JVb. 13.
HALIFAX, JV. 0. FRIDAY, JUNE li, 1824.
FOX I.
THE "FREE PRESS,"
ify George Howard
Is published everv Fridav, at
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Letters addressed to the Editor
must be fwst fiaid.
POLITICAL.
THE TARIFF.
The following letter from Gen.
JACKSON, was sent to Dr. L. H.
Coleman, of Warrenton, in answer
to soms inquiries, contained in a let
ter addressed by the latter to the
former. Similar inquiries having
been made from other quarters, the
General states in a note, that the
same answer had been returned to
them. Raleigh Star.
Washington City, ")
Jiril26, 1824. 5
'Sir: I have had the honor,
this day, to receive your letter
of the 21st instant, and with
candor shall reply to it. My
name has been brought before
the nation by the people them
selves, without any agency of
mine; lor I wish it not to be for
gotten, that I never have soli
cited office; nor, when called
upon, by the constituted autho
rities, have ever declined where
I conceived my services could
be beneficial to my country.
But as my name has been bro't
before the nation for the first of
fice in the gift of the people, it
is incumbent on me, when ask
ed, frankly to declare my opi
nion upon any political national
question, pending before, and
about which the country feels
an interest.
"You ask me my opinion on
the Tariff. I answer that I am
in favor of a judicious examina
tion and revision of it; and so
far as the Tariff bill before us
timbraces the design of fostering,
protecting and preserving with
in ourselves, the means of na
tional defence and indepen
dence, particularly in a state of
war, I will advocate and support
it. The experience of the last
war ought to teach us a profita
ble lesson, and one never to be
forgotten. If our liberty and
Republican form of govern
ment, procured for us by our
revolutionary fathers, are worth
the blood and treasure, at which
they were obtained, it surely is
oar duty to protect and defend
them. Can there be an Ameri
can patriot, who saw the priva
tions, dangers and difficulties
experienced for the want of the
proper means of defence during
the last war, who would be wil
ling again to hazard the safety of
our country, if embroiled; or,
to rest it for defence on the pre
carious means of national re
source to be derived from com
merce in a state of war with a
maritime power, who might de
stroy that commerce to prevent
us obtaining the means of de
fence, and thereby subdue us? I
hope there is not; and if there
is, I am sure he does not deserve
to enjoy the blessings of free
dom. Heaven smiled upon,
and gave us liberty and inde
pendence. That same Provi
dence has blessed us with the
means of national independence
-nd national defence. If We
omit or refuse to use the gifts
which he has extended to us, we
deserve riot the continuation of
his blessings. He has filled our
mountains and our plains with
minerals with lead, iron, and
copper; and given us climate
and soil for the growing of
hemp and wool. These being
the grand materials of our na
tional defence, they ought to
have extended to them adequate
and fair protection, that our own
manufactories and laborers may
be placed on a fair competition
with those of Europe, and that
we may have, within our coun
try, a supply of those leading
and important articles, so essen
tial in war. Beyond this, 1
look at the Tariff with an eye
to the proper distribution of la
bor, and to revenue; and with a
view to discharge our national
debt. I am one of those who
do not believe that a national
debt is a national blessing, but
rather a curse to a republic; in
asmuch as it is calculated to
raise around the administration
a monied aristocracy danger
ous to the liberties of the coun
try. This Tariff I mean a ju
dicious one possesses more
fanciful than real danger. I will
ask what is the real situation of
the agriculturist? Where has
the American Farmer a market
for his surplus product? Ex
cept for cotton, he has neither a
foreign of home market. Does
not this clearly' prove, when
there is no market either at
home or abroad, that there is
too much labor employed in ag
riculture; and that the channels
for labor -should be multiplied?
common sense points out at
once the remedv. Draw from
agriculture this superabundant
labor; employ it in mechanism
and manufactures; thereby cre
ating a home market for your
bread stuns, and distributing la
bor to the most profitable ac
count; and benefits to the coun
try will result. Take from ag
riculture in the United States
six hundred thousand men, wo
men and children, and you will
at once give a home market for
more bread stuffs than all Eu
rope now furnishes to us. In
short, sir, we have been too
long subject to the policy of the
British merchants. It is time
that we should become a little
more americaniscd; and, in
stead of feeding the paupers and
laborers of England, feed our
own; or else, in a short time, by
continuing our present policy,
we shall all be rendered paupers
ourselves. It is, therefore, my
opinion, that a careful and judi
cious Tariff is much wanted, to
pay our national debt, and af
ford us the means of that de
fence within ourselves, on which
the safety of our country and
liberty depends; and last, tho'
not least, give a proper distri
bution to our labor, which must
prove beneficial to the happi
ness, independence, and wealth
of the community.
