The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1855-08-29

and simple principles contemplated BY ITS
founders.
Ii is scarcely necessary to say that We do
not concur in all of old Billions views upon
this topic, but whatever he writes, whether
true or not, is always interesting, and We
regret that we have not space Tor the chap
ter under consideration.
Col. Benton states that the complaints OF
the South commenced in the first years OF the
Federal Government and continued to IN.
crease until they reached the stage Of an or
ganzed sectional expression. Conventions
OF the Southern States were held about the
wear 1883 at Augusta, Ca, and Charleston,
South Carolina, and the evil complained OF,
and the remedy proposed, were strongly sci
forth in addresses to the people Of the South,
ern States.
The changed conditiun Of the two sec
tions of the country, before aud since the
Union, was shnwn in their general relatives de.
preston Of prosperity since that event; and
especially in the reversed condition Of their
foreign import trade. In the colonial con'li.
ton the comparison was wholly in favor ot the
South: under the Union wholly against il.
Thus in the wear l.60--only sixteen years
before the Declaration Of lndcpeudence--the
foreign imports into Virginia were l55n,0nO
sterling, aud into South Carolina l555,0oo;
while INTO New York they were only elS9,
coo; into Pennsylvania $4,000 and into
all the New England colonies collectively,
only g56l ,Ono,"
These figures exhibit an immense superi.
GRITTY of commercial prosperity on the side Of
the South IN lis colonial state, sadly con.
trasting with another set uf figures exhibited
By the convention to show is relative con-
dition within lew wears after the union.
Thus, in tile year 1891, the impots into New
York had risen To SIS 900, 900, being about
seventy times its colonial import at about an
equal period before the adoption Of the con.
stitution: and those Of South Carolina stoGd
at 81, 900, O00-which, for all practical pur.
puses, mas be considered the same that they
We're in 100.
The conventions brought down their com
parison to tie year 1882, showing that The
New York imports since ISL had more than
doubled; tie Virginia had fallen of one halt
south Carolina two-thirds. The actual fl
cures stuud New York, liity.seven millions
Virginia, half a milliun--Soutll Carolina
million and 4 quarter.
This was a ,lisheartning view, and render.
ed more .riesuus By the certainty Of its con-
tnuation, the prospect OF Its aggraNatlon,
and the conviction that the South lin il,
great staples furnished the basis for these
imports. Of which iireceived 80 small a share.
10 this lu,s oi il, import trade, and II trans
fer to the NORTH, tile convention attributed,
as urinary cause, the reversed condition
oil the two ,eetinns-,he great advance ol one
in wealth and mprO,emrnts-the slow pro.
gress. aud even the comparative decline 81
the other.
The Augusta and Charleston Conventions
recommended a. their remedy the establish
ment Of direct trade with Europe. The plan
was tried but failed, and Col. Benton a.
crbcs the failure to superior advantages for
navigation til tie NOrth-grsatrr aptitude u
II people for emmerce-e>tabii,hrd opaf,r
OF business lpi,al-cnntinletl
unequal Legislation in Congress, aud inereas.
ing expenditures Of the government, chiefly
disburset IN the Nurth-and defect 0f SEA.
men in the South.
The author elo,es his chapter as fnllnWs:
"Anh now, at This prriod 1854 the foreign
imports at New York are me hundred and
ninety five millions; at Boston fity.eight
millions: in Virginia nnr millinn aud quar-.
ter: III south Carolina oHc million ard three
quarters.
rhi, i. what the dry and naked figures
show 10 the memory and Imagination il i,
war.r. Far il i Tradition III the culn.
ME. that The south hal been tie seat " wealth
and happiness. II power and npnlcncc /; that
a rich population covered the land, dispeus.
ing baruuial hospitality. aud diiiusing the
felicity which themselves etiInyet THAT all
va. lilc, and ioy, and aiilaence lien. And
ihi. tradition wa mt without slnilitnde "a
the reality. a. thi, writer can testify: Tor BE-
va. old enough To have seen taitcr the Re.
taiationi the sill surviving state 81 southern
colonial inanner.. when ~ traveller va. al
luwed ~ ~ 70 i tavern, and VA. banded nNrl
from iamils 10 family, thrtugh entire State
when holidays we're das. 81 ic,t,vifl anil
expectation, long prepared fnr, anil relebrai-
I'd by master and slave eitlfma.lc aud feast.
lng, aud great cnncnursc u friends aud trla
titrs wien guild was kept III desk ~ chests
after the dnWniall IL paper. aud wclsllft
~ scales aud lcnt TO uelgllbnr. ipf shurt
terms without note, interest, witness 1f -
curiiy-aid nn bnnd anil land security ipi
lUH. wears and lawful u.auee; and when pet
r. litigation va. Al - low an rbb that II e.
qgired a fine 81 forty pound. Of tobareu II
make d maIt serve a. constable.
The reverse u al this wa now seen ant
felt, moi - ilir whole extent which lano, IL
p,liry painted, bat extent ennlsh 10 consti
fufe / reverse aud 10 make i contrast, and Il
e4ci'e tie regret, which tie memory ot pa.
jugs never fall TO awaken. 4 real chang
lad cune aud hi, change. the ellfci u MA
~ causes, va. wholly attributed 10 nuc--tb,