The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-20


"The South has potent weapon of defence in
her hands against the encroachments of anti
slavery upon her political rights If she will WELD
it with vigor she fight the enemy upon his
ground, and turn the tide Of opinion, or at least the
course of political action at the North in her own
favor.
"This weapon of defence is non intercourse rcih
The North Let the South determine to cut loose,
far practicable, its commercial and business
connexions with the North. State legislation
be brought to bear in way, within the limits of
the Federal Constitution, which will go far TO eff
feet this But in addition to this, rather in add
vance of this, individual action can be brought to
bear in the various communities Of the South in a
way TO be felt at the North.
every branch Of trade and every departing Mt
Of business will feel the influence Of a diversion Of
southern trade from northern towns and cities. ).
Wonderland from gentlemen now here from
Alabama, that many Of the planters in their
lion of the State have already notified the mer-
chants they trade with that they will purchase no
more articles of merchandise manufactured or i'm.
ported from the North. Hereafter il is their deter
minaton to give the preference in all cases to arti
clcs Of southern or Of foreign manufacture.
'1fthis example were generally followed through
out every slaveholdng state-if non intercourse
ing out these views-the results, independent Of
State legislation, would tell powerfully on north
crn interests, and through them northern polit-
cal opinion abduction.
owe can adopt State regulations which could
e1cctually cut off the cotton and other products Of
the South from northern ports, and thus strike an
impressive blow at important northern interest,
while the markets of the whole world besides would
be open for the sale of this great and necessary
staple.
owe can in the same way keep out of our south
crn market thousand Of articles Of northern manu-
facturc Manufactures among ourselves will gradu-
ally spring up to supply the exigencies thus Gre
ated. In tho mean time the most active encourage
ment should be given to direct trade with foreign
countries and direct importatons Lines of steam
crs direct between southern cities and Eu-
rope should be established. These would soon
render us less and less dependent on the North,
and give TO our own people the control of their
own business, without the intervention Of North
crn merchants, factors, and ship.owners, with their
attendant commissions and profits, which have
built up northern cities, and are now a fruitful
source Of their prosperity. Already move has been
made in Virginia for direct trade with Europe.
convention was held on the sth OF July last, at
Old Point Comfort, for the purpose of organizing
Steam Navigation Company, TO ply direct between
Norfolk and Liverpool. This is but the beginning
Of tho end. Let the good North go on, and the
South may yet control her own political destinics-
be independent Of the snti-slavery States, and
reach point Of prosperity hitherto deemed unat-
tainable"
Now, if the means can be devised Of carry
ing such views into effect without an infringe
ment Of the Constitution, we are by no rneans
clear that they would tend to disunon. II is
certainly to be desired that the people of any
State who may contemplate a dissolution of the
Union should avail themselves of every practi-
cable opportunity for getting the materials, by
actual experiment, for preliminary calculation