Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-12-19
The sou.h-Foreign oommsres.

The South-Foreign Commerce.
We find in several of our. Georgia ex-
changes letter from Hon. Robt. Toombs
addressed to the Savannah Convention, in
which he proposes plan to secure to the
South her just share of the foreign com
merce Of the United States. His plan is,
briefly, for the Southern States to lay an
,Gdral0rsm tax upon all goods, wares, and
merchandise offered for sale within their
limits, other hEan those qoEich shall be impor-
Ted from foreign countries. Two objects he
says should govern in fixing the amount Of
the tax: EHE "a
LIST. IL should be high enough to prevent all in
direct importation Of foreign merchandise. I'd Ii
should be high enough to rsse sufficient revenue
for all the wants OF the State, without imposing up.
on the people any caPitstiop or other direct tax
whatever"
He comments as follows upon these sub
jects: caa5r1
If per cent tax was imposed upon all such
merchandise, il is not probable that the importers
Of foreign merchandise intended for our consump-
ton would send them at any other ports than our
own, al the cost Of fifty thousand dollars 10 every
million imported; and If they did some other wiser
people would import similar commodities directly,
and uudersell them. and thus drive them out OF
our markets But we should be mistaken in the
proper amount OF taxation 70 effect this object we
Should raise the tax until it did accomplish it.
The power is unlimited-the object is invaluable.
The second object is scarcely less important than
the first The most difference between the legisa.
tion Of the State and Federal government is to be
in 81 a.
ness Of the other. The treasury of the Federal
Government is usually OVERLOOKING, and nobody
complains Of it. Congress employs three -fourthS
OF its tune in devising means 10 get rid Of its re-
dundant revenue. Salaries are high, and of late
are almost annually increased and an utter disre-
gard of economy marks our Federal legislation. On
the other hand, the State treasures are generally
empty, the States burthened with oppressive debts
which some Of them have even repndated rather
than impose the necessary burthens by direct tax
Ation, to pay them. Safe officers are poorly, even
meanly paid, and consequently, the Federal Gov.
ernments fast drawing into its services the ablest
and best men of the country, TO the great detri
! ment of the interests Of the States.-Ths people
are constantly crying out for lavish expenditure,
and even for taxation by the General Government,
and as constantly and more vocferously crying out
against both by the State Governments. Yet they
pay all the taxes TO both the governments! The
State expenditure il generally equal aud just, and
Tor the benefit Of all the tax payers; the e1pendi.
ture Of General Government, on the contrary is
generally unequal, unjust, and for tie benefit OF
few only Of the tax payers!
The people of Georgia pay less than four huns
dred thousand dollars TO their State Treasury, and
that is paid reluctantly and grudgiDgly. Assum-
ing that their pas ment to the FeCeral treasury is
only in equal proportion TO their numbers, they
pay into IL the sun Of above three millions Of dol.
isrs annually; yet they are contenh The secret Of
this singular inconsistency Is to be found 10 the
mode OF levying the taxes-snd in that alone. The
Federal Government leVies its taxes indirectly
the State leVies hers directly This is Just what
propose 70 do. Levy our taxes on consumption:
II can be more easily paid; we shall then fill our
treasury 10 the extent Of our wants, protect our
selves against the unjust legislation of our lister
States, bring direct trade to our ports, give prof.
table employments to our capital and labor, edu-
cate our people, develope all our resources and
build up great powerful and prosperous common
Wealths able 10 protect the people from all dam
gers IRON within and without l do not propose
TO so into the details of the proposed legislation
the wisdom OF cur State Legislature viii readily
perfect them. We already levy portion Of our
erevenue IN this manner; propose to levy it all 1t
needs no custom houses. Lay the tax all com.
moditles except those imported from abroad, the
State easily provide for STAN ping and certify
ing the exempted goods; this evidence must be
shown by the seller, or the whole stock s taxed.
would exempt the merchandise brought to our
ports for consumption in other States. The draw
back system of the General Government furnishes
well tried plan for effecting this object What
ever other exemptions, policy, or the interests of
some OF our sister States may demand, / submit to
the convention, and the wisdom OF the representa-
tiVes OF the people.
Would not the adoption Of this policy by
the Southern States result in the CONNER
ciat dissolution Of the Union between the
North and the South, and have tendency
to accelerate the political dissolution of the
Union, which Mr.. Toombs, and Others of
his class, appeared in the recent Presiden-
tial canvass to be laboring to bring about?
Such it appears to us would be the inevi-
table result; and we apprehend the motive
which prompted the proposition looked to
the attainment of that end