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

oiallauSe u gSeCsSSloll 10 Spe paSSeQ
blythe Convention when it meets, is
the horizon of their prospects. I
heara gentleman say, do your duty,
-Gssuming that it is the dutyof
South Carolina to secede alone, and
leave the consequences to God. IF /
could be satisfied that it was the duty
Of South Carolina to secede alone,
then / might subscribe to tho senti.
ment. but failing to perceive tho
slightest reason for such course, /
will take the. liberty of discussing
some of the results Of practical Sc.
ccssion, by looking to consequences
which will inevitably follew in its
wake. | concur very generally in the
views Which have been presented to
the Convention this morning, by your
able, gifted and patriotic Senator,
(Judge Butlcr) and feel perfectly
satisfied that the interests and chival-
ry of Carolina will suffer no detri.
mcnt in the opinions / may hold,
when they arc sustained by such a
man; one whose whole life, and the
lives Of whose family have been
spent in building ap and adorning the
welfare of his native State.
Let us, then, first assume that We
will be permitted to retire peacefully
from the Union: What will be our
condition We will become immc-
diatcly, Foreign State: and our in.
tevcoursc with the Union, as we'll as
all other Nations, will be governed
and controlled by treaties that we
may be able to negotiate, and by in.
tcrnational law. All tho commerce
going out Of the State, whether it
consists in agricultural products OF in
merchandise. will be subjected to the
payment Of such duty i'll going into
any other State, as the Federal
Congress may from time to time i'm
pose. Not a bale Of cotton, a pound
Of rice or tobacco, a .bushei Of corn
or potatoes, can he carried into Gtseof.
Tssssas ESsart. b reliaa, IS isheit ysnSs
. duty, and OH some Of theso articles
q high duty: and let il be rpineinbcr-
ed that no legislation by Congress
would bo necessary to put such asys-
tenn in operation. The present tariff,
which averages about@26 per cent.
on all imports, would be equally ap-
plicable to the commerce of South,
Carolina and Canada or Great Bri
tain, all being Foreign Nations to
the Goycrnmcn. of tho United
States. Our friends left in the Un.
ion could not, if they desired it,@prc-
vent tho imposition; for if they pro.
poscd7to reduce tho existing tariff,
they would be met by tho lnanuiac.
turing interest Of the North, which
have controlled, in q great measure,
the legislation Of Congress for thirty
years or upwards on this subject, and
it prcponderating in the National
Congress, they would be defeated -
What then would become Of the
bright visions Of an increased and
prosperous trade which Charleston
would obtain under the low duties we
would imposc--say only ten per cent
on imports? 1t is true that the
Georgia or Alabama merchant could
buy lis goods in the Charleston
market for 1G per cent, less than in
Ncw.York, Boston or Savannah,
and he can buy now in European
cities goods at 26 per cent, less than
in New York or Savannah, but it
would avail him nothing by the time
the goods were placed on his shelves
at homo for sale. He makes his pur-
chase in Charleston, and there pays
10 per cent, our tariff. He takes
them to Augusta Or Savannah, and
whenever they reach tho west bank
Of the river, an officer belonging to
tho United States revenue soryicc.
requires him to open his boxes and
bales, and exhibit his invoices. Tic
is then assessed and compelled to pay
n duty of 26 per cent more, making
in all a duty Of 36 per cent he has
actually paid, whcn. he could have
purchased the samo goods in Savan-
nah or New-York at 26 per cent on.
ly. How is Charleston to maintain
herself in competition with these ci'
tics, when they have an advantage
of 10 rcr cent over her? BY Snug
Cling, / suppose. Well, sir, ! imag.
inc that no man who had any prctcn,
sions to craftsmanship, or who valued
personal character very high, would
deliberately calculate on maintaining
the commercial interests of q Rcpub'
lie by smuggling, which is at best on:
ly arespcctable petty larceny, dc
not understand that any of the advo
Gates of State action here, favor any
such policys The commerce ol
Charleston must languishsand perish.
for two.thiras of all the goods sold