The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-12-12

OF trade, 70 be ultimately exchanged, either by /
themseiveser their agents.
lie; il be also assumed. ia conformity with |
the facts of The case. that New Jersey, tor ex-
ample, produces, of the very same description
of manufacture, a quantity equal 10 that which
is purchased blythe cotton crop OF South Caro-
lima. We have. then, two States OF the same
confeGer acy, bound to bear equal share OF the
burthens, and enilled TO enjoy an equal shate
Of The benefits OF ihe common government,
'ieii precisely the same quantity Of productions,
OF the same quality and kind, produced by their
lawful industry We appeal 10 your candUr,
and 10 your sense of Justice, To saw whether
South Carolina has not a title as sacred and in-
deieasible TO the tull and undIminished enjoy
ment Of these productions of her industry, ac-
quired by the combined operation of agrcul-
ture and commerce, as New Jersey can have to
the like enjoyment of similar productions of
ner industry, acquired by the process of manu-
facture? Upon no principle of constitutional
right-upon no principle of human reason or
justice, can any discrimination be drawn be-
tween the titles of South Carolina and New
Jersey to those productions of their capital and
labor. Yet what is the discrimination actual "
made by the unjust unconstitutional, and par.
tial Legislation Of Congress- duty, on an
average, of fifty per cent. is imposed upon the
productions of South Carolina, while duty
at all is imposed upon the similar Productions
of New Jersey. The inevitable result is, that
the manufactures thus lawfully acquired by the
! honest industry Of South Carolina are worth
annually, three millions Of dollars less to her
citizens than the very same quantity of the very
same description of manufactures are worth Il
the citizens o: New Jersey-a difference Of
value produced exclusively by the operation OF
the protecting system.
No ingenuity either evade or refute this
proposition. The very akioms OF geometry
are not more self evident For even if the
planters of South Carolina, in the case suppos
\ ed, were to'ssll and not consume these produe
tions of their industry, It is plain that they could
obtain no higher price for them. after paying
duties to the amount Ct S3O0o,0O0, than the
manufacturers of New Jersey would obtain fol
the same quantity of the same kind of manu-
+ features, without paying any duty at all.
This single view of the subject exhibits the
enormous inequality and injustice of the pro-
tecting system in such light that we feel the
most consoing confidence that we shall be fully
justified by the impartial judgment of posterity
whatever may be the issue of this unhappy con
troversy. We confidently appeal TO our con
iederate States, and TO the whole world to de
eide whether the annals Of human Legislator
furnish parallel instance of injustice ano
oppression perpetrated under the forms o
, free government Howeger il may be dis
gused by the comPlexity of the process by
which it is effected, it is nothing less than the
9 monstrous outrage of taking three millions
, of dollars annually, from the value of the
productions Of South Carolina and transferring
{ it to the people o. other and distant commu
mites. No human government caR rghtfuly
! exercise such power. 1t violates the eterna
l.. principles of natural Justice, aud converts tht
Government into a mere instrumen. q! iegsla
, tive punde:. Of all the gAgernments on thu
face Of the tn. tae Federal Government
has the least shadow Of constitutional
EHFrht to tsah 0v1G o. q
ated principally, aud almost exclusively, for
the purpose of protecting, improving, and
extending Lei very commerce, which for
, the last ten years, all its powers have been
most unnaturaIly and unr;ghtcously pervert-
RI ed to cripple and destroy. The power to
regulate commerce with foreign nations, 50
! was granted obviously for the preservation of
I that commerce. The most important of all the
J duties which the Federal Government owes 10
| South Carolina, under the compact of Onion, is
the protection and defence ot her foreign
/ merce against ali the enemies bywhom ii NAV be
assaed And in what manner has this duty been
I discharged? All the powers of the earth by
J their commercial restrictions, and sill the pi-
/ rates of the ocean, by their lawless violence
could not have dome much TO destroy our
! commerce, as has been done by that very gov.
ernment, To which It's guardianship has been
committed, by the Federal Constitution The
! commerce of SoRth Carolina consists in ex-
changing the staple productions Of her soil Tor
the manufactures OF Europe. 1t Is lawful COM
merce. 1t violates the rights of no class of
/ people in any portion of the conlederacy. Ii
is this very commerce, therefore, which the
Constitution has joined it upon Congress to
| encourage, protect, and defend by such regula-
tons as may be necessary 10 accomplish that
object. But instead of that protection, which
is the only lie Of our allegiance as individual!
Z, citizens, 10 the Federal Government, we have
seen gigantic system OF restrictions gradually
reared up, and a, length brought to a fatal INA
| turiiy, of which it is the ayowed object anc
must lie the inevitable result, TO sweep our
commerce from the great highway Of nations
and cover our land with poverty aud ruin
Even the States most deeply interested If
the maintenance uf the protecting system will
admit, that it is the interes, Of South Carolins
| to carry on commerce Of exchanges with for
eign countries, free from restrictions, prohibit
ory burtbens or membranes of any kind
We feel and we know, that the vital Interests
OF the State are involved in such commerce
1t would be a downright insult to cur under
standings to tell Us that our interests are no
, injured, deeply injured by these prohibitorv du
ties, intended and calculated to prevent us from
obtaining the cheap manufactures of foreign
countries for our staples and compel US TO re
f oeive for them the dear manufactures of gu
! domestic establishment, or pay the penalt,
Of The protecting duties for daring to exercis
one OF the most sacred of our national rights
What right, then, human or divine, have tn
manufacturing States-for +e regard the Fed
eTal Government as mere instrument in .hei
hands-to prohibit South Carolina, directly, o
indirectly, from going to her natural markets
and exchanging the rich productions of he
soil, without restriction or incumbrance for sucl
foreign articles as will most conduce 10 III
wealth and prosperity of her citizens
VIII not surely be pieiended-for truth an,
decency equally forbid the allegation--tha
; In exchanging our productions for the cheape
manufactures OF Europe, we viDlate any rich
OF the domestic manufacturers, however grati
lying 1t might be TO Them if we would purchas
Their inferior productions at higher prices
Upon what principle then, can the State 0
South Carolina be called upon to submit 10 ,
system, which excludes her from the natufa
markets and the manifold benefits of that en-
rlching commerce which kind and benefcen
Il Providence has provided to connect her :, ii
the anily Of nations, by the bonds of her mutual
INTEREST," But one answer can be given 10 this
/ question. IL Is IN vain that we attempt to dis
I gulse the fact, Notifying as il must be, that
the principle BY which South Carolina is thus
excluded IS in strict proprie,y of language, and
to all rational intents and purposes, principle
OF colonial dependence and vassalage, in all re.
specls. identical with that which restrained our
ioreialLers from trading with any manuiactL r.
! ing nation of Europe other than Great Brit.
ain. South Carolina now bears the same rela.
ton TO the manufacturing States Of This cun.
| federacy, that the Angio.Americnn colonies
bore 10 the mother country, with the single ex
cepion that our burthens are ihcnmparably
pesfy