Holly Springs gazette., 1844-04-27
From the New York Courier and Enquirer
THE SOUTH AND THE TARIFF


THE SOUTH AND THE TARIFF
One Of the ablest and best speeches made
in the Senate at lis present session, (which,
by the way. has witnessed displays OF elo
quence and sound argument worthy of It's
best and palmiest days.) is that Of Mr. BER-
RIEN, of Georgia, on the existing Tariff.
He proved most conclusiveIv the consiitu-
tional right, and the general expediencv of
laying duties on imports with discrmina
ting reference TO American Interests. and
vindicated the Tariff Of 1912 from all the
aspersons which have been cast upon its
He spoke at length oflhe progress of manu-
featuring in this country and showed that IL
was gradual but decided II has become
fixed in the policy Of all the Eastern and
Middle States. New Hampshire alone ex
cep;ed, and IFS cause is Southwark Mary
land Is manufacturing State, Virginia and
North Carolina are becoming so and South
Carolina has just received into her bosom
an English manufacturing company from
Manchester. Manufactures of iron are be-
ing established in Georgia and in Alabama
there are now SeUen cotton and wooden fac
tories. In Arkansas similar establishments
have been erected It is clear, therefore
rooted in the policy of the South as they are
already in that of the North The follow
ing passage from Mr.. BERRIEN's Speech
with reference to the alleged hostility ofthe
South to the principle of Protection, is wor-
Thy Of special notice:
"Looking, therefore, to this question as an
American citizen, do not feel at liberty, in
.he actual condition of the country, to dis
turb the existing system Of revenue by the
adoption of measure so fleeing and trans
lent as. any bill would be which could be-
ccme law at the present session OF Cong
ress |! could at most endure only until
the next should assemble This is also my
| Judgment as a Southern man, my verdict
as a Southern planter. So far as that inter
est is affected have as deep stake as any
man have, for whatever Of productive prep
| erty possess is employed in Southern ag
riculture; and while no man has more, or
more imperative claims upon him than l
have. this is the source of their supply.
Sir. IL as precisely because L am a South
ern man. aoith Southern fellings and South
eTB Interests, because nothing which affects
that people can be foreign from my heart,
and because, IN answer TO this appeal 10 our
interest, | feel that when the pocket nerve of
the Southern planter Is touched, mine is as
] liable 10 vibration as that of another, that
/ have addressed you on this occasion. ]
know how little influence my judgment on
this question will have, or can claim 20 have,
with the great body o. my countrymen.
| Vale at raLere qUaRtum p0teSt. desire to
bear to them this testimony of the unwill-
ingness Of one portion of the South, at this
moment, and under the circumstances in
which we are placed, to disturb all the pur-
suits of ind ustry for the purpose of institu.
ting a vain experiment, which cannot en-
dure beyond this parenthetical epoch of our
history We have all much to learn and to
unlearu upon this subject; and when we
shall have passed away, many problems
connected with it will yet remain to be solv-
ed by those who come after US Theoreti-
cal reasoning will exhaust itself in vain at
tempts to accomplish it, and imperfect de
ductions from statistical tables, however ac.
curatey they may be collattd, will be equi.
ly fallacious. 1t is the part Of wisdom tc
pause here, and to profit by the lesson anoth
er years experience will afford US The
political darkness which overshadows u:
will then have dispersed and ''orighteI
hours will come ;" for, whoever may be
"Lords of the ascendant" we shall have, fol
a time at least, system and stability. The
interest of eighteen milhcnS of people are
confded 20 our care. We should not pu
these to the hazard oil vain and transient ex
periments. That years experience viii
show US the defects of the existing system o
revenue, If 1t be defective, and will guide Vi
, in the application of the remedy. Let u
not refuse its aid, nor be too confident in ou
own wisdom"