Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-14
RICH MO ID:
TUESDAY MORNING. DECEMBER II.
Effects Of Tariff on :hs North aud South.
We cnnr E-nnn the Savannah RnnuLLn.nn In u,

. | We copy from the Savannah Republican an in
tcresting letter from a Boston gentleman, touchin
, the effects OF Tariif-a subiec, which is ngai
beginning to attract great public consideration Tn
; views Of the writer may pass with the reader 70
what they are worth, and with IN the South
who have been in tie habit OF considering Tart
the deadiest foe TO Southern interests they may b
considered next to reasonable. But this shall no
deter from endeavorins to put into the possession
OF readers the ablest views every side OF ever,
great question Of public concern.
In no State Of the Unioa has 1t been more fash.
onSbIe to denounce a Tariff a. every thing mon.
sirous, than in Virginia. Here it has long constitu
ted one Of the hob. COLLINS, which that "old mis-.
chief maker" OF the Enquirer has parsded before
the public, to terriiy all OF weak nerves and still
| weaker intellect. He had got the kink into h
own head, probably honestly, possibly not-end he
| could never get over 1t. Il is part OF his system
when once he has taken up fiioey, never to
abandon 1t, and when ii has taken hold upon the
| public mind, It then nssumss tho SsncIty OF a Re-
msh image. 1t is TOO holy 10 he touchsd-Io ques-
ton its divinity IS little short Of sacrege. Along
with several ether kindred absurdtes, he has en-
rolled the Tariff IN this holy category. lie will not
think twice the subject himself, lest a ray Of
sh, should penetrate 10 the henighted region inha-
| bited by his last generation readers.
| We, Of late ycNrs have devoted some time TO the
investigation Of the system OF impoSturc, artfuiy
constructed by this ndelStgable political cheat for
| the delusiOn OF mankind. And among other sub
| jects VIC have had our attention drawn to the Ia
iii. We saw it stated broadly and roundly, that
| Tariff was uncoustututona-Ne looked to the Con-
sIitut,on seif and found there the assertion alty
contradIcied-for the power, full and unqualified is
expressly given TO Congress TO impose duties IL
fact The constitutional right Of Congress, in thi, par
ticu ar, questioned until the late Judge
Barbour, IN some OF his abstract vagaries, stumbled
upon it. Ii was capital for the so-cailed Virginia
School-snd it has been used in that way 10 the
present day.
The constitutional difficulty removed, we have
looked the effects Of Tariff upon The North un5
the South-so far as VIC could ascertain and under.
stand them. We have seen that all the predictions
Of the wisest heads, previous 10 the Tariff of l6
and '2S, have been ialsfsd by the results. Mr.
Randolph, one Of the mes; spacious men that ever
lived affirmed that tie increased tariff would DESTROY
the revenue, and render resort 10 direct taxation
necessary the support Of Government. MrClay
and Mr. Webster both admitted the probability o.
such a result And yet in = few years, the great
difficulty was 10 dispose OF the immense surplus
revenue! Those articles which II was supposed
the increased duty wou,d exclude altogether or
render very dear, were bought cheaper tLan ever
Ana during the greater period Of the high Tariff the
whole country, the South as well as the North, en-
joyed degree OF na,I nal prosperity, unprecedeut-
ed IN the annals Of any people. The Tariff may
not have been, aad we do not suppose it WIS the |
sole cause of this palmy Of national affairs
Blu: that il did not exert baneful influence is mani
fest and that on the contrary, it potent aux
iiiary in the creation of national wealth. is greatly
eorroborated by the bIigh; which has come over US
since its decline almOs, to the point Of admitting ar
;icles free Of duty.
As TO the operation Of Tariff upon the South |
and Virginia, particularly, we confess that We have
not been able 10 discover its injurious effects Al
the article, we consumed, were obtained as cheap.
Iy, land mary Of them so,) after the Tariff as
before. In what then consisted the inju;y2 And
on the other hand, what benefit does Virginia de-
rive from the one-sided free trade at present exist
ing Are her products favored in foreign coun.
lries because Of tie admission Of theirs into our
poris7 lie, the duty upon our Flour amounting
to prohibition, ami upon our Tobacco, shIllings
sterling the pound, answer. The cotton Of the
South IS the only staple Of much importance, which
IS received Ebroad-nnd the signs indicate that that
is only admitted temporarily, un:,l the production
Of that article IN India, now rapidly the increase,
shall be sufficient to supply the English demand.
There Is 70 subject SO COMP Gated, AZ d the e..
-ects of which uncertain, as that Of Tariff
't duties. The fleets ofan increase or dimnurion
Of Cuty on any article, have not once in ten times
been anticipated. So FAR from it, in nine cases out
IF ten. just the opposite effect from that predicted
has ensued. Take one striking example: The Ia
III was increased upon Coffee, the price fcll-the
Tariff was reduced, and that which before sold for
en- cents could be bought for less than ~, or in
nat proportion. Many similar instances mig hi be adj
iuccd-all going to show the uncertain effects Of
iuiy- aud exploding that axiom Of the politica
economists, that the consumer pays the duty
BY The way, the n this EXON, there is no greater
aacy eIanr, at least fArus it is applicable to this
ounrry-Rs has been amply tested 10y experience
[ may be, that our peculiar position constitutes W
N exception TO the rule-But we incline 10 the OBJ
ZION that the axiom itself is plausible absurdiry-
Ike most Of the other nxioms Of that refined sys.
en- Of political qusckery, ycleped Political Econo-
ny.
Correspondence ofthe Savannah Republican.
BosTcS Nov. &c, Is4I.
Messrs. Edofs:- Have you q mind 20 hear how
ML,edgevI.Ie speech sounds 10 New York; II
eel so strong temptation 10 give you the result o.
ny experience from a personal trial of THE, that
ha yield 10 Il ard impose you the trouble Of Z
ead'ng q letter, even II you do not publish il.
One consequence uf modern facilities in travelling
s the rayani1gs Of trying how our ways Of think
rg like those Of dressing, appear thousand miles ,
rom home. II we find ourselves behind the rest Oi
he world, we are likely 10 brush Up ard return
0mewhat changed 10y traveL But II we frd that
W are up fully with the Dge that we live in we see
lOme again with greater satisfaction, the thought
hat, when we differ from others, we are right and
hey wrong.
Being mere listener in the Senate of Georgia
3ome three ycnrs tIncc, | heard Judge D., oil
G, speak to the following effect:
"Mr Prcs'dent-l was 10 New York the ltsl |
summer; and as passed up and down Broadway
observing the CqupIges that rolled by and The IN.
iicaiIons Of wealth and leisure on every side, the
enquiry rose ~ my mind, how IL could be that three
hundred thousand people existed there, doing bot
little producing nothing, md yet enjoying the IuEu.
rIes that the Of The world are aiming AZ Az
tor some speculatons that threw little light on what
he'd puzz ed me, / went through the commercial
part Of the cityi there saw wharf covered with
bales Of cotton. went 10 another, and there again
were piles Of cotton; a third, | md rice nnd to-
baccO passed on, and still found cotton rice |
nnd cotton again cotton every where. And said /
10 myseIf-thC wonder Is explained these people |
I've exchanges. IL is tho exchange Of our pro-
ducts that sustans them! Our great staples iced
them. coihc them, nrd nh their pocketslr
The Judge enlarged with some enthusiasm on
this view Of things. | admired hs zeal for South
err interests and his warm m maintaining the rights
that seemed founded on Southern productions. lie
was listened TO with dgCp attention and most Of his