The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-05-02
From the Charleston Mercury.

houn demonstrated in his late speech, to
exist between the assumption of the State
Debts, and the renewal Of the Tariff seems
10 have been understood though denied or
evaded, by the friends of that monstrous
proposition. 1t is connection, now, not
! more established by logic than by fact,
and every day is accumulating the evidence.
Mr.. CLAY, the great champion Of the Ia
riff, is also the protector of the measure
for paying the State Debts by the proceeds
of the public lands. Tariff Conventions
have been held in Massachusetts,, in Con-
aecticut, in Rhode Island aud Pennsylva-
MIA. In the same presses throughout the
North, we find the two topics of distribu-
ton and Tariff pressed with equal ardor
They are nearest to kin, and not more re-
markable for their direct affinity, than for
the injustice and oppression which they
equally threaten to the producing region
of the South. The operation of the Ia
riff has been often pointed out. Ihe
States of South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkan-
sas. furnish about two thirds of the ex.
ports, OH the produce of which the duties
are levied. The only part of the reve.
nues of the Government which are not
raised from them in tina, proportion, arise
from the public lands. II is now proposed,
at time when, with its utmost means the
Government Can hardly pay its expendi-
lures, to take away the revenue arising
from the public lands and distribute 1t
among the States. The entire expendi-
ture Of the Government must then be pro-
vided for out of the duties levied import
ed goods, the exchanges for our cotton.-
The distribution of the puslic lands is pro-
posed to be made according TO the ratio
of representation in Congress. Let us see
how that would affect the cotton growing
States. The six States above enumerated,
have 20 Representatives in Congress, out
of 243-less than one eighth of the whole.
While they would pay, therefore, two
thirds of the additional duties to replace
the revenue from the public lands, they
would receive bv the distribution scheme,
less than one eighth Of that revenue. The
justice and equality of that scheme has
been laude.! by its author and his partizans
by the State Legislatures and grave as
senblics-lhe justice nf nlln"cring "ne
Section for the benefit of another! the cQud.
Lity of the lion and the fox! But the scheme
does not end here. The movement al the
North is directed not merely I" an increase
of duties, 'but to tie restoration of Ia.
riff of protection. We find revived anu
cherished by Conventions, petitions to
Congress and the newspaper press. all the
rankest doctrines Of the old Tariff school.
Not long since, Senator from New Jrr.
sey presented petition from certain man.
ufacturers (of lace we believe) praying an
increase of duty Oh their bra rch, aud stat
ing as their grievance, that under the pre-
sent duties, foreign lace of the very best
quality could be imported and sold for less
than their own, which was of the coarsest!
Congress was asked to exclude valuable
fabric, TO encourage the manufacture Of a
miserable and worthless counterfeit. The
impudence OF this reason could only b.
equalled by petition from the late CASH
icr of the Schuylkill Bank, praying for
heavy penalty TO be laid on all kinds of
honesty, Oh The ground tha, as things are
going, !hr raScals found serious obstacles
in the way of their monopolisihg every
profitable o(1i"e in the country! Yet the
petition Of the Newark. lacemakers, with
its barefaced and solid impudence, embo-
dies the very essence Of the protective
system. Have these people Of the North
really no honest occupation they can take
to? Must the Union be forever harrassed
by their schemes for making money, not
only at the expense Of their neighbors,
but of the constitution and every princi-
pie Of republicanism? Do they wish TO
make the Federal Union perpetual ano
grinding tyranny upon the South? Do they
not see that the persevering obstinacy with
which they burden the Union, not only
with all their selfshness, but all their fana-
ticism-insisting that one half its time
shall be given 10 filling their purses, and
the other half to gratifying their passions,
perfectly reckless that the first is TO be at
tanned only by legalized robbery, and the
second only by sanctioning murder, In
surrection and the utter destruction Of one
half the confederacy-do they not see
that by this incessant warfare upon every
principle Of justice, equality, toleration
aad brotherly kindness, they are daily
'igging down The foundations of this no.
BILE Union, and making its continuance
impossible? that so sure as we have loved
it as the guardian of peace, liberty and
Justice, SO sure shall we hate and renounce
it, If it is to be turned into a rod to
scourge, or serpent to sting US?