The southern press., 1851-06-26


South, and what will be the measure of sym
pathy from our friends, even. when they lmpor
tune us not 10 do tho act, which we rely
upon to unite them No man has a hghel
appreciation OF the spirit and intelligence of thu
people of South Caroiiaa than ! have. They
are ardent, mpulsive, and courageous, perhaps
TO a fault. But when whole commonwealth i:
involved in its most vital interests, 10 the deci
sion which is TO be made discretion should moi
be characterized as cowardce, and prudence az
timidity Courage is not the onfy quality for the
soldier wi sdom, GOODNESS, ,strategy-quaitles in
dispensnbe if you would save yourself from the
snares and ambushes which willy adversary
may spread before you.
We find ourselves in an awkward dilemma
Of being the subjects of a bitter hostility from
a majority of our sister States who have com
mon interest and@a common destinV; and the
friend we have in our midst feprobate our remedy.
Is II wise TO stand upon our arms until, at least
one of our sisters shall have prepared her cohorts
to sustain US, or shall we rush, regardless ofcon-
sequences, on what | conceive TO be certain
destruction! Are we to pursue a policy which
cannot remedy existing grievances, and which,
when pressed to extremites, will result in a
disastrous defeat, if not irremedable destruc-
ton and disgracei With great respect for the
majority of this convention, ] must be permit
ted to say, that the ordinance Of secession to be
passed by the convention when it meets, is the
horizon of their prospects, ! hear gentlemen
say, do your duty--assuming that it is the duty
of South Carolina to secede alone, and leave the
consequences TO God Ii could be satisfied
that it was our duty to secede alone, then
might subscribe TO the sentiment but failing to
| perceive the slightest reason for such course,
| will take the liberty of discussing some Of the
results of practical secession, by looking to. con-
sequences which will inevitably follow 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 Butler,) and | feel perfectly
satisfied that the interests and chvalry of Caro-
lima will suffer no detriment in the opinions
may hold, when they are sustained by such a
man one whose whole life, and the lives OF
whose family, have been spent in building up
and adorning the welfare and honor ofhi native
State
| Let u.s. then, first assume that we will be per-
mitted to retire peacefully from the Union
What will be our condition! We will become
Immediately foreign State and our intercourse
with the Union, MS we'll as all other nations,
will be governed and controlled by treaties that
we may be able to negotiate, and by inter-
nitional law. All the commerce going out of
the State, whether it consists in agricultural
products or in merchandise will be subjected to
the payment Of such duty in going into any other
State, as the federal Congress may, from tin Q
to time, impose Not bale of cotton a pound
of rice, or tobacco, a. bushel of corn, potatoes,
can be carried into Georgin, or North Carolina,
without paying duty, and on some of these ar
ticles high duty and let it be remembered that
no legislation by Congress would be necessary
to put such systemin operation. The present
tariff which averages about 26 per cent. on all
imports, would be equally applicable to the
commerce of South Carolina and Canada, or
Great Britain, all being foreign nations to the
government of the United States. Our friends,
left in the Union, could not il they desired it,
prevent the imposition, for if they proposed to
reduce the existing tariff, they would be met by
the manufacturing interests Of the North, which
have controlled, in a great measure, the legisla-
ton of Congress for thirty years or upwards, on
this subject and it preponderatng in the ma
| tional Congress, they would be defeated. What
then would become of the bright visions Of an
increased and prosperous trade which Charles
ton would obtain under the low duties we
would mpose--say only ten per cent.--on i'm
ports? It is true, that the Georgia or Alabama
merchant could buy his goods in the Charleston
market for is per cent less than in New York,
foston, 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 the sheve at home for sale. lie makes his
purchase in Charleston, and there pays 10 per
cent.-our tariff; he takes them to Augusta, or
Savannah, and whenever they reach the west
bank of the river, an officer belonging to the
United States revenue service requires him to
open bis boxes and bales and exhibit his in
voices. He is then assessed and compelled 10
pay duty of 26 per cent more, making in all q
duty of 36 per cent he has actually paid, when
he could have purchased the same goods in
Savannah or New York at. 26 per cent only
How is Charleston to maintain herself in CON-
petition with these cities, when they have an ad-
vantage of 10 per cent. over her BY SNUG
| Cling, suppose. We'll, sir, | imagine that no
man who had any pretensons to craftsmanship
or who valued personal character very high
would deliberately calculate on maintaining the
commercial interests of republic by smuggling
which is at best only respectable petty larceny
| do not understand that any of the advocates OF
State action here favor any such policy. TIE
commerce of Charleston must languish and
perish, for two-thirds of all the goods sold now
in this city 90 into other States That trade is
completely cut of, for the inducement TO pur-
chase in Charleston is entirely gone But some
are ready to say that Georgia and Alabama
would become dissatisfied with it, and finding
that goods could be purchased cheaper in
Charleston than New York, they would not
submit to the restriction. My reply is this
The commercial interests of Savannah and Au.
gusta would be delighted to destroy so for
midable a rival as Charleston, and they would
sustain every restriction imposed upon our
trade TO the utmost of their ability. But an
other answer is still more conclusive. If the
fact of an ability to purchase goods in Charles
ton at lower rate wouId dissatisfy them, and
make them unwilling to pay the duty, why is il
that they are not now dissatisfied with the reve-
nue. laws of the United States, and arm to resist
them, when they can buy goods in Liverpool
Manchester, or Birmingham, 26 per cent cheaper
than in New York or Charlestonl If the
federal government would impose no tariff,
these Georgia and Alabama merchants could
buy and sell 26 per cent cheaper than they do
Still they submit to pay 26 per cent. more now
than they could otherwise buy at. Yet the in