Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-01-25


freight which we may have paid to the ship own
er. and the employment given to navigation' en-
title ne 70 Iess favor in the eyes OF the government
Are the plough and the hoe less favored instru-
mepts of production than the spindle and the
Ioomp Perfect equality, Sir, would seem tn re-
ou;re that we should stand, at least, on the same
font;no. and that whether these wOsiens were
waited for consumption, or for sale, they should
be subjected to exactly the same tax. But how
are we treated by Just and paternal government,
who care,h, we are told, equally for all her child
REM Our bale Of woollens is stopped at the Gus
tom house, and forty pieces are taken out, as
tax to the government, whereby our stock IS re-
duced to sixty pieces, while the bale OF the ma
nufacturer is free from all taxation. IL these ar
ticies are wanted for our own consumption, we
can consume but sixty pieces; while the manu-
fucturer retains his hundred pieces. IL the goods
are wanted for sale, we have but sixty pieces 10
be converted into money, or to be exchanged Tor
other commodities; while the manufacturer has
his hundred pieces for the same purpose; aud 1t
we should happen to meet at the same market, as
the two articles must sell at the same price, be-
Ing of the same quality, the manufacturer WILL
of course, realize forty per cent. more than the
planter. Now, Sir, what are we to do ~ TINS d'-
iemma! How are we to escape this unequal Dur
denl The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Clay
M former occasion taxed his ingenuity to pro-
vide us the means of escape; and must presume,
that if his ingenuity failed, tie case is altogether
without hope. There are four ways, said the Sc
nator. by which the South may avoid the tax
First. "by aJstaining from the purchase Of the
fou3e,l articles" But. Sir. we cannot do with
them; and this trade, moreover, furnishes the
onlv market for our productions. TO adopt this
alternative, would be to seal our ruin Second
", said the gentleman, 8. employ the riral fine
,ican fabric" But. Sir, II the manufacturer
would take our cotton in exchange for his produc-
tons, (which he cannot do, except to very IL
mted extent.) we should pay as heavy tax IN
the price of the domestic, as in the duty on the
foreign fabric; for no one will pretend, that II
the quality be the same. there would be any DIT
ference Of price in the American market. Third
", manufacture for ourselves" Sir, we cannot
manufacture Except as to a few coarse articles,
slave labor IS utterly incapable of being applied
to such an an object. Slaves are too improvident,
too incapable If that minute, constant, delicate
attention, and that persevering industry. which
is essential to the success of manufacturing es-
Adjustments 1t was but the other day that some
of our New England brethren cot it into their
heads that. they understood our institutions bet
ter than we did ourselves, and undertook to Gre
ate splendid manufacturing establishment IN
the district represented by my distinguished and
valued friend. (Mr. McDatfie.) 1t was accord
ingly put into operation, tut had gone on but
short time, when one of the slaves was tempted
to make free with the goods, aud to prevent de-
lection, burnt up the whole establishment. II
might be supposed, Sir, that the people of South
Carolina would not have been inclined to punish
such an offence with great severity; und it the
cuIprit had escaped. / presume we should not
soon have heard the end Of ii, Not so, Sir. how
ever We have law which Furnishes arson,
whether committed bv black, or white man,
| Will, death. The offender was brought to trial,
and being convicted on the clearest proof, suffer-
ell the penalty of the law, And, Sir, to show
how little justice is sometimes meted out to the
South, will state the fact. trat since arrived
here, I have seen an account OF this transaction
in print. headed. with large capitals. "CRUEL.
| TY TO SLAVES" and representing that a poor
innocent negro had recently been hanged in South
Carolina for burning down building by acct
dent.
think, Sir, the gentleman will now himself adj
nit, that to embrace this proposition would only
be, to use an old adage. '.jumpDg out Of the fry
ing pan into the fire." The last remedy suggest
ed by the gentleman, is that should 'suppy
ourselves with household manufactures" What.
Sir! give up our foreign trade? Abandon our agri-
cultural pursuits, and involve the whole southern
country in desolation and runI Are we to be
driven from the pursuits of our choice, IN order
| to promote the industry Of the manufacturers!
| The case which | have stated. of the bale of
woollens, illustrates the unequal operation of this
s1stem upon the agricultural Industry of the south,
and the manufacturing industry of the north
What IS true of single bale, is true of the
whole amount of foreign importatons which are
| taxed for the protection of the domestic manu-
facture-true Of the eight millions of imports re-
ceved IN exchange for the productions South
Carolina--and of the forty millions received IN
exchange for the productions of the plantation
States, or at least of so much thereof as embrace
the protected articles. Our northern friends say,
however, that part of our cotton and rice be-
longs t. them Be it so. Whatever remains to
US. and is rightfuly ours, is subjected to the
unequal system which | have above described.
Sir, it put beyond all dispute. that the agrcul-
tural industry Of the south is taxed, unequally,
unjustly, enormously taxed in its foreign exchang
es in order to render profitable the manufactur-