Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-07-21

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hy MIR. McDulhe. that n tax Of so per
rrnt.up"n manufactures Imported from
Great Britain IL a tax 10 that amouni
upon cotton exported from South Ca.
roiina. am f1lly convinced that s.
Carolina does not suffer in that way
but let ns inquire in what way she
does suifer by this tariff Of 80 per cent.
on British manufactures. The friends
at the protecting system are fully con.
vinced OF its beneficial effects upon our
own interests, aud before we yield
those interests, To mitigate the suffer.
inss 81 Others, We claim the right To
examine the grounds OF their com.
plants. We know that our interests
would suffer seriously by the destruc-
ton ~ the protecting system. and we
aie nor satisfied that South Carolina
would he IN the least relieved bv it.
10 IS much TO be regretted, that some
81 the citizens 81 South Carolina seem
rather disposed To threaten, and init.
m'date US into an Abandonment Of our
interests IN this matter, than TO inilu.
ence Us BY sound arguments and per
suasion. They should recoliect, that
We are citizens Of the United States
as well a. they; that We have rights.
ana power To maintain them, rs well
a. they; and that We NAV with as much
propriety threaten to dissolve the l..
mon ~ the protecting system be abol-
lshcd, rs they threaten To dissolve il If
II be not abolished. but these threats.
ami tins violence Of tone. arc altoge-
Their nnbecoming citizens Of the United
STATES. and can neyar 4
any man or any party. feel a per-
tect confidence. that no law or system
can ever receive the sanction Of ma.
.Innty OF both houses Of Congress.
which will be so unjust and oppressive
IN ITS character as To render the d;sso.
luton OF the Union an expcdient inca
sure. The evils resulting from such
Il measure, will always be paramount
TO any that Congress can ever possibly
unite in inilicting.
Another great error Of many Of these
Sou!herns Is, that they attribute the
protecting system 10 the Yankee ma.
nuiactuiers, and affirm that they are
Vie only persons who receive benefit
from it. This is a great mistake
Inc system was established, and has
been so lar sustained, by majority Of
the people of the United States, Of
winch majority the agriculturists form
ell the largest component part But
to the question. In my humble iudg.
ment there are but two possible grounds
of complaint on the part Of South Ca.
ro'ina against the protecting system I;
and these are, either that the system
tends to diminish the price Of her pro
auctions, or tn enhance the price of
The articles consumed by her. Gen
uemen may deciaim and fret, buster
aud rant, as much as they Diease. n
bout the sufierings Of South Carolina.
but 81 she suffers at all, il is i'm one Of
,hese TWO ways, or both. And first.
has the price Of her cotton been re
duced by the system: contend, that
so Tar as the price has been affected at
an u has been kept up by it. 1t is
true that the price OF cotton has fallen
within the last four wears, but the fall
has been occasioned by a great increase
IN the production Of cotton, not by any
UscFedSe IN the consumption Of that ar.
ue'e' Does not every Nirginian know
'nat therc has been regular drain for
Tue saves IRON this state 10 the cotton
growing states for many wears past.
ana that the Southern planters rive
much higher prices for them than we
can Afford to giNef Do we ever hear
oil slaves being brought from South Ca.
rolina TO Virginia +: And do not these
ihInSs show that the cotton planting
business has been better than the grain
growing business! Has not a grcat
ocai OF slave IabOur been diverted from
gram -growinS to cotton planting p
ANA must not this, Of necessity. IN.
crease the production of cotton. and
reduce the price of it But even nov
cotton planting is n better business
tnan grain growing, for the drain Of
slaves iTotD this state to the cotton
growing country is still kept I'D
whenever the cotton growing busi.
ness isreduced much below the Grain.
growing business, the current will turn,
and we shall have slaves coming back
from Sou,h Carolina to virginia.
appeal 20 the experience aud Oh
servauon ot every man ia the United
states Tor the facts, that more cotton
goods are consumed in the United
states now, than there have been AT ANY
period oil our history and that there
has been progressive increase in the
consumption Of cotton goods ever since
the commencement Of the protecting
system, and a progressive decrease i1
their price within the same pcriod.-
Then ssy that the system has not re-.
dueed the general demand for cotton /;
4 may be that the demand for II In
England may have been reduced. lust
90 lar as our home demand Tor manu-.
idctured eottons has been answered by
our bone manufacturers but Is the
southern planter injured by this r.
Can he be injured by having a home