Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-16

by changing tic mode of producing certain ar.
ticlcs. and increasing The cost of their product
ION Bat no class Is permanently oppressed by
any particular burthcn, as ali have the option
Of participating in the gains of the favored pur-
suit Widely different, however, is the effect
OF commercial res r'c'ions in such country as
he L =. composed OF twenty Jour political com
uun;iCs many Of them OF larger extent than
Euy!anj, and distinguished by diversity Of soil
climate, production, x pursuit. greater than that
which Gis,ingui> hes England from France Bu,
even IN the United States commercial res,ric
ION which affected the pursuits Of single State
only, or which affected the pursuits OF all
the Sa:2S alike, however unwlsc IT might he
could not long operate rnluSrly upon any part,-
cular branch Il industry. Unfortunately. how.
ever the existing restrictions, which arc known
by the dcnomina'l ion of tn" prote citing system,
operate iniufiouSiy upon the great leading pur-
suus. which employ three tourths of the CAPT
ral aud dor Of rccian of country more extern
| siyr than any civilized empire in Europe; while
on the other hand, they operate bcnCfc!ally on
| lie great and leading pursuits of another region
not less extensive. The capital Of tue South
ern States, too. Is already invested in descrip-
ion of property, which is adapted only to- he
making of those productions which it is the
tendency and the design Of the restrictive svs-
| tenn 20 cXc'ndc from the natural market. Even
| If the POINTERS were wiling to abandon their
accuSi omcd and hereditary pursuits, and embark
! n business Of manufacture, Their entire capito
would be deprived Of more than half it's value.
| by the very act o! transferring it. When to
Inns we add the consideration, that a long
| probation ct disastrous experiments would be
nc only means OF acquiring any thing like the
skill necessary to n successful competition with
their northern rivals, the reason will be obvious
why the Southern States have, not evaded,
and why hey cannot ovadc, the bur- hens impo-
sod upon the productions of their industry, by a.
9nndoning their present pursuits, 81 einbarking
| IN the favored branches of industry. Nothing
can Uo more cXtravagant than 10 suppose
that the people IF immense extent OF
country, embracing eight sovereign States.
| can transfer thousand millions of capital from
| agriculture TO manufactures, with the same ia
facih'y that halter or shoemaker can vold q
TAX upon hats or shoes, by taking up some other
trade.
AS the restrictions imposed on the produc
tons OF southern industry, are fleet ed by the
gHhcy OF indirect taxes, the burthcns in,posed
upon the planting States, by the protecting sys-
TEN, are not very lnaccuratalv measured by the
amount of the taxes levied upon their product
IONS. And wAen the inequality of the govern.
rncnt disbursements are added to the inequality
| 81 The contributions eXactcd by import duties il
may be conf 'ently affirmed that the burthcns
! imposed upon the planting States, by the taxa
! ton, prohibition, and disbursements ofthe Fede-
! raj government, are more than equal to the a.
/ mouHt OF taxes levied upon those imports, which
| are obtained IN exchange for the three great a.
gflcu''ural staples cotton, tobacco, and rice.
nat duty upon an import is equivalent to
lie same amount of duty upon the export which
has been exchanged fer it, Is but scf-evident
| proposition, to all who correctly comprehend lis
! import. Inc planter is as njurinuSly affected by
| the one duly as he would be by The o'hcr. with
out any reiG'ence whatever to his own con
Is,,,,, MT, / - 1
snHAPtoh, Let 1t be supposed that two plant
crs should each send hundred bales Of co,ton
! to Europa-cxchangc then, for manuf,ctnres
| ana bring these into the u. States. exclusivelv
| Tor sale, ard that one of them should nav an oy
port duty Oh ~ per cent. upon the value Of his
cotton, as 1t went out, and the other. an innort
du'y oil forty per cent. upon the value of his ma
nn'"c'nfes Us ,hey came IN. 1t is perfectly Oh
vleus, that each of them would obtain the same
qua"tlty of manufactures for his COTTON in ~
rope ~ the same price for these IN the u. States.
and at the maturity Of their bonds at the custom
! house. each of them would have to nav tho SAM,
amount OF duty TO the government Each youII
therefore, realize the very same price for hi
hundred oaIeS OF cotton, and consequently the
one WHO paid the duty upon his cXnort wouli
am no heavier buithen than the other. What
Is true OF the comparative effect of import and
export dnlleG upon The producers Of one hmm
area "ales o! cotton is equally true to the effect
81 IhCse duties On The producers of one million
eff bales.
Whether the duty be laid upon The export or
On the import, 1t is equally laid in both CASES,
upon The production Of The planter. There can.
not De a more po!pahIe and delusivc error, than
ne vulgar notion, that imported mannfa ctures.
whlch have been purchased by the rrrcul,nrsl
staples o! this county, arc foreign producron. ;,
IHey are as stF'c'ly and exclusively the product
'ons OF ocmc;nc industry, as if they were man.
utac urcG IN the United States LOOKING. tbcrc-
fore, at the planting and mauufa ctnrlng States.
| WIN IN" eye of an enlightened philosophy, these
TWO great divisions Of the Union, must he re-
gafdcd as Gcvo!Ing their capital and labor TO
| L'c Pfodnc'ion OF the very same articles for
tnevety same market. The southern States
manufacture by the agency of plouphs, and
"ocS' ""u hofSts' what the northern States ma
haiac'hre by the agency OF machinery: and thew
arc competitors for the market of The ITn;ted
S'ates, equally entitled TO the protection of he
| UvHih'"eht' by every principle of constitution.
| a. "oefly, ana 0y tie principles of eternal ms
'cc. NO government upon the face of the
| e"I'" can nave any rght-lhs Government
certainty has no constitutional right to inter
'D"e It's power Tor the purpose of driving one of
thcse great competitors out of the market in
order that II may be exclusively cnioved Inv the
pt"GI' Neither can it rightfully impose the
hhShtest burthcn upon the one, not eouallv i'm.
posed Oh the other, with n view TO change the
State VI tne competition, and the relative con-
| ui''on OF the contenGing parties. Yet, what has
tne congress Of the United States done, under
Inc imposing and deceptive pretext ofprotecling
domestic Industry 1t has done all that the
power Of discriminating taxes can do, to DESTROY
one great branch OF domestic industry-if soutL
crn industry may be called domesic-and build
up rival branch upon its ruins. # has laid
a,Scrih'halng duties, averaging not less than
~ per cent upon the important productions of
lnc p'"clhg "ta'es' while it has entirely ex-
cmpted from taxation, the rival pro ductions Of