The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-02-12
1)olitilal Drpartlncl1t.
SPEECH OF MR.. CLINGMAN,
OF NORTH CAROLYN.

In the Y. s. House of Representatives, Janua.
rye, 1850, on The Hilmot Proriso, Stare.
rg &c.
There is throughout the South strong
attachment TO the Union OF these Stales.-
This sentiment rests NOT So much upon any
calculations of interest as on historic assnc-
atoms, and the recollection Of common an
ccs,ria struggles and triumphs. Our rco.
pie take pride in The name OF tlIe UnHed
States, and in being members Of great re-
public that furnishes cheering example to
lhc friends of liberty throughnu the world.
Eut The events of The last few rapid years
are rapidly weakening this feeling. Seeing
that there appeared to be settled purpose
in the North tot put them to the wall. many
of our people, regarding a dissolution of the
Unnn as the inevitable result Of this aggrcs-
SON. have looked forward to the conscqucn.
ccs OF such state o! things.
will tell Northern gentlemen, in the hope
that many ftiem arc not yet past the point
of reason, what is The view presented in
prospect 10 many Of TIC highest ntcI!ccts in
the South. 1t is well known that the exist
ing revenue system operates hardly on the
South and West. The Government raises
upwards oflhIrty millions annually by a du-
tv or tax upon imports. But this system
acts very uucquaIiy on the different sections
orthc country. For illustration of the mode
of opcratLn, will take single article
Railroad iron is produded in England at SO
cheap rate that il can be brought TO this
country and sold, we may say, for forty dol
lars per ton. This is much cheaper than
our people can afford to make ii at. They
therefore ask tho Government TO require the
payment OF twenty dollars per ton by way
Of dulY. The importer, therefore, instead OF
selling for forty dollars per ton, must ask
SKY dollars. TO reimburse himself for what
he has paid out abroad, and to the Govern
mcnt. Every person. therefore. in the Uni
ted States, who purchases railroad iron, has
to pay twenty dollars more for each tnn.-
There arc, however, some advantages to
coun,crbaIancc this loss. In the first place.
some Of our people finding that they can
make profit by selling railroad iron al SIX
lv dollars per ton, engage III The mannlac-
turc aud thus end employment. While so
engaged, these persons consume the produce
of the farmers aud others, and thus make a
home market for agricultural productions
We see, however. that the loss ot twenty
dollars per ton falls on all those IN any part,
Of the Uuitcd States who may consuae lhe
iron: hut The benefit ls confined TO hose per
sons who arc engaged i'll making ron, aud
those who live so near them that they can
conveniently get their produce to the iaclo'
RIGS. In fact, this sort Of manufacturing Is
confined 10 the State Of Pennsylvania. and
perhaps few other localities. But ny con-
s;ilucnls can no more pay the manufacturers
OF PENNSYLVANIA TOR iron in the produclinn ol
Iheir farms than llicv could the rtiSh IRON
masters II is therefore To 0nr advantage,
as wc must pay for II III cash, 10 get IRON at
The luvcs, rate. This is true OF The South
rrn and Western people generally. J his
illustrates tie cii;:c Of our revenue and pro-
lecliyc system. The burden Is dtluscd over
the whole country. bat the benefit is mlcd
10 Inc manufacturers and to those persons
vF,p reside 50 near as to have thereby bet
ter market: very little more than "ne-ihird
Of the Unlon gets the benefit OF The system.
in exclusion mainly ofthc South and West.
Il IS not easy % measure the precise extent
Of this burden. 1t has been estimated that
,wo.;hir,!s Of all The articles which would,
if imported, be subject TO pay duty, arc
pruluccd IN lhc United States. To return.
ior ready illustration, to The case OF ran road
iron. Ii two Of every three tons OF IRON
consumed IN the United States were made
in this country, It would follow that the per-
son who consumed those three tons OF IRON,
while he paid twenty dollars to the Govern
mcri on the ton imported, would pay tor;y
dollars to the home manufacturer: a"d 1t nc
lived 81 far from the manufacturer that he
could not paw him in produce: II woll'L to!.
low tI.at, in fact while he paid the Govern
mcnt but Iwc"iy dollars lie would loose SIX
t. himself IN account of the duty. When,
therefore, the Government gets. as II Is do
ir:. thirty millions of duiiars revenue, lhe
wht,Ie burden of the consumers oi thus c0iIn'
fry. would be on hundred million ni dollars;
of this amount the South pays, according to
lis population and Consumption, forty mlI'
lions uf dollars. The sum think too low in
fact. in the Patent Office report, made TO
the kst Session of Congress, Qhc last one
pubIishch) ii WAS stated by the Commission
er, NJ. Burke Il Northern man, that The an
n,.J ,,luo nf articles manufactured In the