Book: State Papers and Speeches on the Tariff

Overview
John Tyler's State Papers and Speeches on the Tariff (1832) assembles a sequence of speeches, public letters, and official papers arguing for a substantial reduction of the high protective duties imposed by recent tariff legislation. The volume presents Tyler's case that the tariff structure of the late 1820s and early 1830s unfairly advantaged Northern manufacturers while imposing a heavy burden on Southern agricultural interests, and it presses for remedies grounded in constitutional principle, economic fairness, and political expediency. Tyler positions lower duties as necessary to restore equitable commerce and to avert sectional discord.

Historical context
The book appears against the backdrop of intense sectional conflict over the Tariff of 1828, often called the "Tariff of Abominations," and the follow-up Tariff of 1832 intended to moderate some rates but still leaving many Southerners dissatisfied. Tensions culminated in the nullification crisis centered on South Carolina, debates that reached into the halls of Congress and the court of public opinion. Tyler's contributions reflect widespread Southern fears that protective tariffs were being used as instruments of regional favoritism and economic coercion by the federal government.

Core arguments
Tyler argues that tariffs should serve primarily to raise revenue necessary for constitutional functions rather than to confer protection upon domestic manufacturers. He insists that high, differential duties distort consumption, raise costs for agricultural producers, and transfer wealth from consumers, predominantly Southern planters, to favored industrialists. Constitutional concerns thread through his reasoning: Tyler warns that a tariff framed for protection rather than revenue departs from an honest construction of the federal compact and risks expanding national power at the expense of state sovereignty.

Policy prescriptions
The collection advances concrete proposals for substantial reductions in duty rates and for returning tariff policy to a revenue-centered design. Tyler criticizes protective tariffs as economically inefficient and politically corrosive, urging schedules that would lower prices of imported goods critical to Southern commerce and thereby relieve a pervasive burden on the agricultural economy. He also urges legislative transparency and accountability, calling on Congress to weigh the distributive effects of tax measures and to legislate with an eye toward national harmony.

Organization and notable pieces
Papers and speeches are arranged to show both legal and practical aspects of Tyler's case: formal addresses to legislative bodies sit alongside public letters intended for a broader constituency. Several speeches dissect specific tariff items and schedules, using revenue figures and trade patterns to underscore practical consequences for exporting regions. Other pieces frame the argument in constitutional and philosophical terms, appealing to principles of equality among states and limits on federal power.

Rhetorical approach
Tyler combines juridical reasoning with moral and economic appeals. He employs statistical observations and fiscal calculations to support his policy claims while invoking the language of rights and federal bounds to resonate with Southern public opinion. His tone alternates between dispassionate legislative critique and earnest warning that continued favoritism will aggravate sectional animosities. The rhetoric strives to persuade both fellow legislators and skeptical citizens that tariff reform is a matter of national prudence and justice.

Impact and legacy
The volume exemplifies the arguments that animated Southern opposition to protectionism in the early 1830s and contributes to the debate that led to the Compromise Tariff of 1833 and the resolution of the immediate nullification crisis. Tyler's articulation of revenue-centered tariff principles and his warnings about sectional consequences helped frame policy discussions and public sentiment. As an early public record of his political thought, the collection foreshadows themes that would continue to shape his later career and broader antebellum conflicts over federal power and economic policy.