The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-03-09
FREE TRADE IN MASSACHUSETTS.

We had supposed that the late sweeping
political revolution in Massachusetts was
limited to the conservative Know Nothing
reaction upon the slavery question; but the
Know Nothing Senator from the Old Bay
State assures us that such is not the fact. He
says that "the tendency of the public mind in
Massachusetts is to free trade, and that she
will be ready quite as soon as the other mem
bers of the Confederacy to stand by herself
and contribute her quota to the expenses Of
the General Government, even without 6
Custom House within her borders" In the
same debate, Mr.. Butler, of South Carolina
said that "when the government shall come
to be supported by direct taxation, there will
be more virtue among the people"
Here we find Massachusetts and South
Carolina coming together again. When such
extremes meet there must be something in
the wind. The Seward organs of protective
duties are clearly behind the age in attributing
all the financial and commercial embarrass-
ments of the country to the absence of high
tariff. The Senator from Massachusetts,
succeeding to the place of Mr.. Webster, says
that that State, late the main stay of the pro-
tectionists, is inclining to free trade, to the
abolition of all Custom Houses, and to the
policy of meeting the wants of the general
government by direct taxation. Mr.. Butler
says that this policy will result in extending
the principles of honesty and virtue among
the people. He may be right Direct taxa
ton would compel every member of Con-
gress to strict economy of the public funds
to the lowest necessities of the government.
The vultures of the lobby would disappear,
and the grasping schemes of millionaire spo-
liations would no longer be heard of. Under
the tariff system the people seem to have no
idea of the extent to which they are feeced;
but bring it home so many hard dollars di-
rectly out of a mans pocket, to living tax
collector, and the thing will be understood
to a sixpence.
Mr. Calhoun was of the opinion that if
nothing else were operating to destroy our
federal government, "the cohesive power of
the public plunder" and the corruption of
the spoils would ultimately accomplish it.
This was before the epoch of Galphin and
Gardner claims, railroad land grants, patent
monopoly extensions, and Gadsden treaties,
and Indian and other indemnities of the last
eight or ten years. But direct taxation would
mitigate the evil very speedily, and if Massa-
chusetts is inclining in that direction, side by
side with South Carolina, we may just as
we'll prepare for the abolition of Custom
Houses, and the substitution of direct taxa
ton, as for any thing else. Possibly the gen.
eral pac;fcation of Europe may be followed
by general system of free trade, including
the United States in the arrangement The
Canadian reciprocity treaty was but the be-
ginning of the work.
There is something very significant in the
remarks of Senator Wilson. Free trade and
direct taxation may form plank or post in
the Know Nothing platform of 1855. Who
knows! We are entering upon great po-
litical revolution, and whenever South Caro-
lima and Massachusetts work together, there
is something coming. Before ten years shall
have passed away, every custom House in
the United States may be sold at auction, or
changed to other purposes. Who knows
The next Congress will most probably be
Know Nothing, at least in the House; and at
the next session the tariff must be modified,
up or down. Will it be a strong movement
to free trade! Massachusetts being ready,
who can doubt it! The new revolution goes
on. Clear the way.
POWER OF LOCOMOTIVES IN OVER COMING