icy of protection is distinctively the
American policy which can never be improved upon, and it indicates
how thoroughly his judgment approved and his better nature
sympathized with the movement towards enlightened and liberal
commercial legislation, then already commenced in Great Britain."

This speech was in truth one of great ability, showing a remarkable
capacity for questions of political economy, and opening with an admirable
discussion of the currency and of finance, in regard to which Mr. Webster
always held and advanced the soundest, most scientific, and most
enlightened views. Now, as in 1820, he stood forth as the especial champion
of commerce, which, as he said, had thriven without protection, had brought
revenue to the government and wealth to the country, and would be
grievously injured by the proposed tariff. He made his principal objection
to the protection policy on the ground of favoritism to some interests at
the expense of others when all were entitled to equal consideration. Of
England he said, "Because a thing has been wrongly done, it does not follow
that it can be undone; and this is the reason, as I understand it, for
which exclusion, prohibition, and monopoly are suffered to remain in any
degree in the English system." After examining at length the different
varieties of protection, and displaying very thoroughly the state of
current English opinion, he defined the position which he, in common with
the Federalists of New England, then as always adhered to in the following
words:--

"Protection, when carried to the point which is now recommended,
that is, to entire prohibition, seems to me destructive of all
commercial intercourse between nations. We are urged to adopt the
system on general principles; ... I do not admit the general
principle; on the contrary, I think freedom of trade the general
principle, and restriction the exception."

He pointed out that the proposed protective policy involved a decline of
commerce, and that steadiness and uniformity, the most essential requisites
in any policy, were endangered. He then with great power dealt with the
various points summarized by Mr. Atkinson, and concluded with a detailed
and learned examination of the various clauses of the bill, which finally
passed by a small majority and became law.

In 1828 came another tariff bill, so bad and so extreme in many respects
that it was called the "bil