The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-14

treated such assaults with the contempt winch
they merit.
THE DEPENDENCE OF THE SoUTH-Tbe fol-
lowing extract from an admirable article which
appeared in the Columbus, Georgia, Sentinel, is
so exactly suited for perusal at this Juncture by
our citizens, that we take much pleasure in trans
ferring it to our columns:
In what is the South dependent? Is it that
she cannot feed herself? Incredible as it may
seem to those who have been accustomed to
| look to the Northwestern States as the great
| provision market of America, the Southern
States actually produce mere corn and wheat,
and cattle and hogs in proportion to their popu-
lation than the Northern States In the Patent
| Office Report for l848, we find that in 1910
there were thirty EIGHT bushels of grain--Awheat
and corn-for every person, produced at the
South, and eighteen bushels at the North.
There were, the same year, one hundred and
four neat cattle, and two hundred and twenty
six hogs for every hundred persons South, while
at the North there were only seventy-six neat
cattle, and one hundred and one hogs for every
hundred persons The Southern States supply
themselves and the North with rice, and export
several millions of dollars worth besides. The
production of sugar in the South amounts to
two hundred millions of pounds enough to sup
ply every white and black person with sixteen
or seventeen pounds, and leave fty-three millions
of pounds to spare. Nearly all the tobacco in
the Union is produced in the Southern States
In none of the articles of necessary consump-
ton for food, and in very few of the luxuries of
life, can the South be said to be dependent upon
any other quarter Of the globe. Is she depen-
dent upon the North for clothing! So far from
it, we clothe the world. is it meant, then, that
the individual or collective wealth of the South
is at all dependent upon union with the North
We think it would puzzle the political econo-
mist to answer what branch of industry at the
South derives one cents advantage from our
connection with the North. Not the agricultural
interest certainly. The entire revenue system
of this country is one of fraud npon the agri-
cultural interests of the South II is fact
susceptible of demonstration that since the estab-
lishment of this Union to this time, the South
has paid nearly three hundred and fifty millions
Of dollars more than her proper share towards
the support of this Government, and we may by
an argument almost to demonstration, show
that almost this entire amount has been taken
from the pockets of the cotton planter. The
manufacturing interest of the South is not less
certainly injured by its connection with that in
terest at the North. The shipping interest has
proportionably suffered more by the Union thar
any other. So much for some of the individual
interests of the South. What would be tn,
source of her revenue if she were separated from
the North The cotton, tobacco and rice of The
| Southern States control the commerce of the
| world. They furnish the principal articles OF
our export trade, aud return in the shape of i'm
ports, upon which is imposed the burden of the
| revenue of this Government Were the South
| and North separated, this trade would be in
creased by just as much rs the Northern con.
sumption now amounts to, and at the moderate
tariff of ten per cent. would furnish us a revenue
of $2O,O00,OOO. Or is it meant that the South
would die for want of patronage, which it now
receives from the Government! Let us briefly
see what the patronage amounts to. The whole
amount of duties collected up to 1916 was
1922, O5O,O97, and of this sum the Southern
States paid $7ll, 100000. In addition to this,
the States have ceded to the General Govern
ment public lands amounting to sSl25,000,000
making the actual aggregate contributions of the
Southern States to the Union, of 1886, 100000.
How much has she received? In public lands,
for purposes of internal improvements, she has
received $4,OO0,OO0, while the North has re-
ceived $4,000 Up 10 l845 there had been
appropriations of money, made by the General
Government for purposes of internal improve
hSuto III VIC houtti, 90, sVV,Voos WhhS VIC win
has received Sl2700,000. These are but some
| of the items of expenditure, and may be takcr
as fair exhibition of the course which has been
| pursued by the Government in the distribution
of revenue raised by taxes on the South. W.
should not suffer much, then, by that patronage
being withheld. But perhaps the idea is, th,
South could never defend herself She can pu
an army in the field that might defend her agains
the allied powers of England and the Northerl
States. But the Southern States would neve
fight alone, if they preferred to employ other
to do their fighting for them. Her cotton, sugar
rice and tobacco, would give her advantages II
forming alliances with the commercial powers o
the globe, that will at once make her the umpir'
and mistress of the nations of the world
Independence! The Southern States Nigh
form confederacy that would be the only inde
pendent power under the sun. What is it tina
contributes to the life, the peace or the happi
ness of mankind that they do not produce
Build wall around them, or blot all nation
besides from the globe, and they are as rich an
as well supplied with all the necessaries Of III
as they were before. And yet TO speak OF on
dependence upon the Northern States the SUI
dependent upon the moon for light, the ocen
on the Hudson river for water the South upo
the North for----WHAT?
\ sg" There is no choice in the I'd Congress