Period4:18001848TheAmericanSystem

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TowhatextentwastheAmericanSystemasuccessfortheUnitedStates?
DocumentA:HenryClayInDefenseoftheAmericanSystem
SpeechgivenintheSenateinFebruary,1832.ClaywasoneofthearchitectsoftheAmericanSystem.
Iwillnowtalkoftheexistingstateoftheunparalleledprosperityofthecountry.Weseecultivation
extended,theartsflourishing,thefaceofthecountryimproved;ourpeoplefullyandprofitablyemployed,
andthepubliccountenanceexhibitingtranquility,contentmentandhappiness.areadythoughnot
extravagantmarketforallthesurplusproductionsofourindustry;ourcitiesexpanded,andwholevillages
springingup;ourexportsandimportsincreasedandincreasing;theriversofourinterioranimatedbythe
perpetualthunderandlightningofcountlesssteamboats;thepublicdebtoftwowarsnearlypaidoff;and
thepublictreasuryoverflowing.Allofthishashappenedintheperiodofsevenyearswhichimmediately
followedthepassageofthetariffof1824.
Thistransformationoftheconditionofthecountryfromgloomanddistresstobrightnessandprosperity,
hasbeenmainlytheworkofAmericanlegislation,fosteringAmericanindustry,insteadofallowingittobe
controlledbyforeignlegislation
ItextendstoalllowerLouisiana...Iteffectsthecottonplanterhimself,andthetobaccoplanter,bothof
whomenjoyprotection.
ForthosewhodisagreewiththeAmericanSystem,whatistheirsubstitute?Freetrade?Freetrade!Thecall
forfreetradeisasunavailingasthecryofaspoiledchild,initsnurse'sarms,forthemoon,orthestarsthat
glitterinthefirmamentofheaven.Itneverhasexisted,itneverwillexist.Tradeimplies,atleasttwo
parties.Tobefree,itshouldbefair,equalandreciprocal.Butifwethrowourportswideopentothe
admissionofforeignproductions,freeofalldutywhatportsofanyotherforeignnationshallwefindopen
tothefreeadmissionofoursurplusproduce?Wemaybreakdownallbarrierstofreetradeonourpart,but
theworkwillnotbecompleteuntilforeignpowersshallhaveremovedtheirs.Therewouldbefreedomon
oneside,andrestrictions,prohibitionsandexclusionsontheother.
Gentlemendeceivethemselves.Itisnotfreetradethattheyarerecommendingtoouracceptance.Itisin
effect,theBritishcolonialsystemthatweareinvitedtoadopt;and,iftheirpolicyprevail,itwilllead
substantiallytotherecolonizationoftheseStates,underthecommercialdominionofGreatBritain...
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DocumentB:JohnCCalhoun
WrittensecretlybyVicePresidentJohnC.Calhoun,thefollowingexpositionwaspresentedtothestate's
HouseofRepresentativeson19December1828byaspecialcommitteechargedwithformulatinga
responsetoafederaltariffpassedearlierthatyear.Althoughnotadoptedintolaw,4,000copieswere
printedanddistributedatstateexpense.CalhounwasasouthernerfromSouthCarolina.

[TheFederal]Governmentisoneofspecificpowers,anditcanrightfullyexerciseonlythepowers
expresslygranted,andthosethatmaybe"necessaryandproper;allotherpowersarereservedtothe
States,ortothepeople.Therefore,thosewhoclaimtoexerciseapowerundertheConstitutionareboundto
showthatitisexpressly,orthatitisnecessaryandproper,asameanstosomeofthegrantedpowers.The
advocatesoftheTariffhaveofferednosuchproof.
Weasacommitteeonlywanttospeakofourcountryasonegreatwhole,havingacommoninterest,which
allitspartsoughtzealouslytopromote.BeforetheadoptionoftheTariffsystem,suchwastheunanimous
feelingofthisState;butinspeakingofitsoperationitwillbeimpossibletoavoidthediscussionof
sectionalinterest,andtheuseofsectionallanguage.ThisisthefaultoftheauthorsoftheTariff.Sopartial
aretheeffectsofthesystem,thatitsburdensareexclusivelyononesideanditsbenefitsontheother.It
imposesontheagriculturalinterestoftheSouth,includingtheSouthWest,andthatportionofour
commerceandnavigationengagedinforeigntrade,theburden,notonlyofsustainingthesystemitself,but
thatalsoofsustaininggovernment.
Wearetheserfsofthesystem,outofwhoselaborisraisednotonlythemoneythatispaidintothe
Treasurybutthefundsoutofwhicharedrawntherichrewardofthemanufacturerandhisassociatesin
interest.Theirencouragementisourdiscouragement.
Wecultivatecertaingreatstaplesforthesupplyofthegeneralmarketoftheworld;andtheymanufacture
almostexclusivelyforthehomemarket.TheirobjectintheTariffistokeepdownforeigncompetition,in
ordertoobtainamonopolyofthedomesticmarket.Theeffectonusistocompelustopurchaseatahigher
price,bothwhatwepurchasefromthemandfromothers,withoutreceivingacorrespondingincreaseof
priceforwhatwesell.
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Accordingtothedocuments,towhatextentwastheAmericanSystemasuccessfortheUnitedStates?
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