''This is a short outline of my
opinion, generally, on the sub
ject of your enquiry, and belie
ving them correct, and calcula
ted to further the prosperity and
happiness of my country, I de
clare to you, I would not barter
them for any office or situation,
of a temporal character, that
could be given me.
"I have presented ycu my
opinions freely, because I am
without ; concealment; and I
should indeed despise myself, if
I could believe myself capable
of desiring the confidence of
any, by means so ignoble.
"I am, sir, very respectfully,
"Your most obt. servant,
(Signed) ANDREW JACKSON.
Dr. L. H. Coleman,
Warrenton, N. C. 5
The following extracts from the
TreasuryReports of Mr. CRAW
FORD, will give our readers
some idea of the opinion he en
tertains of the Tariff bill. In
his Report of 12th Dec. 1821, he
says:
"But it is possible, that the
progressive increase of the re
venue which has been anticipa
ted, and which is necessary to
the full operation of the Sinking
Fund, may not be realized. In
that event, the public expendi
ture authorized bylaw, may, af
ter the 1st of January, 1825, ex
ceed the public revenue.
"The remedv in such case
must be, 1st. an increase of the
public revenue by an addition
to the existing impositions."
"A general revision and cor
rection of the duties imposed
upon foreign merchandize seem
to be required." "A correc
tion of the existing duties, with
view to an increase of the
public revenue, could hardly
fail to effect that object to the
extent ol nearly 1,000,000 doi
lars annually. It is highly pro
j . " " maii.j.jU
uauajiiutvuvxi) uiai.au liicicasc:
on some of those articles mhrht
eventually cause a reduction of
the revenue; but this' can only
take place where similar arti
cles are manufactured in the
country. In that event, domes-'
tic manufactures will have been
fostered, and the sreneral ability
of the community to the public
exigencies will have been pro
portionally increased."
Extracts from the Report of Dec.
23, 1S22.
"To provide for the estima
ted deficits of years 1S25 and
1826, as well as to meet any ex
traordinary demands upon the
Treasury, which unforeseen ex
igencies may require, it is be
lieved to be expedient that the
revenue should be increased.
"This may be conveniently
effected by a judicious revision
of the Tariff, which, while it
will not prove onerous to the
consumer, will simplify the la
bors of the officers of the reve
nue." "It is, therefore, re
spectfully submitted, that all ar
ticles composed of wool, cotton,
flax, hemp, or silk, or of which
any one of these materials is a
component part, be subiect to a
duty of 25 per cent, ad valorem.
I he duties upon class, and ra-
per, upon iron and lead, and up
on all articles composed of the
two latter materials, may also
be increased with a view to the
augmentation of the revenue.
In all these cases, except arti
cles composed of silk, it is pro
bable, that the effect of the pro
posed augmentation of duties,
will gradually lead to an ample
supply of those articles from our
domestic manufactories."
Extracts from the Report of Dec.
31, 1823.
"The views which are here
in presented, are founded upon
the idea, that no extraordinary
expenditure is to be incurred.
If, however, it be deemed advi-;
sable to give increased extension
or activity to the navu. nr to
aid in objects of internal im
provement, it is believed that
such additional means as may
be required, mayt be obtained
by a judicious revision of the
Tariff. Such a measure was
recommended in the last annual
Report, with a view both to the
increase ol the revenue and the
simplification of its collection;
and iurtherreilection and expe
rience have tended to strength
en the opinion then entertained,
that its operation, without be
ing onerous to the community,
would be advantageous to the
revenue, salutary to commerce,
and beneficial to the manufac
tures of the country."
From the Richmond Enquirer.
