The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-02-01
Correspondence Of The Snu.

WAsHINGToN, Jan. &c, 1882
Your readers already apprized of the fact
that the great questionable most momentous on
which the present Congress will have to act--of
the revision of the Tariff and the reduction of the
duties to meet the exigences of the government
has been brought forward in the Senate by Mr.
Clay and the debate opened by him, in a speech.
of which, it IS sufficient praise, to say that it
answered the highest expectations of his friends.
The report of his speech, which has appeared in
the papers, gives but faint idea of the surprising
power with which he enchaDed the attention of a
large auditory during its delivery. Yet such as 1t
Is, ! hope 1t may be extensively published and
read, because the course which will be pursued by
the friends the American Systematic true policy
OF the country-is there developed. Powerful at
tempts have been made to make this party ques-
ton hitherto without success, to any great extent,
and believe all such attempts will continue to be
frultless The Jackson Tariff men appear to be
fully aware of the immense consequence of the
question at issue, and of the responsibility under
which they act, and most of them will, unquestion-
ably, consider their duty TO the country paramount
to any party obligations. Yet, no effort will be
wanting to intimidate the weak and wavering, or 10
secure those, on whom there may be a chance of
producing an effect, by holding out the hope of DO
litlcal preferment, as the price of their apostacS
On Monday Mr.. Hayne replied to Mr.. CLAY in
speech of more than three hours duraton-the
abest, probably that will be made on that side of
the question: he is the best debater of any Anti
arm man III lne senate, ana naQ the whole held
open before him. 1t must be admitted, however
that he was much more effective in his appeals to
the feelings of his auditors, than he was in his argu-
ments. Tie portrayed in strong colors, the suffer-
ings and, what he considered, the wrongs of the
South, and drew melancholy picture of their sit
uatlon as compared with the more fortunate North
All their difficulties, their endorsements and
their sutierlngs he attributed, most unustly in nv
opinion to the much abused tariff. That the South
laoors under pecunlary embarassmentst to certain
extent and that it is comparatively less prosperous
than other sections of the Union, is unquestonably
true; but, 1t proceeds from causes which COM
menced their operation before the tariff was in ex-
lstence, and some of which must inevitably con-
tnue to paralyZe the energies of the southern
country, and to gnaw like worm at its vitals. so
long as the present state Of society exists there;
and any legislation on the part of Congress- can
have but little effect, either orelieve or aggravate
the evil!
The enormous price to which cotton advanced
just subsequent to the last war $50 to SO cents in
duced general rage for speculation throughout
the whole southern country. Property advanced
in price, and the planters invested in land and ne
groes, at extravagant prices, not only all their
available means, but involved themselves deeply
In debt 1t is within my recollection, that whole
townships Of land, in their wild state were sold al
auction at 80, 40, and so dollars per acre. in
some locations The cultivation of cotton was so
much extended that reduction in the price was
exceeded the demand, and the price has been re-
duced from year to year. in consequen of the over
production, till it is now worth but from to 10
cents, according to quaity-and, although the crop
is doubled it does not nett so much it did in 1873
The income being thus diminished, the price Of
land and slaves has experienced a correspondent
reduction. The cultivation is fair business at
the present ralae Of land and slaUes but, as most
of the planters purchased their property when at or
near its highest rate, and many or most of them
are in debt more or less, for the purchase the
present income does not pay interest on the orig
inat investment. They are, therefore, involved in
embarrassments from which, tariff or no tariff the
present generation cannot hope to be relieved
But, the great evil of all, the curse more dread
ful than blast and mdew, which rests like an ia
cubus on the South, checking exerton and para
Lying enterprise, is negro slavery. Aside from its
debasing moral influence on the people, among
whom it exists its effect must be, to prevent the
accumulation of property, except by few ind.vid-
uals, and to retard the progress IN improvement
which might otherwise be made. Any country in
which such a state of society exists that one-haf
of the whole community is unproductve, and must
subsst OH the earnings of the ether half, must nee
essarily retrograde, in comparison with those where
the whole population adds something to the COM
mon stock OF the aggregate OF wealth. and where
there are few, or none, who do not, by their own
industry, support themselves and something more.
The may be made sufficiently plain, by sup
posing, that in your own New England one-haf
Of the people, men, women, and children, to be
designated by lot, should cease from their labors,