appeal. -
spargere ambiguas vocea -
;in vulgum. v ;1 V : ;
f HarJ f voted aeairist the hill h.
lieving tliis modern doctrine, J should
hare fell'myself bound, as a xoumi- j
tent man; to have gone home jarid 1
told Oiy constituents, "that apronni.
tioo was maue in congress to relieve
Itiera tromtwo millions oi lbeir bur
Hem wdtrK I Karl 9oa'tJA
corn, but that I bad brought them '
the glorious remedy of nullification,
I tllCI itial.n.ni.. nC it... ..i..l . .
well, I know ihey ere, devotedly '
attached to the Uoion of these States,
as the last hope of liberty upon earth,
and that they were not f. inclined to
ieOOard.lt. UDOn A rlnilhlfnl nnint.r
t w r ;r - - " - yviua-vB-.
political economy. Whenever, iV, 1 J
persuade the people whom Trepre
isoniuiuea 10 4W p agt.