The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-27

estimate exactly the value to the North of the
monopoly they enjoy OF our whole coasting
trade, and the employment to their shipping the
transportation of our cotton affords 1t has
been estimated by some able men at not less
than $40 900 600 year. The gulf-stream of
prosperity sweeps from the South to the North.
Mr.. President, under such financial operations
of the government, the result upon the two sec
tons of the Union must be inevitable. Let us
compare the condition of the two sections of the
country Just before our revolution and forty
years after. In l760-'69, the Southern States,
with population, as have stated, of 100000,
exported produce TO the value of S42,297,705
while the exports of New England, New York,
and Pennsylvania, with population Of 100000,
were only S9,356,035-less than one-fourth.
Forty years later, in 1871 to 80 the exports of
the same Southern States were but little more
than one-haif of these same Northern States
S222000,000 TO $427,000,000. In l760-69,
South Carolina and Georgia exported twice
much in value as all New England, New York,
and Pennsylvania OF these exports the greater
part was from South Carolina, as Georgia was
in her infancy. In l92l-3O, these States were
exceeded by New York alone. In the former
period, Virginia and Maryland exported five
times as much in value as all New England,
eight times as much as New York, and thirteen
and half times more than Pennsylvania. But,
in the latter period, Virginia and Maryland ex-
ported but $92.00O.000, whilst New England
exported Sl36,OOOo0O, and New York S2l5,-
100000. The registered tonnage of South
Carolina from 1871 to 1897 actually diminished
fifty per cent, whilst that of New York doubled,
and that of Massachusetts trebed
Mr.. President, have gone into these details
to show the operations of the general govern
t,,,, a..
will see that in former days, we of the South
were prosperous and happy How are we now /?
Our commerce is flown, our peace destroyed,
our equality denied. The North formerly poor,
now riots in prosperity, and not only threatens
our liberties, but our existence itself, Can the
operations of government which produced
such results amongst equal States and equal
men, be constitutional? What was the prnci-
pie of taxation for which our fathers commended
in our revolution? 1t was this that the people
of South Carolina should tax themselves, and
thus rule themselves in taxation. Have the
people of South Carolina, for the last twenty
FIVE years, taxed themselves, or ruled themselves
in taxation No, sir. Every tariff, including
the tariff of 1924, has been against their views
of their rights and interests. Her representa-
tives in Congress have presented our continual
and unchanging protest against your whole sys-
TEN of taxation and expenditure. In what re-
speci are the people of South Carolina now
different from the state in which their ancestors
would have been, if they had submitted to the
taxation of England! We are taxed against
our consent-taxed in spite of our representa-
tives. Although it is true, that our ancestors
commended that we should not be taxed without
representation, yet when the B itsh ministry
proposed that we should have six representatives
in I'll cd ApI Univ, r.,
cause six representatives could not control the
taxes to be laid upon them They would have
been as nothing in Parliament of six hundred
men, having different interests, and necessarily
ruling ard overriding them. They therefore
disdalned the proposition. The people Of South
Carolina have stood in exactly the same position
in the Congress Of the United States that our
fathers would have done in the British Parlia-
ment. We have bsen taxed without our consent,
in spite of our representatives. Onr fathers
fought for self-government, self-tax stioD self
appropriation of the taxes after theyw raised.
That was the ground for which they fought !;
and they said that if they did not fight, they
would not only be subject colonies, but degraded
and ruined colonies England would exhaust
their means, by raising taxes to be expended
away from them. Are we in any other condi.
ton now? The South is nothing else now but
the very best colony II the North any people
ever possessed. England has not now, and never
had, such colonies. The feeble South has been
uniformly taxed against her will. contrary to her
will, and against her convictions Of right Under
the pretext of levyng duties for revenue, this
government has laid dutie., not for revenue, but
TO the exclusion of revenue, for the benefit of
Northern manufacturers, and ras thus compelled
the Southern people TO minister to the aggran-
dizement and wealth Of the North At this
moment, in Great Brittin-that country where,
/ according even to senatorial orators, the people
are ground 10 pOwder-,he tariff is but 20 per
cent, and that on the Injuries Of life ours is
! 80 per cent. on tie necessities Of life. We
are colonies, sir; and after submit ting 10 the
operation Of such q system Of government for
50 many years is il at all surprising that now, in
her day Of eliminating prosperity and power,
the North, having already taken twenty. eight
States, should also take territory from the South
enough for twenty.one more No. sir il is
not at all surprising
/ When the question in relation 10 the terri
tories came up, what had we a right 10 expect,
except thst the principle which had heretofore
/ governed the North, should govern them then ?
/ | knew that it would be so. am not one Of
those who have been deceived by the result !
knew it would be 80 ard hence when, on re-
turning TO the city of Charleston, | was called
upon 10 give an account Of my mission-and
after a representative had previously declared
that, in his opinion, the line Of 80 deg 80 min.
would be adopted 10y the NORTH frankly
stated nv opinion that it would not We conceded
10 ~. ! there said that the South would not
even get the poor pittaGce Of 81 deg 80 min,
although that would give her but ope.fourth OF
the territory. Subsequent events, have realized
what then said Looking at what occurred in
1888, when the other Southern States, after
having taken high ground with South Carolina
abandoned her. ventured 10 ~ go,t then, al so
that il wac probable they would do 20 again
and 10 that event, ! was for South Carolins
resisting alone. 10 expressing this opinion,
did no more than counsel South Carolina 20 do
what Virgins, Georgia, Mississippi, and other
South m States had declared they would do
They declared, not that they would wait fol
assistance from other : aies, but that they
| Themselves, each for itself wouli, at every haz
ard, and 10 the last extremity, resist these og
pressiOns.