Richmond Palladium

THE TARIFF—GEN. HOWARD.

A loco friend inquired of us the other day: "Is it really true that Gen. Howard is opposed to protection?" We answered in the affirmative in the most positive manner. We read him the following extracts from the recent speech of Mr. Howard:

"The protective system, as such, is at war with common right, perfect freedom and impartial legislation. As such, it is resisted by the Democratic party.

It never fails (if it operate as protection.) to transfer a part of one man's labor to another without an equivalent. which is not consistent with common right. It is not regarding the freedom which belongs or ought to belong to every citizen, if he is not permitted, after being burdened with his share of the public expenditure, to trade with all mankind with whom his country is at peace.

True, every man will feel, and ought to feel inclined to buy of his own countrymen if he can do it on as good terms as elsewhere; but if he cannot, let him be free to go elsewhere, with no other restriction than the proper government revenue."

Our friend acknowledged the truth of our remark, that Gen. Howard was really opposed to protection, and that if circumstances did not require a tariff for revenue, he would have no duties assessed upon foreign importations whatever.

The truth is that Gen. Howard is opposed to all tariffs, and in favor of direct taxation. The whole spirit of his late speech proves it, and if we mistake not he has said so, in plain words, not a year since. We do not believe that any honest hearted American is opposed to the protection of American industry: but there is a set of demagogue politicians in this country, who have no confidence in the ability of the people to think for themselves, have taken up the idea that political capital can be made out of the advocating of the free trade policy—that it will be popular with the people to believe that they can get goods for almost nothing under that system, and that they will then have a market for the produce of the country in foreign lands. The American people are too intelligent to be gulled by such humbuggery. But the reader who is any ways disposed to take the loco bait of free trade, we refer him to the speech published on the first page of to-day's paper.