Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-01-14
From The Richmond Wing.
EFFECTS OF A TARIFF ON THE
NORTH AND SOUTH.

We copy from the Savannah Repub-
!can all interesting letter from a Bos
ton gettIeman, touching the effects Of a
TaritT-a subject which IS again begin.
ming 10 attract great public considera-
tion. The views Of the writer may
pass with The reader for what they are
worth, and with some in the South, who
have been in the habit CT considering a
Tariff the deadiesl foe TO Southern in.
terests, they may be considered next to
reasonable But this shall not deter
US from endeavoring to put into the
possession Of our readers the abIest
views on every side Of every great ques.
ton Of public concern.
In no State of the Union has it been
more fashionable TO denounce Tariff
as every thing monstrous, than in Vir'
eina. Here it has long constituted one
Of he hob gobIins which that old mis-
chief maker Of the Enquirer has parad
ed before the public to terriCy all Of
weak nerves and still weaker inlelecIs
He had got the kink into his own head,
probably honestly, possibly not and he
could never get over it. 1t is part of
his system, when once he has taken up
falacy, never TO abandone it, and when
il has taken hold upon the public mind
il then assumes the sanctity of Romsh
image. 1t is too holy TO be touched -
to question It's divinity is little short of
sacrIege. Along with several other
kindred absurdities, he has enrolled the
Tariff in this holy category. He will
not think twice on the subject himself
lest a ray of light should penetrate to
the benighled region inhabited by his
last generation readers.
We, of late years, have devoted some
time TO the investigation Of the system
Of imposture, so arfully constructed by
this indelatigable political cheat for the
decision Of mankind. And among olher
subjects we have had our attentio
drawn 10 the Tariff. We saw it stated,
broadly and roundly, that Tariff was
unconstItutional-we looked to the Con
atitution ITSELF, ard found there the as
serlion fatty contradicted - for the pow
or, full and unqualified. is expressly Civ
en- 10 Congress to impose duties. In
fact, the constitutional right Of Con
gress, in this particular, was never ques'
toned unit! the late Judge Barbour, in
some Of his abstract vagaries, stumbled
upon it 1t was capital for the so called
Virginia School-and it has been used
in that way to the present day.
The constitutional difficulty removed
we have looked 10 the effects Of Tarrf
upon the North and South-so far as we
could ascertain and understand them
We have seen that all the predictions Of
the wisest heads. previous to tie Tariff
of 'l6 and '29, have been (asi6ed by
the results. Mr.. Randolph, one OF the
most sRgacious men that ever lived
affirmed that The increased Tariff would
destroy the revenue, and render a re
sort 10 direct taxation necessary TO The
support Of Government, Mr., Clay ard
Mr.. Webster both admitted the proba
blity Of such a result. And yet in (
few years, the great difficulty was t
dispose Of the immense surplus revenue
Those articles, which it was supposed
the increased duty would exclude alto,
gelher, or render very dear, were
bought cheaper than ever And durInt
the great period Of the high Tariff, lh'
whole country, the South as we'll as th'
North, enjoyed a degree Of naliona
prosperity, Unprecedented in the annal
OF any people. The Tariff may no
have been, and we do not suppose il was
the sole cause of this paImy state Of ma
tonal affairs. But that it did not exer
a baneGul influence is manifest; and tha
on the contrary, it was potent auxlla
~ in the creation Of national wea' a'th, l.
greatly corroborated by the blight which
has come over US since its decline, al
most to the point Of admitting article
free Of duty.
As to the operation Of Tariff upol
the South, u Virginia, parlicuI arly, W
confess that we have not been able t
discover its injurious effects. All tn
articles we consumed, were obtained a
cheap'y, land many Of them more so,
after the Tariff as before. In wba
thon consisted the injury? AMI on til
other. hard, what benefit does Vrginj
derive from the one sided free trade o
present existngf Are her product
favored in foreign countries, because c
the admission OF theirs into our ports
Let the duty upon our Flour, amountr
TO prohibition, end upon our Tobacco,
shiIlings sterling the pound, answer
The Cotton Of the South is the only stt
pie Of mach importance, which IS re
ceived abroad and the signs indicst