The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-02


form of revenue duties, are so high as TO exclude
foreign nations from competing with these North
ern States for our custom, IN many articles; whilst
ia all other articles they enjoy an advantage over
their foreign rivals equivalent to their receiving
present from the Federal Government of from IF
teen TO thirty-fve dollars upon every hundred
dollars worth of goods which they manufacture
and sell at the South. To estimate properly the
immense importance of these advantages 10 the
Northern States, il must be borne In mind that
the customer is no insignificant one |; but numbers
now, perhaps, by the present census, nine millions
Of population and that manufacturing ut present
little among themselves, they are almost entirely
BUYERS and not sellers of those articles which the
Northern States and foreign nations send to them.
SNOW, these things being promised, let any
man ask himself what would be the effect, if these
bounties Of the Federal Government were taken
away ; and not only taken away, but the burden
Of an import duty added to the cost of manufac-
turing. The separation Of the Southern from the
Northern States, would render it necessary for us
to have a revenue of our own, which, on peace
establishment, may be assumed to be about 20 per
cent. at an average. We will also assume that
the average amount Of bounty which the Northern
manufacturers now receive, under our present
revenue laws, is also 90 per cent. II is in reality
much more The account then will stand thus.
In the Union they have present now made them
OF S20 for every hundred dollars worth OF goods
which they manufacture; which adds just SO much
to the profits of their labor. Separated from us,
they lose, first, the government present of 20 per
cent. and have, secondly, to add to the loss 90
per cent more in the form of a revenue duty, to
be paid to the Southern United States making
difference to them, in the profit Of their indus
try, Of 40 per cent. Can any sane man believe
for moment that manufactures which are now
fostered by bounties Of 20 per cent, and, their
advocates tell u.s. scarcely thrive at that, can exist
for a year, when 40, or even 90 per cent Of their
profits are distracted from them II would be alb
surd to suppose SO. ia. ..ga @r*
cit may be confidently assumed, then, that the
separation of the Northern States from US, which
would be followed by the loss of their present
bounties, and the additions of new burdens on
their labor, would bankrupt almost every manu-
featuring establishment at the North and would
throw out of employment hundreds of thousands
of their citizens, who would have to throng in
their other departments of industry to seek live
lihood. But what other department Of their in
dustry would be in better condition, or could re-
ceiye them Certainly not their agricultural, which
cannot compete now with the South and West in
any article which they can grow to profit. Not
their navigation interests, for, under the state Of
things which we are supposng, the tonnage boun
ties being taken from them, and duties ofour own
burdsned upon them instead, and our freights be-
ing given to our foreign customers, or perhaps on
y small share given TO Northern ship-owners,
their navigation interest would dwindle, and their
sailors would have to seek employment elsewhere.
Their commercial department could not receive
them since, exporting our agricultural products
in vessels Of our foreign customers, and establish
ing direct trade between our own ports and those
counties, we not only shall have no need for
Northern merchants to do our business, hut, be-
ing derived Of the immense capital which they
now have the use Of, in exporting so large por-
ton OF rich agricultural staples, they would be de-
priyed of the chief support upon which thei: for
eign commerce is now kept so prosperous, and
without which it must drag on, in feeble and
sickly existence.
Every department of Northern industry being
doomed to heavy injury, diminishment and decay,
by this withdrawal Of the bounties which they
now enjoy in the Union, and the competition
which they will have to encounter out of it from
other nations; and millions Of their citizens thrown
out Of employment to seek for it elsewhere. hut
which cannot be found at home-for the first ef-
fects of our separation from them will be incalcu-
liable distress among their citizens and the next,
the emigration Of their citizens, with their capital,
to other States, where it can be made to be more
profitable. The "Southern United States" will
of'r the strongest temptations to them for such
emigration and Investment Of capital i will be
necessary only to the line, and settle within
her borders, to renew the privileges which they
formerly enjoyed under the old Union; and who
doubts but that it will be eagerly embraced, and
thousands abstracted from the population, and
millions from the capital of the North
But it is not merely in the widespread injury
which will be inflicted upon every department Of
industry at the North, that the effects Of separa-
ton from us will be felt by their citizens. We
infinitely profitable TO them in another way. We
are the tao payers whilst they are the tax re-
ceiuers and tax spenders. They have contrved by
adroit management, and through their ma jority in
Congress, to collect large revenues, which are
drawn chiefly from our Southern labor; and after
the treasury has been filled, they have not been
wanting in pretexts, some Of them the most fimsy
and unconstitutional, to empty il into the laps Of
HI. IL
it for public works within their own limits, to
benefit their own section. The domestic exports
Of the United States in 1S4S, (the latest year of
which have return by me,) were within a triae
Of Sl33, 900 900; Of which the share Of the South
ern States was about S95,000,000 leaving the
balance of S2S ,000, 000 the share of the North
ern States. These brought US return Of 1885,
OOO,000 of imports:-of which the share Of the
South would be about $1lO, 900 900, and that of
the North about $45,00O,000. Now, supposing
that all these imports pay duties, (Which is now
the case) at an average Of 20 cent, (Which is less
500 100000 towards the annual revenue Of the
General Government, while the North contributes
but 80 1000, 900. But how stands the account of
the disbursement Of these $3l 000, 900 OF revenue?
Are the % 000, 900 which taken from the labor
of the South expended at the South, to enrich her
citizens and improve her section; and only the
100000 which are contributed by the North
spent among her people? Far, very far, is this
from being the case. We have not within our
reach the documents which are necessary to ex-
hibit this point; but we see, and feel, and know
that harsh injustice is done in this matter 1t has
been asserted, on good authority, that seven
nnths of the income Of the General Government
are spent at the North; and but two -nnths at the
South. According to this estimate, whilst the
Southern States contribute of the $3l 900 600,
500 900 900, they receive back, to be spent among
their people, but S6,900000; and whilst the North
contributes but 80 900, 900 to that fund, they con-
rive to divert the current Of expenditure out of
its natural channels, to spend the enormous
amount of S24 900 among her own people,
which is $4,000, 900 annually more than they
contribute; and the same amount so much taken
from the profits Of our industry, to enrich their own
citizens and section. This is equally true Of the
revenue also from the sale of our public lands, and
all other sources of our public income, amounting
to near 81, 900 900 more, which swells the amount
disbursed among the Free-so States, to nearly
S2S, 100000, whilst the sums expended at the
South are less than SS,000,000.
" In estimating, then, the value of the Union to
them, as it has no doubt often been cyphered out
in the true Clock Maker" State by the "Sam
Sticks" of the North, it has been without doubt