The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-07-03

will be melted and mingled into one gener-
al prayer OF Joy. and thsnkfnlness, and
safety.
Enquiry into the Cause. which have Kesar-
snrdcd the Accommodation or Wealth nnd
Increase &C Population iu the Southern
states. Yy CHrolimiau.
CHAPTER V.
In the foregoing chapters have maintain.
ed that slavery is the great cause Of the un-
prosperous condition of the South; and have
endeavored to show in wha, way i, affects
the productive energies Of the country. |
will now notice another circumstance TO
which the same evils have been attributed
1t is asserted by the advocates OF Free Trade
that the South owes lis misforunes and pow
erty solely TO the Protective Policy which
benefits the manufacturer at the expense of
the aglculturiSt. | have no wish 10 con.
trovert the doctrines of Free Trade. or Pro,
lection, st present; but ! shall endeavor to
show that neither can be an adequate cause
Tor the great disparity which exists in the
condition of the Northern and Southern sec
tons OF the Union. Ii is contendcd BY
the advocates of Free Trade that the duties
which are imposed on foreign manufactures,
coming in competition with similar articles
made in this country, operate as a tax upon
the consumer for the benefit of the home
producer and that when such duties exceed
the revenue standard, they in affect take
money OH; Of the poke, of the farmer with
out any equivalent, in order to enrich the
manufacturer. The extent TO which the
Tariff is alleged to perform this operation OF
robbjns the oultvator Of the soil is equal TO
the difference between the price at which
foreign goods would sell in our market with.
on, Tariff and that at which they sell with
il, OF at which the home manufacturer can
afford his. The advocates of the Tariff
deny oil this, and maintain the tax mainly
falls on the foreign producer. while the home
competition renders prices as low or even
lower than they would be without Tariff,
10 say nothing of the advantages Of the do.
nestle market, which is inciden, TO the man.
ufacturing establishments. But. for the pur-
pose of my argument, it may be admitted
that the Free Trade theory is conect--al-
low that the Tariff is as injurious as they
contend it is 10 agriculture and commerce
why, | would ask, should all the evils
fall upon the South and none upon the
North! Why is no, the North impoversh.
ed! Why do the free States, without an ex.
cepiion, whether they be engaged chiefly
in agriculture, manufactures, or commerce
continue to increase in population and wealth
in an unprecedented ratio, while the South
languishcs! In the free States, whether
new or old, towns and cities are everywhere
to be met with, exhibiting every elemen, o.
prosperous growth; and whether the Tariff
be high or low, they go on from year tc
year TO increase in importance. But tht
reverse Of all this is true in the South. Ia
riff or no Tariff, the older slave-holdne
States seem to be subject to an irreversbl'
law OF decline. This cannot be attributed
to the density of their population, which i
in fact very small compared even with on
own free States, and almost nothing in con
trast with the States of Europe,
I From 1880 to 1910 the population o
Virginia and the Carolinas made almost n
advance. On the other hand, Alabama
Mississippi, and Louisiana, increased rapid
ly. If the Tariff produced the misfortune
Of the former, what caused the prosperit
Of the latter? But now the same stagna
ton is beginning to be felt in the new State:
which has hitherto been witnessed in the old
The good cotton lands are becoming e,
, hausted, and slavery has performed its mi
, SON. Emigration to those States will in
few years cease, and the tide will pass on |
/ Texas, which, in its turn. will undergo III
same process Of rapid settlement, early mi
t,uity, and speedy decline.
| II the Tariff inIurio'lsly affects agricultm
c it must be most severely felt by tia, speci'
: which is least profitable. Those section
4 of tho country which are chiefly or Who'll
S concerned in the production OF grain, fruit
a and vegetables, and cattle and horses, wou
Y if the position am combating be true, e
hibit an appearance Of the greatest exhau
5 ton and poverty; while the sections prod
y cling tobacco, cotton and rice-articlcs whit
i enjoy the monopoly Of every market in Il
k wordsworth be supposed to suffer lea
y from the burthens Of the Tariff. But
t. fact the grain growing States are in {
e better condition than those producing 4
% great staples. A glance at the map Of 4
d United States will show, by those exponer
d of social advancement-towns and cities
= that the farming States are much ahead
J. the planting in all the constituents Of r
rs tional wealth.
II The proportion Of capital invested
ct manufactures in the Northern States is We
g. uncomfortable, compared with that engag
re in other branches Of industry-and tharp
S, portion Of capital engaged in the manuf'
he iure of articles which depend on protectic
d. is still less. The Protective policy. the
ct fore, cannot account for the prosperity
y. that section, any more than it cannot cas
=, the impoverishment Of the South.
% But the commerce Of the South langui
1t . o. much - IT. agriculture. II p II