The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-12-30
EFFECTS OF 4 TARIFF ON THE
NORTH AND SOUTH.

We COpY from the savannah f,spuOu-
can 90 Interesting letter from Boston gen.
remsn, touching the effects Of rarif-a
subject which IS again beginning TO attract
great public consideration. The views OF
the writer may pass with tho reader for
what they are worth, and with some IN the
South, who have been in the habit of con-
sdering Tariff the deadhesi foe TO South.
ern interests, they may be considered II
70 reasonable. Bu, this shall not deter Us
from endeavoTng TO put into the possession
Of our readers the ablest views on every
side Of every great question of public coz.
ceru.
Ia no State Of the Union h1s It been
more fashionable 10 denounce a FanG as
every thing moos,roUs, than IN Virginia.
Here IT has long constituted one OF the Deb
gobhns, which that " old mischief maker
of the Enquirer has paraGed before the
public, to terriiy all Of weak nerves aud
still weaker intellect. He had got the kink
into bis oSn head, probably honestly, pos.
sibly no:-and he could never get over II.
II is part Of his system, when once be has
taken up aIIacy, never 10 abandon ii, and
when il has taken hold upon The public
mind, it ,hen assumes the sanc,iiy OF Ro.
nish mage. Il IS too holy to be touched
Ito question its divinity is little short o.!
sacrlege. Along with several other kin
d.ed absurdities, be has enrolled the Tariff
in tbs holy category. He will not think
twice 90 the sublec. himself, lest ray Of
light should penetrate to the beulghled re.
gion Inhabited by bis last generation read.
ers.
We, Of late years have devoted some
lime 10 the investigation Of the system Of
iDpos,ure, so arGfully constructed by tbs
iade!ahgable political cheat, tor tue delu-
s.oa Of mankind, And among other sub
jscls We have had cur attention drawn 10
the Tariff. We say II stated, broadly and
Toand!y, that Tariff was Unconstitutional
we looked to the Consulution itself, and
found there the assertion llly contradlcled
for the power, full and unqualified, is ex
pressly given 10 Congress to impose duties.
In fact, The constitutional night Of Congress,
IN t5ls particular, was never questioned VI.
I'll The late Judge Barbour. ~ some oil his
abstract yagarles, stumbled upon II. Il
was capital for the SO called Virginia
School-and il has been used IN thai way
TO the present day.
The constitutional difficulty removed,
we have looked TO the effects Ct rarfT
upon tho North aud the Sou.h-so far as
we could ascertain and understand them.
We have seen that all the predictions Of the
Slsest heads, previous TO the Tariff OF &c
- 'aa 1--se haao talsitiad by the results.
Dir. Randolph, one OF the m0si saguv-,.,.-
men that ever hyod-aGirmed that the u
creased tariff void destroy the reven4e,
and render resort to direct taxation ne
cessaIy 10 the support of G0Vernmcnt.-
Mr.. Clay aud Mr.. Webster both admitted
the probability Of such ] result. A1d yet
10 few years, The great difficulty 8as 10
dispose OF the Immense surplus revenue -
Those articles, which II was supposed, the
increased duty would exclude altogether, or
render very dear, we're bought cheaper
than ever. And during the greater period
Of the hIgh Tariff, the whole country, the
South as well as the North, enjoyed de
gree OF national prosperity, unprecedented
10 the annas OF any people The Iarf
may not base been, and we co no. suppose
il was, the sole cause oi this palmy state OF
natonal affairs. Bu, tina, II did cot exert d
baneful influence IS manifest; aad that On
the contrary, II vas a potent auxiliary in
the creation Of national wealth, IS greatly
corrobofaied BY the UlIgi. Which has cone
over US since is decline, alnos; to tie pam,
uf admitting articles free Of duty.
As 70 iLr operation Of a TsrF upoa the
South, and Virginia, particularly. 50 con
.ess shat we haze %, been able 10 discover
It's Injurious effects. All the articles We
consumed, we're obtained as cheapIy, land
many Of them more SO, alter the Tariff az
before. 10 yhat then consisted the injury
And on the other hand, what benefit does
Virginia derive from the one sided free
trade at presen, existing Are her pro
ducts favored IN foreign countries, because
Of the admission Of theirs into Cur ports
Let the duty upon our Flour, amounting tt
prohibition, and unon our Tobacco, 3 shlI
hugs sterling the pound, answer. The cot
ton OF the South ls he only staple Of muct
Importance, which is received abroad-an.
the signs indicate that that IS only admitted
Temporarily, until the production Of that ar
iiole IN lndla, nov rapidly on the increase
shall be sufGcien, to supply the English dc
maud.
There IS no subject 50 complicated, snt
the effects Of which are 50 uncerta,c, d,
that of Tariff Of duties. The cti cts cf al
increase or dimnulloa Of daly on any arlf
Gle, have not once 10 ten LINES been aniic!
psied So far from II, 5n nrae cases out o
Ten, jus, the opposite effect from that pre-
dicted has ensued. Take one striking px
ample: The Tariff was increased upon Co!
Zee, the price leIl-the Tariff was reduced
and that which before sold for ten cent
could not be bought for less than -. or it
lbsl proportion. Many similar instance
might be addUced--nll going 10 show Ia
Uncertain effects Of duty--and explodin.
tina! axiom Of the political economists, tia
The consumer pays the duty. By the way
than this axiom, there Is no greater falIac,