Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1844-09-27
Federal s. PatriOtiSnl.,,

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Perhaps there is not word in the English Ian.
guage which has been more wiley misreprescnted
or which has suffered more at the hands of Federal
demagogues than the noun substantive, patriotism.
We don't know, however, that we recollect of its
any occasion before, it is nowadays by the
Federal Wing party, when they urge it as an a.
gument for, and in connexion with, Protective
Tariff. Why, say they, in their appeals to the
you not much sooner, when you go to lay out
your money for manufactured goods purchased
your own countrymen than of British paupepi
Patriotism, say they, calls upon you to aid and
petition of foreign pauper labor. Now, although
we are aware that the leaders of the Federal party
know better than to believe that true patriotism
has any thing to do with taxing one portion of
the community for the aggrandizement of another,
yet they know that, when they appeal to our love
of country and our we'll founded dislike to Eng.
land and English interests they strike upon two
of the most deep toned and easily touched chords
in the American bosom. When the question is
asked of the good citizens of North Carolina,
What! you not willing to extend the arm Of
protection to your own countrymen. against the
labor of English paupers, we know that the gene
r0ss response. dictated by the spirit of patriotism,
and made without reflection, will sometimes be in
the affirmative; hence you can't listen to sim
gle Wing speech, nowadays, in which the orator
don't make /" British pauper labor" and its couls
ing in competition with the industrial pursuits Of
our own free sons, the staple of his discourse
Thus it u.s. that, in all ages, the. insidious advan.
ces of the demagogue, who aims at the subverson
of what is really the interest of the " many" and
who wishes to see the ''few" made rich and power
full at their expense, have been covered under
the halowed and sacred name of Patriotism
Now, for our town part we have taken up what
may appear to our Federal neighbors rather
an antiquated idea of the word Patriotism. We
had thought it meant love of each and every
portion of our country, and of each and every IN
terest which exists in the Union and we had ta'
ken up the idea that patriotism did not demand oil
one class of our citizens, and that class infinitely
the largest, to make sacrifice of their best inter
ests for the purpose of unnecessarily enriching an
other and IN point of numbers a comparatively ms
significant one. And we would appeal to the peo-
pie Of North Carolina, who, we are conviaesd, are
as patriotic and union loving people as aay ntbs
country, and who would go asfar as any etheEs ID
justice, to aid and assist their northern hseah'es
the manufactures, and ask them if they think neS
are called upon to pay any class iii ths ont'ea
States n exoEbtant price for such articles IS 'as'
went to purchase merely because they are iehO"'
citizens We think their answer will be, no.
But, to illustrate this, we will put case suPpO"
two citizens in New Hanover County. were g'ps
to commence business in the Mercantile line; aH
:, suppose each of them had "a relation in New lors
whittier they, had gone to- lay in their stosS o.
goods in the whole sale line there, who sed s000A
:, say 30 per cent. higher than they could be Rs',
: chased at other places. Now. again, suppose u,'
one of these men were TO purchase Of his relation
paying 90 per cent. higher than market price, s'S
u ly because he was his relation. and suppose w
other was to buy where he could get what be "sD'
/ ed cheapest, would not every man who heard :
70 the transaction say that the one had acted toOD"
: and unjustly to himself while the other bad ~
n sued the. wise and proper course Such is''..
n freemen Of North Carolina do we think : pls'.r
ID ly parallel case 70 that Of the South pHrcna'
W at exorbitant price Of the North, vhea she ~
10 obtain what she wants. cheaper elsewhere W.
g, opt injustice to any class. Should ske c0n an
m to do 50, the Northern Manufacturer cannoI - 4
= laugh in his sleeve at our extreme gullatily az
OF our eccentric ideas about patriotism.