The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-07-09

l would not allow the Palmetto Flag
to float by sufferance only. Whilst
it would represent as proud, as spiri.
ted people as ever lived, it would
be regarded as the emblem of
Slayeholding Commonwealth. Macy
would be tempted to insult it from
wantonness. How would the proud
spirited people of the State feel, to
hear that their flag had been pulled
down and torn to pieces by a Boston
whaling party, or by a vessel from
Liberia. or in any other way? How
could they avcngc the insult +? If
the State assumes national responr
sibility, it must provide also the attri-
hutes and means Of national power.
1t must have a navy and all the 9th.
cr appliances of national dignity. 1t
cannot rely with safety on the comfy
of nations, or on a code founded in a
sublime Anthropopathy. Itseems to
be thought by some with great conf
dence, that by opening her ports with
low duties on imports, South Carolina
could, under the temptations Of free
trade, invite the commerce Of the
world to her shores. Well, perhaps,
if all would be good, and do as South
Carolina might think they should do,
something Of this might come to pass.
But games are generally conducted
by adversary hands; and sometimes
play is made by one that may not be
thought by the other to be secunden,
artcm. None Of of us suppose that
the Federal government would re-
cognize the Indcpondcnt- of South
Carolina; or would be disposed to
'ana saorafDercial treaties With llcT,~
O. s..e 3a ny having ample Gul......
that Government would make war ON
our commerccin pvery way it could.
1t would bestow boun.ies IN, and give
preference to, our pci2hboring ports.
It, so far as it could, would make
treaties with foreign nations to isolate
our condiiGn- and cripple our 1855 es.I
! @o..lli isssl a.
: AZ Is;,
might confne US TO our exports alone
as tho basis of our commercial re-
sources. | understand that tie arti-
clcs Of commerce that come into our
ports, coastmisc and by foreign i'm
portations, amount in value to some
thing over $2,O00,0QO. Ofthis sum
more than .hree-fourth finds its way
into other States; into Georgia,
North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee;
leaving something under 100000
to be consumed in this State.
1t is contendcd that under the op-
crations of Free Trade more would
come in, and in some way or other it
would find its way out. Now if
South Carolina was sepcralc SOW
ercisnty, with free port, there is
no doubt she might attract greater
commerce than now comes to her
ports. provided ii could find a market
out of her borders But could it
find its way out without violating the
revenue laws Of other nations? Ii
is said "a rose by any other name
smells as sweet We might intro.
ducc as much commerce rs we
please, and send it to Savannah riy.
er, under what some would call
brisk Free Trade, but what, in the
estimation of others whose rights
would be involved, would be re-
garded as smuggling if carried
across their borders in violation
Of their laws. 1t would be an
acknowledged right Of the Federal
Government, to regard South Caro-
lima as stranger, and to place her
commerce going into the ports Of the
States in the Union under an cwbar-
so, and so far as concerns Georgia
and North Carolina, to regard as
ports of entry, those places only
which communicate by water with
the ocean, such as Savannah and
Wilmington. That Government
might not establish ports at Augusta
and Charlotte, or the North Carroll.
ma line; under this view, commerce
could como into Charleston, but how
could it get out without the process
Of smuggling? At the interior
points indicated, it could not without
smuggling. then put the PROPOSE.
ton, would capitalists import goods
into Charleston, in opposition to the
Federal Government, under the SUP.
position that they could make profit
on them through the operations Of
thrifty smuggling? But in COM
mercial war, the State might be dis
posed to take all advantages, and
it might be to the interest Of
Georgia and North Carolina to
have ports Of entry at Augusta and
near Charlotte. What then? Could
goods pay ten per cent, in Charles,
| ton and forty at these nlaces lin