Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-08-17


gate dlminution OF tue national wealth. country like
England having small territory this operation is scarce
~ felt The burthens of the taxes and the benefits of the
disbursements are equally distributed every where
That the one is almost completely counterbaanccd bv the
oer In the United States, II is almost precisely the re-
verse In South Carolina and Georgia. for exompe States
which contribute probably three times their proper quota
OF taxation amounting 10 upwards of five millions there
have not been annually expended one hundred thousand
dollars, for the last years Almost the whole of re-
venue OF twenty four millions OF dollars is distributed north
OF the Potomac principally among the manufac,,rinr
States adding additional stimulus 10 their Industry alroa7
dy too highly simulated by the enormous bounies of the
protecting system. In the degree that these un-
equal disbursements enrich the northern States il Is self.
evident that they impoycrsh those of the south II
Is perennial current which constantly flows out and ne
yer returns ana must inevitably exhaust any fountain
however abundant IL is precisely if the collect
cd IN one country, discussed i'm another; and | will
venture The opinion, that if the taxes raised England
Tor the last twenty years had been dsbursed on tho con-
hheht the whole island would have been, this moment
desoate waste.
H. Sir, these views of the pcnicous influence Of the
taxation protection, and of this Government
upon the prosperity OF the planting States rested solely on
speculative reasoning might be disposed dsust the
results oil That reasoning, however clearly made out But
sir, live in country where the oppressive influence Of
tins system practically felt and where impressive me-
morals are every where scattered The aires eron
that the of Heaven ever shonc upon bearin tcsno
ny TO the truth of the exposition have presented The
historical and statistical phenomena of the manufacturing
ana panung States Tor the last sixteen years gives the
most ample and conclusive confirmation to all that have
said on this subject
At the close OF the late war with Crc,t p-,s, .,,,,
hlng IN the political and commercial changes resulting
from the general peace indicated unparalleled prosperity
TO The Southern States, and great embarrassment and lie
ress 10 those OF the North The nations of tho con,ort
had all directed their efforts TO the business of manucac
turing and all Europe may be said to have ,bo
swords into machinery, creating unprecedented demand
Tor cotton the great staple of the Southern States There
Is nothing in the history ofcommcrce that be compared
with the increased demand for this staple Notwithstanding
the pernicious restrictions by which this Government has
limited that demand. As cOten tobacco and rice arc
Prouuced only on small portion of the globe, while all
0ther agricultural staples every region of
the earth this circumstance gave the planting States very
great advantages To cap the climax of the commercial
advantages opened TO the cotton planters, England their
great and most valuable customer received their cotton
under mere nominal duty. On the other hand the pros
poets OF the Northern States were as dismal as those OF tho
Southern States brilliant. They had lost the car
ying trade OF the world which the wars of Europe had
thrown into their hands They had lost the dcmarJ nnI
inc hlgh prices which our had created for their
grain and other productions and, afterwards they al
so lost the foreign market for their grain owing partly TO
foreign corn laws but still more to other causes Snch
We'S me prospects, ana such the well founded hopes of
the Southern States at the close of the late war in which
they bore so glorious part in vndcaing the freedom of
trade bu where are now those cheering prospects, and
anmating hopes: Blasted Sir utterly blasted by The CON
Stunning and whitening of system legislation
which wages an eNerminOtng against the blessings
OF commerce, and the bounes OF merciful Providence
and which by an mpous Perversiono language called
Yes Sir the very Government which is under every
obligation human and divine, TO protect commerce.
from all l9reig" aggresSs becomes self the aggreso,
entirely from the face of the ocean And where SIR are
the dismal prospects Of the Northern States? The same
has, by the same act, Frightened those of The North.
While you see nothing but ruined cities deserted VIII
lagos from the Potomac to the Gulf Of Mexico you behold
me most anang spectacle Of cities, towns and villages
rising up like 'bright cXlalations,' end as if hv ma
gic throughout the whole region Of the manufacturing
states. But Sir, there is magic i'm all this, but
the Injustice OF human Legislation which, by process ST.
lent unperccivcd, and for long time unknown even to
its devoted Victims has been steadily drawing aiyav te
very e-bIood oil their property, and transusing into
that of their oppresSors.
have, heretofore, odvcred to the extraordinary fact
tlnf fltaN vnrpgO of Il LII
IN the manufacturing States they in the planting
States; and will repeat what said here two years
ago. that there is not country upon the face of The earth
where inc abors oil agriculture are performed exclusive
y by ireemen, that would have submitted TO this system
oil oppression hall so long as IT has been endured by
people oil the South The great pressure of tho system
has been upon the planters naturally liberal public
spirited, and patriotic Feeling actual suffering they
have TOO long and too patiently submitted TO this Injustice
and oppression, amidst the decay of every thing around
them, while the price of labor has been gradually sinking
from fifty to twelve and half cents day. and the pro-
Tits OF capital in proportion Sir, sure if the tables
had been turned upon New England, she would not have
submitted to this process half Icing as The Southern
States have submitted to it. The gentleman from Mas
sachusetts (Nr Adams has informed that during the
embargo and non-inerCoursc laws New England was al
most driven to rebellion Sir will do New England the
justice TO say that she had been the victim Of such ne
iarious scheme OF Legislative plumber as this tending RAJ
pdy TO reduce the wages Of her free aborers from fifty
to twelve and hall cents day before they had descend
ed hall way down the SCALE her whole population thcy
could have found other remedy would have arisen up
as one man in glorious rebellion
But, sir, amidst the distress Of the Southern peopfq
they occasionally favored with scraps Of coso~
lation from those phianthopc persons who assume to
understand their condition and their interests better than
they do themselves. II is stated in the speech of dis
tngushed statesman, which have now before me- that
the cotton planter make five bales of cotton 10 tho
hand, upon an average, and profit oil twenty per
on his capital VOW, sir, ! am myself a cotton planter.
and know that the average production Of skul and
efficient planters D South Carolina does three
bales of upland cotton of three hundred pounds weight
10 each hand; and taking the general average do not
believe IL IL than half much. also confident
that the average profit OF capital does exceed three
per cent
While am noticing the speech Of Ibis gentleman
will say w-~d in relation TO anecdoe which I hap
pcned TO hear him repeat concerning myself individuality
Abiding 10 the great excitement Which existed in South
Carolina in 1928 he pleased 50 that had contr-
bued to produce IT, and TO induce the people 10 adopt re-
solutions that they would not purchase Kentucky pork
lie added, IN illustration, suppose OF the evanesccnt
cbultons OF our paotsmin South Carolina that he had
understood Iat applied TO OF my ucighbors Icy I'm
my supply Ofpork, and that when ie demanded double
price for II, replied "if that is your patriotism. will
buy my pork from the Kenluckans' Now, Sir, have
doubt that this story quite current in Kentucky; and
have only 10 say that il Is just about well founded
The statistical statements upon which the tariff system has
been erected There IS not word or syllable ol truth
We II, from the beginning 70 the end. have hobualy
supplied my plantation by roisng my pork " is no
part Of my system Of domestic economy 70 buy il from
Kentucky, inasmuch as can make t cheaper
But to return 10 the present condition and prospects Of
the South will remark that the most deplorabe Of all tho
consequences Of this steadily declining State OF pccu
MARY prosperity, is he moral and political degcncfacy
which inevitably result honit No people have ever
preserved people preserve their national spirit and
moral energies under such circumstances The lefty and
chivalrous spirit by which the people Of tho South have