The southern press., 1851-12-25
speech Of Mr.. RAs.t, Of south Care lima.
THE COMPROMISE MEASURES.
lceNTINuEp.l

CONTINUED
Let US now go back TO the fiscal operations OF
this government, and see what they have been
in their bearing on the North and South respect
ivsly. IL | mistake not they exhibit one con-
sistent course OF aggrandxement on the part OF
the North, at the expense Of the South.
believe, that the different portions of the
Union pay the taxes on the imports in proper
ton to their exports. will not, however, now
go into an elaborate argument to prove this
proposition. ! believe it, not only to be true,
but short OF the truth, to show the burdens OF
the South At another time, might enter into
it. AT present, will merely state the principle
OF my calculations, and the conclusions to which
they may lead.
The whole amount of duties collected from
1871 to lS45, deducting drawbacks, amount to
1927 ,050,097. Of this sum the slaveholding
States paid $7l 100000; the non-slaveholding
States 5,550,097 Had the same amount
been paid by the two sections in the cOnsttu-
tiona ratio of federal representation, the slave
holding States would only have paid 1894, ,7O7,-
GIT, and the North $685., ,342, 1870, according to
the system of direct taxation directed BY the
Constitution. The slaveholding States, there
fore, paid $3l6, 6,492,082 more than their Just
proportion. | know that the basis of this calcu.
ation will be disputed but will be prepared
at future day to defend it.
Look at the enormous difference between the
two sections. During that time, 100000
of dollars, in the financial operations of the gov
ernment, have been wrested from the South and
given to the North. How has this money been
expended! Has it been expended as it was
collected, even equally, in all sections of the
Union? Although doubt may be thrown over
the amount of taxes paid by the North and South
respectively, on account of the nsidOus system
of indirect taxation, by which they have been
there can be no doubt as to their ex-
penditure. The reports do not discriminate
but in l837-'38, on a call made in the
Senate, Alr. Woodbury. Northern man-re.
ported to Congress, that in five years, from 1888
to 1897, out of $l02,0OO,OO0 Of expenditure, on
ly $37,000,000 were in the slave States; yet,
during the same years, according to the princ-
pies OF my estimate above, the slave States paid
$90,O000O0 of duties to $l7,5OO,OOO by the
free States. Therefore, whilst all the North
contributed to the suNport of the Union in these
four years, was spent within her own borders,
she enjoyed the additional expenditure of S5O,.
100000, or of $l060G0OO year levied on the
South.
Is it wonderful that, under such course of
policy, the poorest section of the Union should
De the richest and the South should, with all her
vast resources, linger in her prosperity? will
20 step further into detail. Look at the col
ections of the customs. From the foundation
Of the government to the year I849, there was
expended for the collection of customs $4,000
300, of which only SlO,O00,000 were expended
at the South. Is it surprising, then, that New
York and the other large cities of the North,
where these moneys are collected, and this sys.
tenn OF expenditure operates, should thrive and
grow! Nor is that ALL Turn to matter
which ought to have been equal in its operation,
If anything could be equal alude to the pen
sioning of our revolutionary soldiers. We had
J, 100000 people at the time of our revolution.
and the North had 100000 According to
General Knox's report, the North sent 100 out
Of 227, of military age in 1890, the South 100
)ut of 209. The South, therefore, when these
soldiers were to be endowed with pensions.
ought to have received more than the North.
low has it turned out? In lS48, one out of
very 62 of the men of military age in 1880,
vas a revolutionary pensioner in the North, and
)nly one out of 10 in the South. New Eng.
and alone had then 3,l46 of these pensioners
more than there were in all the slave States
ogether-and New York two-thirds, when she
contributed not one-seventh as much to the war.
calculation (founded on data) in No. BOT,
Sen. Doc, l838-'39, shows that from 1871 to
1913, inclusive, $35,598,9S4 have been paid
or revolutionary pensions; of which the North
eceived 1913, ,262, ,597, or 1927 30 for every sol.
iier she had in the war, and the South 1885,
'67-being only $40 80 for each of her soldiers.
1t might be said that this was owing to the
negligence of the South-that the Southern
people did not come in and ask for pensions Ia
,epy to that, would mention what have been
informed at the Pension Office was told that
/ law was passed in Massachusetts Mt the open
ng Of the revolutionary war, which required
every man between the ages of sixteen and six
ty to enroll his name. Thus the whole male
population of Massachusetts were enrolled and
when the pension system came to be adopted,
brought here this list as evidence
of revolutionary services and it was acknowl.
edged. do not know that the people of NJ as
sachusetts are to blame for this for if govern
ments will pay out money, know people will
generally take it; and our Northern friends are
not the people who will pass by the door when
it is open for them to obtain money. man in
South Carolina, who, learn, had fought under
Marion and Sumter throughout the whole war,
and lived in swamps--where the muster rolls
were lost, amidst the rains and wet they had to
encounter--could not establish his claim to
pension from the general government The
State of South Carolina was obliged 20 pension
these soldiers herself, to the amount of many
thousand dollars n year Before the United
Statesadopted the pension system, South Caro-.
lima paid $4,000 year to her revolutionary
Massachusetts paid only two. When
the matter fell into the hands of the general
government, they were reversed.
These are some ofthe incidents in which the
favor of the government has been unequally be
slowed. Let me allude to another subject
the public lands. ! wish to show to the Senat,
that in all the operations of this government
there is but one story throughout-the North
lives, the South suffers Turn to the public
lands. The sales up to January /, lS49 amour,
TO l37,000,000. Seventy-nine millions of this
result from the sales Of lands in the Northwes,
Territory, 33,00O,000 more from land, given by
The State of Georgia, making Y IL 100000 out
Of l37,0o0,0o0 given by the South How has
the government signalized its benefactions in lis
donations The free States have taken 5474-
ATS acres, worth at the public price, S7,554,999
while the slave States have received only Ss3 oOO
600 --less than one half
r