The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-12-07
From the Pautucket Chronicle.

NH. BARBOUR AND THE YANKEES
Durlng the session of the anti-masonic
convention, at Baltimore, the famous Phil
Up +. Barbour of Virginia, afterwards Pres
ldent OF the Free Trade Convention. was
boarding ut a public house in that citv
where were quartered several yankee dele
gates TO the anti masonic Convention. Mr.
| Barbour was boiling over with his nullifi
cation and Free Trade doctrines, and know
ing that there were several Northern men
present, he gave out, in the public sitting
room, that he was anxious to cenfound
win MS Southern doctrines, any one who
was hardy enough to defend the American
system, and he therefore CHALLENGED any
one VINO ielt an interest in the question to a
Publlc discussion of its merits. For long
time no one took notice of his broad asser
tons and loud talk, and he was permitted to
advance as facts mary things which were
not susceptible Of proof, with regard to the
manufacture OF cotton and iron. The van
KEGS stood this as long rs they could. and
the Southern hero was about procLaiming
himself conquerOr, when gentleman, some
what advanced i'll years. walked up to, and
thus addressed him: | understand that
your name is Barbour, and that YOU have
challenged any one here present to dis
cusslon OF the Tariff question: nv name is
SMITH WILKINSON was born in
the village of Patctnckei, and now reside
IN Pomfret, in the State of Connecticut
am Il cotton manufacturer, and under YOUR
challenge take the liberty of asking von if
you knotc s9hy you are a cotton ptaater p
Mr.. Barbour admitted that he did not
Well then, Says Mr.. W. suffer me to tell
you why you are so. Some forty years ago,
Mr.. Samuel Slater came from England to
America, and at the village of Pawturket
he erected and put in operation spinning
frame-I tended, NTH my opn hands, The first
spinning fame eUer built IN .4merica-at
that time it was found very difficult to pro
cure cotton, and our friends at Providence
imported IfUe bates from Brazil-after this,
believing that the Southern climate was
well adapted to the cultivation of this plant |
THEY IMPORTED A QUANTITY OF |
COTTON SEED, which was planted III
the States OF Georgia and South Carolina, I
and that tcdS The commencement ofthe cot |
ton planting business that was the begin I
nlng OF the growth of your great staple ar
tlcle. II was commenced, us well as contin-
ued, by the NoTth-you were dependent
upon her fol the very seed of this great bles-
sing, and yet you are cursing the Northern |
manufacturer, as if he was the direst foe /
which you could have. You might have |
been tobacco, and rice, and corn planters,
but without this aid from the North, YOU
would never have been cotton planters
Nor is this all that the North has done for
the growth of cotton. They have, by then
industry, given you double market for it :;
land here the gentleman, Mr.. w. produced
the documents, to prove that since The com
mencement of yankee competition, with
British skill, the planter had realized more
for his cotton than it would have beon pos
slhle for him to have done, had the facts
| have been otherwise. You were depend
ent upon the North for an impulse, and fol
the means of commencing this business
and now you are dependent upon her for
market for your produce. Abolish you
American cotton market-give up the bust
ness of making cotton cloth exclusively 4
the British, and see what they will give
you tor your raw material You would b,
compelled to take pence where you nov
get shlllings they would have your cotloi
at their olon price, or they iconld not hare
at all. The gentleman from Virginia coul'
not meet these simple facts-he admitte,
that he had not before viewed the sutiec
IN this light; and the audience, who hat
listened with considerable interest, unani
mousiy declared him to lie defeated
But his defeat ended not here. Mr.
Smith Wilkinson had paved the wayne
had proved that the Southern logician was
not invincible, and others followed up the
blow thus boldly given. Mr.. Barbour had
SAID considerable with regard to the manu-
: tncture of iron, without knowing much Of
his subject, and he had his errors upon tins
subject exposed. No sooaer had he struck
his flag TO Mr.. Wilkinson, than another
customer presented himself My name is
HOLMES, (said his new antagonist 1--we
m the town of Providence, in the state oil
Rhode Island, and an an iron icorker.-
You have asserted that the manufacture o.
! American iron, had been attended with nc