To the freeholders of the counties
of CharlottejRockingham, Prince
Edward, and Cumberland; and
Commonwealth of Virginia:
Felloio-citizenSi friends and
freeholders! A recurrence of
the same painful disease that
drove me from my post, some
two years ago, again compels
me to ask a furlough; for I can
not consent to consider myself
in the light ot a deserter. But
no consideration whatever
would have induced me to leave
Washington, so long as a sha
dow of doubt hung over the
transactions of the Treasury;
which I was (among: others) ap
pointed to investigate. It was
i . O - '
J --"-"-- nui, niuiuui
considerable resistance on the
part ot a majority ot the Com-
miuee, mat tne secretary had
the opportunity given him, to
Me his answer to the accusation
f Mr. Edwards. I was satis-
fied that justice required this
course to be pursued, at the
A
same time that it xvould expe
dite the business, and abridge
the labor of the Committee. If
the Secretary's conduct was de
fensible, who could make that
defence so properly as the party
accused? If otherwise, it was
high time that he should be dis
missed from a station of which
he was unworthy.
I confess, that I was not with
out some misgivings, that all was
not right. Holding myself a
loof from the intrigues and in
triguers of Washington, I had
remained a passive spectator of
a scene, such as I hope never a
gain to witness. Not that I was
without a slight, a very slight
preference iivthc choice of the
evils submitted to us for our ac
ceptance. I inclined towards
Mr. Crawford for some reasons
which were private and person
al, and with whioh it is unneces
sary to trouble you but chief
ly, because you preferred him
to his competitors, and because
if elected he could, in a man
ner be compelled to throw him
self into the hands of the least
unsound of the political par
ties of the country: that he
ivouia, by tfiejorce of circum
stances be constrained to act
ivith us the people) whilst the
rival candidates would by the
same force of circumstances
be obliged to act against us
and with the tribe of office hun
ters and bankrupts, that seek to
subsist' upon our industry and
means. The number of these
that infest Washington, espe
cially during a first session of
Congress, and above all, about
the termination of an adminis
tration, is inconceivable to those
who have not seen the swarms.
I said, that I had some mis-
givings, that all was not as it
oudit to be. But when I read
the reply of Mr. Crawford, I
had not a shadow oi doubt re
maining on my mind. It is the
most triumphant and irresistible
answer that ever met the accu
sation of a base and perjured in
former. I havp. nn dnnht that
there is not a mercantile house
in our Atlantic cities that has
not lost a much heavier per
centasre on its western debts.
than we have done, since Mr.
Crawford took charge of the
Treasury; even supposing the
sum now due to be wholly lost.
And it is a matter worthy of
notice, that the very people at
whose prayers and entreaties,
and to save whom from utter ru
in he has pursued a line of con
duct have been the most viru
lent accusers and persecutors,
for that very conduct, which
has contributed at once to their
relief, and at the same time
been serviceable to Government
by rescuing a large debt from
the almost total losswhich would
have followed a rigid exercise of
his authority. He has availed
himself of discretionary powers
reposed in him by the law, for
that purpose, and with that in
tent, to mitigate the severity of
the sufferings of our western
fellow citizens, whose clamors,
had he taken a different course,
would have dissolved the pre
sent feeble and distracted ad
ministration of our government;
and Actaeon like, he is assailed
by the very hounds he has che
rished and fed.
I confess that this base, un
manly conspiracy against Mr
Crawford has given to my mind
a degree of interest in the ensu
ing election, that ten days ago I
deemed it impossible for me to
feel. I shall rejoice in the dis
comfiture of a plot got up, as I
verily believe, in Washington,
for his destruction; for I know
too well the baseness and timi
dity of the character of Edwards
(self-convicted as he is) to be
lieve that he would have dared
to take such a measure, even
covered by flight from the re
sentment of his injured enemy,
without a promise of protection
from a high quarter and here
I say, once for all, that I impute
nothing unfair to any one of the
candidates for the Presidency.
But how have the aspersions of
this calumniator been met? By
the most temperate, passionless,
mild, dignified, and irrefragable
exposure of their falsehood,
without one harsh word towards
their author.
The pilot admonishes me to
end this letter. If the people of
Virginia shall be mad enough to
call a Convention, I make an
humble tender of my services.
I have lived and hope to die a
freeholder, and when I lose
that distinction, 1 shall no long-'
er have any motive to be Droud
of being your faithful servant.
JOHN RANDOLPH, of Roanoke.
Aestor, at sea, May 17, 1S24.
Connecticut. The Presi
dential Electors in this state are
to be chosen by the people, and
vote by general ticket At a
meeting of the members of the
Legislature a ballot was taken
which stood: Adams 124, Jack
son 14, Crawford 7, Clay 2.