" "We must naturalize the arts in our country,"
said he. Not the least significant portion of his plea for
protection was that in which he called attention to the great
diversity of interests--"agricultural, planting, farming,
commercial, navigating, fishing, manufacturing"--within the United
States. Some of these interests were, as he said, peculiar to
particular sections. "The inquiry should be in reference to the
great interests of every section of the Union (I speak not of minute
subdivisions); what would be done for those interests if that
section stood alone and separated from the residue of the Republic?
If they come into absolute collision with the interests of another
section, a reconciliation, if possible, should be attempted, by
mutual concession, so as to avoid a sacrifice of the prosperity of
either to that of the other." [Footnote: Annals of Cong., 18 Cong.,
1 Sess., II., 1997; cf. Clay's letter to Brooke, August 28, 1823,
Clay, Private Corresp., 81.]
Perhaps the ablest speech on the other side was that of Webster,
[Footnote: Webster, Writings (National ed.
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