Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-29

from dependence, but merely transfer u from
New York TO Liverpool and London, the mer-
chants and capitalists of which would obtain
the same kind of copmercial control over
them, they once held over the West India
planters
1t il easy to zoe that the evils OF which the
South complain, spring directly from the pecu-
liar form of its Industry and that this is deter
mined by the nature Of its system OF Labor
Judging from what we know Of the nature
and working of the two systems Of Slave Labor
and Free Labor, in our own country, and from
what history teaches Of their workings else
whore, Free Labor is adapted to diversified IN
dustry, while Slave Labor can DO prohtabiy
used chiefly in the production of few staples.
Tho latter may answer for Planting--the for
mer alone can meet the various demands OF
Farming, Manufactures, tho Mechanic Arts,
and Commerce No movement, then, short OF
a radical change in the labor system OF the
South, can build up the Arts, Manufactures,
and Commerce, in that region. SO long as 1t
shall continue slaveholdng, its Industry cannot
be much diversified its consumption must al
ways be derived chiefly from abroad, and it will
always be more or less tributary to the coun-
tries which supply its every day wants.
In view of these considerations, how su-
premely absurd are the counsels Of the CORES
pondent of the Richmond Enquirer!
Hospitality and gifted harangues, pompous
resolutions and able disquisitions upon fields OF
enterprise vet to be opened, viii not do the
work. There must be State action, legislative
enactments by which your foreign trade will
be protected and fostered against the PERM
cious hand Of Federal violence and injustice.
Individual enterprise cannot do it the con-
struction Of railroads will not do it, You live
under Government that collects money from
you, and gives it to the uses Of other States;
and until your Legislatures are wise enough
and great enough to counterfeit that injustice
by State interposition, your foreign trade Will
languish. All the prosperity which Charleston
has, is the result of your act exempting the
importation of goods in vessels owned IN South
Carolina from State taxation. This, however,
is very small contribution to the great object
of rendering us commercially independent OF
the North. Tar their importations and exempt
uour own, their productions and exempt your
oacn. and but fen gears wM elapse before you
nil find a Southern commerce triumphantiy re-
covering from its present dilapidation."
"Your State and your town, says Mr. Lon
don furnish the strongest evidence which
could be adduced of the great value Of the
simple enactment of law, apparently value
less upon its face yet in its practical operations
of the greatest benefit
ain the year 1892, think, the Legislature
of South Carolina enacted a law by which
goods imported in vessels, owned in South Car
DINA, should be exempt from State taxation
upon their sale by the original importer. This
has acted as check against the injustice OF
the Federal Government by giving to your i'm
porting merchants an exemption from the To-
cal burdens which those must bear who do
not import their goods in vessels owned in South
Carolina
Mr.. London is rather unfortunate in his BE-
lection Of q case to illustrate the value Of
such enactments. OF the wonderful benefits
derived by South Carolina from this law, we
may form some idea, when we learn from off,
cial documents that the whole number of ves-
sells of all sorts built in South Carolina, in the
year 1852, was precisely seven, with total
tonnage of 300! And that the total value Of
the imports into that State, which amounted
to 50, 05s, $40 in 1910, had increased in 1882 to
s2,175,sl4-an astonishing increase in twelve
years, of slI7,OOol
1t is curious to see these Slavery men, 80
full Of admiration for the principle of Free
Trade in Federal politics. 20 Astounding in ar
guments designed to convince the Northern
Democracy that tax on imports is tax on
consumption, repudiatiug the principle utterly
in State legislation. Hero is a. Southern man,
for example, who without any regard to the
Federal Constitution, which vests in Congress
the power TO regulate commerce with foreign
nations and among the States, and enjoins
that all duties and imposts shall be equal, and
in contempt of the whole scheme Of Free
Trade, would induce the Southern States to
establish the policy Of Protection-to tax the
millions Of consumers in those States for the
benefit Of few hundred importers in half
dozen scaports OF tho South-to mako the
planters pay an extra cost for their supplies,
Tor the pleasure OF having them produced in
England, and brought 10 them by Charleston
or Richmond merchant One is at a loss
which to admire more, the wisdom Of this ad-
vice, or the profound knowledge Of, and respect
il evinces for, the Federal Constitution.
But we need not DO surprised at any alb
surdity in such quarter. No one can antici-
pate tho extremes Of folly to which a blind
devotion to Slavery may drive its votaries
IGNORANT PROFESSORS AND IRsoLENT
DIvTNEs"