Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-05-30
SECESSION-THE UNION OF TEE
SDI1TH

We have maintained that by secession, South
Carolina will not be de Americanized,-we go
a step further, and assert that she will be more
than ever Southernized by, that act. .reb.
Suppose that secession does not result IN =
Southern ConEederacy, (which we are by no
means prepared to admit in what way will it
separate South Carolina from Georgia, North
Carolina and tile other Southern Statess So
far as Government. is concerned-all those
functions of government concerned in the reg
ulation of internal affairs, in giving security to
life, liberty and proper.y-those States are
now as distinct and separate from each other
as England and France. They lay and col
llect them; they make laws and enforce them,
over the whole domain of civil rights and the
whole catalogue Of crime, without concert or
connection with each other. The Union be-
tween South Carolina and her sister States con-
sists in this-"the citizens. OF each State shall
be entitled to all the privileges and immunities
of ecitizensin the several States." Here is the
great bond which in our daily intercourse binds
us together. We are indeed hound together,
through the General Government, to give mu-
tuaLaidiR defence against the aggressions' of
foreign nations. But aggressions by foreign
nations are of rare occurrence-and would
never occur at all in the case Of States whose
great Interests are a desirable element in the
trade of ali the civilized world, were they not
implicated with other States having conflicting
interests. = 30 rtz s; tab.tSt
But by seeding from the Union, South Ca
rolina will in no way disturb the relations of
tie others with foreign powers orwith each 9th
er.{ If these relations are changed at all, it will
only be towards herself Will secession so az
feet these relations as to separate So4th Caro-
lima from The rest of the Southern States, -orrto
dipide the latter among themselves $? This can.
not happen, unless secession creates barriers
against the local and commercial intercourse
between them But South Carolina will erect
no such barriers. On the contrary, it will be
her policy to remove amy that exist, aud by
every means in her power to draw the South.
ern States closer to her and closer to each 9th
er Every privilege and immunity which now
exists, will be assured to thepeople of the other
Southern States coming within her jurisdiction.
She can do more. By increasing the value of
these privileges and immunities, she can allure
the people of the Southern States to exercise
them to an extent they have never done before.
Ifby laying light duty Of to l0per cent. on
imports, our intercourse is not promoted, the
remedy is very easy. We can abolish the Gus
tom house altogether, declare absolute free
trade with all the world, and collect whatever
money we need to carry on our governmentby
direct taxes. 1t can be demonstrated that the
General Government takes by indirect taxes,
from every man, woman and child in South Ca
rolina, not less than. five dollars head, nearly
the whole of which is spent in other States
One half that sum will be moro than sufficient
to support the government Of South Carolina
as separate State, whilst the whole will be
expended among her own people.
Will the other Southern States be alienated
from South Carolina by this policy2 Admit
that the world shall suddenly be stricken with
scruples, and that not dollars worth of our
merchandise shall be snuggled across the bor
ders, how will our relations towards the other
Southern States be changed for the worse? If
a merchant in Savannah or Mobile, instead of
going farther to New York, thinks proper to
import his goods from Charleston, he will pay
the same duties on them in his own port, which
must have been already paid if he had bought
them in city of the United States. In both
cases the duty, say 30 per cent. is levied, and
no more. But there will be advantages which
Charleston will have over Northern Cities
Free trade will ensure to Charleston the abso.
Lutte monopoly of all the interior trade Of South
Carolina, and will thus secure the basis of
perfect system of maine transportation. Free
Trade will make Charleston the depot Of goods
for the whole continent 1t will be nearer and
cheaper for the Southern Merchants, to pur-
chase the goods as they are wanted, and pay
the duty on them only when they arc wanted,