Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-11-18

with which God has ,icsscd us and the arricultu
raj shui and enterprise of our people But the
woiA OF death has already ccnimc and he
must he insensiIie and supplied by povcrty and
-"egreia'ion who cannot perceive il. And how .
g'hu"men, can Il be otherwise. In PROPORTION TO
t"c agafseatc Income OF the country my lament.
ga pl c!sceSsor Mr.. iowndes in lS2O, said we were
me h'g';es taxed people OH the face of the earth
ms declaration. bone out y the most irrefutahIc
s'a'i-ucs, was made when our duties did NO, ave.
':"e more Than 20 per cent; now they have reach
ca an average OF upw ards OF 60 per cent and on
the articles which more especially enter into the
CONSUMPTION al the South, and furnish the me-
'um oi exchange for its staples in some instances
nave reached Tie enormous range ot 100 PEI cent
anu the pant OF prohibition itself
'eM'emcn, the very form OF the taxationis %
deceptive, thai II " impossible, except By a minute
afc somewhat conpliCate analysis, to inc asurc it,
can only be done by separating the original cost
~ an article hcm the imposi; when this Is done
INC results ct the base uibute which we pay is
altogether astounding. There il no man 10 the
soiith whose expenditure amounts 20 81, 900 per
snnim. who does not pay at the smallest calcuIa-
HonSi0hO in ihe,shape Of a cleartax 10 the govern
naeht anu Tue monoro!ists, which they divide in
pretty equal proportions between them. Great as
Tins burden is, il nigh, indeed be borne, If il had
not adouhle operation. For the tax Of $1,000, be.
'hg The duty on the articles consumed, has direct
'rndency ia exclude from market those cr-
chanScabic values by which the price OF our pro-
.ucts Is enhanced and they themselves are 10 be
hnught. 10 The cotton. growing States this last
consequence il incomparasiy tho most serious Of
az. Tor II may be- taken fact hey ond all dispute
'nn' me value oil this staple depends OH the I'M
pie, which throug fur s. sasnds In Tie place
al the precious metals, by enabling us hitherto, a,
advantageous terms, TO conduct our commerce with
other Nations, Is burdcncd, nevertheless with
~ the whole amount OF the duties imports
which falls with almost unmi,igated severity OF
those who are engaged in its production. This
son iSobvious, hon the fact that the imposts, or.
asthcy are falsely and frauduicutly called, the
Amcrican System" operates almost exclusively OIL
tile staple manufactures OF the greatest and best
customer Tor this staple, and the trade between q.
britain aud the u. s. in tho article in effect, is
iurdcned with tax Of $4,000, 900 to enable the
cotton and woollen manufacturers Of other portions
I'll the Union TO realize profit OF iivc or tho
cS millions OF exports OF domestic products the
last year, at leas, 35 millions tho growth Of
the five plantation States, and il il a fact which
The Treasury Documents will sustain, that at least
j millions Of TAX was levied on the articles Of TO-
reign merchandise with which these 90 millions
OF home products were purchased. which might as
well have been levied on the home products them
selves III the form OF an export duty.
With these burdens, have we no Just Cause 10
complain, when we orc Of the most muncent
Fro!ucts with which God ever blessed the indus
,ry OF man, put in awful peril not by his nscruta.
Die disPcDsation not from the blight of unpropi-
tons scascns, moi from the ravages of Egyptian To-
rusfs, not 10y The stintcj fertility Of an ovcrburdcn-
edsoil, but '.y the grasping avaricc, and uncon-
qucrabie injustice OF those whom we have hitler
TO regarded as brothers Of one family, hitherto
bound TO us by the natural ties Of common orr
gin. by the association Of united lahors and confed
crate ,riunphs, by all that can consecrae and en-
Gea the -ympatbics OF = common cuuntry-one
PEOPLE and one home!
Gentlemen have said that these Lur;hcns 20
us are without compensation. i! is true the lot
Ter. The amount OF the duties paid by the Nor
'hern, Middle, and Western States, is more than
Unidentified 10y the boun,es they secure 10 their
manufactures, and the large Governmental expen-
Giturcs tl:at arc made within their limits in support
Of the establishment Of the Army, Navy, iortiii-
cations, and internal improvements These re-
ireshng rcqui.als 10 not visit US. In the midst of
the desert TO land CT promise j. held out 10 US
OF the 20 millions, since the adoption of the Fed
cral Constitution, which the Government has drain
20 ont of the very heart and blood Of S. Carolina
through the Custom House, in Charleston, Ito say
-no hing oi three times this OF toll which
CIR citizens have paid at other offices Of collection
III tho Union) how much have we received, and
HoW much have we TO show tor il Absolutely
nothing; at leas, il would take not only the search
ing anolysis, but the productive transnutation of
tie philosophers stone 10 detect this requited
wealth. We have, indeed, nothing, the con-
solution Of rejecting that, when these burdens
were TO be borne 10 vipdicatc the honor, and de-
lend tiie interests of common country, they
were sustained with chceriulnc<s, with pride, and
without repiniDg.
The consciousness tat S. Carolina is sinking,
Gentlemen, seems 10 have come upon many Of us
with the suddcuness OF ga Summers cloud" and
Is II strange, on tsn operation oil all those causes,
shat she should decline? Are we not to!t on the
highest authority, thdt excessive taEation entails
upon People all the mseries 'oi sterile soil and
nDpropitious seasons" Do you IS ant the mclancho
ly signs OF our fast coming decay? Look abroad
,hro This ouce Happy, This prosperous land;
soc the wilderness rcgaining her empire. Look
~ those waste and desclate spots which oarc
teenIed with fertility and life, abandoned TO the
..rn, which rears IFS head amidst oudess which
we're once blesjrhby the smiling industry 0i man.
Where are Low those beautiful liofnestcads and
venerable cha,eaus which once adorned this land
81 our fathers the abodes of hospitality pnh wealth,
.foU which tic most generous bcnefac ticns were
dispensed TO contented labor, by which slavery it.
self lost half the burden Of its chaus in the kind
ness with which they were imposed! Gone, fail n
into irreversible decay On the very hearth stone
where hospitality kindcd the most genial fires that
ever blazed on her affairs, the fox may lay down
in security end peace; and from the easement OF
;levery window from which notes OF viruous re-
VERY were once heard, the owl sesds forth 10 the
listening solitude of the surrounding waste her
melancholy descant 10 mark The spot where deco.
Luton has come. If these disIeartcning signs are
not enough, look at your once prosperous metrop-
oils, designed by nature, 10 be the emporium o.!
ihree States, where every flag OF the civilized
world once waved as The sure token that its
commerce was our cIyn. Where is now the busy
bum Of lis Industry It's captaH It's merchants,
Its certain rewards TO skill and enterprise, All gone
in the overwhelming ruin of its foreign trade; and
with il almost the hope and spirits Of its people,.
llas not the last testimony too OF decaying
Ky come upon 9S i2 4hs sGHgq9Tr p 5Gnsyng in
quest oil some more prcpiiious land, under the pain
I' belief tina, the days of South CAROLINA have been
numbered, and her prosperity is gone!
These sad things, my trion DIS look st hem