Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-05-31

one lamp to every Cd miles of shore and to every
40 miles of coast at the south one lamp to every
SO miles of Shore and to every 90 4 miles of coast
Scarcely half as many lamps as the north had
| light houses And yet at this time the south was
/ paying fve-sixths of the revenue. The proper
tons in other years not materially different ;
we might multiply examples at pleasure. (See
the annual reports.
Another fruitful source of expense, which threat
ems to grow larger, is the internal improvement
system, and like all the rest it bears with pecu-
liar weight upon the south. Before the year 1845,
(see A Sen Doc 1867, there had been spent
upon roads, harbors, and rivers (exclusive of the
Mississippi and Ohio, which are common to both
sections, the sum of $16, 2O1 1898. Of this sum-
the south received $45l to improve each ten miles
square of her erea, equal to SO, 757, 816, while
S12, TAB, 4O7, that is So, 805 for each ten miles
square, allotted to the north.
The south paid not only all that she ever re-
ceived back in these appropriations but also $10,
| 49, 184 for the exclusive benefit of the north
The cost of the forty eight miles of the Cumber-
land road in Maryland and Virginia, s ,O20, 239
is included for that road was designed for the
northwest. But if it is deducted, there are still
left So, 121 ,945 paid by southern labor for the
internal Improvements of the north
The history of this system illustrates rule to
which history offers no exception, that tribute
grows with the strength of the collectors. Before
1924, the only appropriation of any considerable
size for internal Improvements was SG07, 900 for
the Cumberland road, east of the Ohio river
About that time the north became stronger by
new apportionment of representation, and the
fortunate concession on the Missouri question
cOuraged her to new encroachments upon the south
From 1894 to 1888 inclusive, the Federal Gov
ernment gave for internal improvements to the free
States SIS, 1874, AL, 81 As per ten miles square
From 834 to 1845 inclusive, the north received
90
the south ST. Ill 500, or $192 for the same area.
In the first period the north received from the
treasury 7.2 times much the south in the
next period, 8.3 times as much.
In the first period the south paid, over and above
what was given back to her, So, ,642 900 to i'm
prove the north and SIS, 731 900 in the second pc
riod, an increase on the yearly average of 81 per
cent
The inequality was especially great among the
old thirteen States.
New England received 1,1O1, ,73O, equal to
$1,715, to improve every ten miles square. New
York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey received So
226, $50, equal to $5,234, to improve every ten
miles square The old plantation States, Virgin
Ia Maryland, the Caronas and Georgia received
1868, 100, equal to $500, to improve every ten
miles square.
This needs no comment.
The Presidential veto has arrested these appro~
pflatlOnS SlnCc 1910 congress, however, passed
bills, which gave still more to the north and still
less to the south. The estimates from the Treas
ury Department this winter are of the same char
acter, for which we impute blame to the Ad
minstration it well knows, that nothing more
equal could receive the sanction of Congress- as
now constituted.
The coast survey had cost not much less than a
million of dollars in 1845, and had been almost
entirely confined to the northern coast though the
had Of thoI
south's 21 ,O2I
1t is generally, and perhaps Justly, supposed
that the postoffice system works more equally be-
tween the sections, than any other part of the Fed
eral Administration. Yet, in 1846 the mails were
transported 81, $4,000 miles in the free States,
or AZ miles to every square mile of their area and
only 16, ,O25, 900 miles, GO miles to each square
mile, in the south. In 1847, there were $3.50
post-masters in the north, and only 1864 in the
south, though their population is as 81 to 73, and
their areas (exclusive of Texas) as As to 61 a. |
There is in fact general disposition at the north
to look to Federal expenditures as a means of sup
port and there is constant press on the Admin
istration to supply officers. Hence the immense
rush for removals and scramble for the spoils at
the incoming of every new President, and the car
dinal maxim of northern party management-tol
govern by patronage and not by reliance of prin
ciple. The maxim is utterly repugnant to southern
feeling and practice.
The pension system throws strong light on the
tendency of the people of the free States to quar-
ter themselves on the General Government, at the
same time that it shows the usual progressive in
equality of expenditures between the two sections.
A calculation, founded on data in 5O7, Sen. Doc,
1899, shows that from 1871 to 1888 inclusive,
35, 500, ,964 dollars had been paid for Revolution
ary pensions, of which the north received 28, 262-
597 or 1877 dollars and 90 cents for every soldier
she had in the war, and the south 1886, 1867 dol
lars being only 40 dollars and SO cents for each
of her soldiers. The number of soldiers is here
estimated according to Knox's report, which con-
fessedly, does not show by great deal the full ex
ertions of the south in raising troops. Let then
compare the amounts received with the white pop
ulation of each section in 1890, and we find the
free States in 1888 had received IA dollars and
35 cents of Revolutionary pensions for every soul
In their limits IN the former year. while the south
had received only dollars and 81 cents for every
white But the military efforts of the slaveholding
States were fully in proportion to their whole pop
ulation for the labor of the slaves on the planta-
tions left much larger proportion of their mas
ters free to take up On this supposltion the
southern soldier received only dollars and AZ
cents for the same Revolutionary services which
brought the northern IA dollars and 35 CENTS
This gross inequality remains the same by what
ever test it is tried. For example:
The seven free States contributed to
/ the expences of the war (5) ........ S6l97l l70
And had received in pensions, in 1888 .2S 262 597
Balance in their favor. ............ S33, ,7oS,57a