The southern press., 1851-12-25


monopoly they enjoy OF our whole cosstng
trade, and the employment TO their shipping the
transportation Of our cotton affords. Ii has
been estimated by some able men at not less
than $40 600 900 year. The gulfstream of
prosperity sweeps from the South to the North.
Mr. President, under such financial operations
of the government, the result upon the two sec.
lions 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. Ia l760-'69, the Southern States,
with population, as have stated, of 100000,
exported produce to the value Of $42 297, ,705,
while the exports of New England, New York,
and Pennsylvania, with population of 100000,
were only $9,356,035-less than one-fourth.
Forty years later, in 1921 to 80, the exports of
the same Southern States were but little more
than one-half of these same Northern States
$222,000,000 TO 27,000,000 In l760-'69,
South Carolina and Georgia exported twice as
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 l82l-'30 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 100000, whilst New England
exported $l36000000, and New York $2l5,-
100000 The registered tonnage Of South
Carolina from 1871 to 1887, actually diminished
fifty per cent, whilst that of New York doubled,
and that of Massachusetts trebled.
Mr.. President, have gone into these details
to show the operations of the general govern
ment upon the two sections of the Union. You
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 Il government which produced
such results amongst equal States and equal
men, be constitutional What was the princi-
pie of taxation for which our fathers contended
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-
tlves in Congress have presented our continual
and unchanging protest against your whole sys-
tenn 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-.
aves. Although it is true, that our ancestors
'sntended that we should not be taxed without
7 presentation, yet, when the itish ministry
tl.nN.. ..txz
in Parliament, they rejected it. And why F? Be-
cause six representatives could not control the
taxes to be laid upon them. They would have
been as nothing in a Parliament of six hundred
men, having different interests, and necessarily
ruling and overruling them. They therefore
1isdained 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 Paria.
ment. We have been taxed without our consent,
IN spite of our representatives. Our fathers
fought for selfgovernment, self-taxatiop, self
of the taxes after they were raised
That was the ground for which they fought
and they said that if they did net fight they
would not only be bject 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 cond-
ion now? The South is nothing else now but
the very best colony to the North any people
ever possessed. England has not now, and never
lad, such colonies. The feeble Souih has been
uniformly taxed against her will, contrary to her
WILL and against her convictions of right Under
the pretext of levying duties for revenue, this
government has laid duties not for revenue, but
to the exclusion of revenue, for the benefit of
Northern manufacturers, and has thus compelled
The Southern people to minister to the aggran-
dizement and wealth Of the North AT this
in Great Brtin-that country where,
recording even to senatorial orators, the people
are ground TO powder-the tariff is but 30 per
cent, and that on the luxuries of life ; ours is
30 per cent on the necessities Of life We
are colonies, sir; and after submitting to the
operation OF such a system of government for
so 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.o more? No, sir it is
not at all surprising.
When the question in relation to the terri.
tories came up, what had we a right to expect,
except that 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 so !; and hence when, on re-
turning to the city of Charleston, | was called
upon to give an account of my mission-and
after representative had previously declared
that. in his opinion, the line of 36 deg 30 min
would be adopted by the NORTH frankly
stated my opinion that it would not be conceded
to us. thereasaid that the South would not
even get the poor pttance of 36 deg 30 min,
although that would give her but one-fourth of
the territory. Subsequent events, have realized
what then said. Looking at what occurred in
1898, when the other Southern States, after
having taken high ground with South Carolina,
abandoned her, ventured to su gest then, al so.
that it was probable they would do so again !;
and in that event. | was for South Carolina
resisting alone. In expressing this opinion,
did no more than counsel South Carolina to do
what Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, and other
South rn States had declared they would do
They declared, not that they would wait for
assistance from other s ates, but that they
each for itself would, ut every haE
ard, and to the last extremity, resist these ag
gressons.
The controversy of our fathers was contro