Kaaterskill Books

[Nullification] Clark, S.B. [Samuel].

[Manuscript Document Signed] Ought New England to Give Up its Tariff.

n.p. [ca. 1832]. [6] pp. 8 x 10 inches. Very good, folded, few tears at edges and folds, not affecting text, minor soiling. Item #44652

A forceful anti-tariff argument written shortly after passage of South Carolina's Ordinance of Nullification, embracing that law and accusing the protective tariff system of being unjust, unconstitutional, unequal in its operation, and immoral to boot. Signed though undated, by S.B. Clark.

In his opening, Clark asserts that, "We are decidedly anti-tariff. We are ready to raise our voice, feeble as it is, in harmony with those of our ablest politicians, in condemnation of this protective system. We would it was in our power to give its death blow." From this point, Clark builds his case against the tariff, claiming that it, "...tends directly to benefit the northern or manufacturing states at the expense of southern or agricultural", by suggesting that in the exchange of foreign good, the agriculturalist loses 45% of his imported claims in customs. He gives the following example to better illustrate his point: "... a manufacturer has 100 yards of cloth worth $100. A planter a bale of cotton worth the same amount ($100). The planter for a market, exports his cotton to Liverpool and procures in exchange $100 yards of cloth. Thus far, he is on an equality with his northern friend. But mark the difference in the end. 45 yards are taken from the planter at his arrival in this country for duty, thus leaving only 55 yards in the hands of the importer. How now doe the value of the merchandise of the manufacturer compare with that of the agriculturalist. The former still retains his 100 yards, the latter only 55 yards."

Clark proceeds to commend the actions taken by South Carolina in an effort to counter the unjust imposition of the Tariff, before he argues its unconstitutionality, and, moreover, its immorality. He writes, "It is destructive of the morals of our people. Look at the tenets of our cotton factories. A heterogeneous multitude of men, women, boys, and girls, assembled promiscuously together, with their activity and health enervated, without education, without any moral susceptibilities. Each imbibing all the evil propensities of each other and acquiring habits that are never to be shaken off and tell me if they present a picture favorable to our Republican institutions. If there is a probability that useful citizens will ever come out from among them - while there is land to be cultivated let us not be desirous of diverting our industry to manufacturing concerns."

Before his closing statements, Clark offers a counterpoint to the argument that the tariff system protects our nation from being overly dependent upon foreign exports. While he acknowledges that this claim is in part valid, he retorts that, "It is with nations as with individuals the transaction of business with fellow man, free exchange of commodities, purchase and trade, infer no dependence. Who feels his independence lessened by calling up the shoe maker and requesting him to replace a dropped stitch in his boot? Each is but doing the other a favor - so with nations."

Samuel B. Clark (1812-1865) was a plantation owner of Brothersville, Richmond County, Georgia. The correspondence of the Clark family and related families in Virginia and Georgia are in "The Samuel B Clark Papers (1764-1890)," located at Duke. The purpose of the essay, as part of a letter, as a submission to a newspaper, or some other less public reason, is unknown.

Price: $500.00