Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-31
THE TARIFF.

We take the following pungent and practical re-
marks from late number Of the Charleston Her
slry, and ask for the ideas they embrace upon the
philosophy of the current revenue obtaining Eys-
TEN of the Government Of the United States, calm
consideration on the part Of Congress, in the be-
lief that they will strike the minds Of all with
force:
ave are compelled to repeat idess that we have
frequently uttered, but this is Bb.outely certain
thtt the Government Of the United States is e1.
elusive supported by eXsctions upon articles of
foreign prOduCuOn, Which come IN competition
with those produced 10 certain portions OF the
confe6erECy. We leave uuc Of consideration the
value Of tue public ands, because, uudsr tle pre-
sent system Of squsnderug, they have ceased TO
be q substantial part OF tn revenue Of the Gov
eminent The expenses OF the land sys u the
sunuuies TO tie Indian tribes Tor Their re -guish
menU the military cost for their defence and the
enormous donations TO every sort Of s-h me II in
ternal improvement, more than swallow Up the
Governments share Of the proceeds Of sales We
have, then, commerce alone as the means of sap
porting the f dersl Government, sDd OF ths. com
meIce q sir G e EeCuo1--tbe abused and peFsacuted
SOuth-lurulsnes the only permanent uutr men
Alone tue South relies upon it5sii, u ION the nHtu
rel probe Of lis own il dIstry ;or ITS sus ensucs
In addition 10 It's own support, Il bears the great
burden OF supporting that eX.rsvsgsnt Govern
inert which lives upon is commercial exchanges.
Take single example: The American, Isl
published 10 Boston, furnishes Us with q hsliul
list Of manufactures 10 Massachusetts,. The
amounted, altogether, in 1855 TO S295 go, 68I OF
say thee hundred mill Is If dollars. Counting
over t0Is list, the great article are mRDulsc uIes
Of cotton, wool, leather and IRON. upOu which
there are protective duties OF 25 a. q so per cent.
Nearly all the lesser items would come under tie
z. me description; and It is far 70 are there is
levied in favor OF the entire manufacturing indus.
try Of MassGcL use.ts, by the action Of The Gov
erDmenL the enormous tribute Of seventy Eve
millions of dollars annually. Allowing to the
manufacturers profit Of eight per cent annually
on tie products Of ILer industry, and 10, king The
liberal slUwar CO that they sell their PRODUCTS On
81 average, 10 per cent Cheaper 10 the market
than tue foreign articles, the result is that tue
people of the United States pay annually more
than forty Eve millions Of dollars, as b Jun " to
support the manufacturing Industry of & single
State and hist Sta,e represented IL the Senate by
Sumner and Wilson, AID 10 the House by Bar In
game.
I'VE do rot envy Massachusetts. Her prosper.
ty hes been derived by sucAi the b. God Of the
ConfederBcy. Without it, her notwithstanding in
dUETy would never have existed, and could not
now 1--we. Repeal cur Protective Tariff, and all
this vast relwJrk of profitable industry and enter
prize would rot and p -rlsh, without leaving me
mortal behind It Even tie boosted school for
sesmen, the hsheues, have, by the often repeated
declaration OF her politicians, been dependant for
their very eI steuee upon the boluteso Of the Fed-
STRl Government.
in the meantime, whEl has been the condition
Of TIE great industrial in ergsts which have SUP
ported the Government Of the country The to-
bscco cotton and &c from tie south have been.
for half century, tle great articles Of our export
sn6, by co. sequence, the great sources OF public
revenue. They have received no prOgec ion be
cause, even when 8 nominal duty was wed upon
corresponding arLcl,s there was nothing 70 com
pete with them IN the markets of the would, and
N pure shame, under the Tariff Of 1916, these
nominal duties were removed. They have lived
by their own vitality, aud have depended for their
supremacy, upon the intelligence and systematic
labor OF the Southern people. That labor, so per
secuted 50 idecisi, by the professed philaut6ro-
pets OF the people who have fslteGed on i,s abuu-
cant resuItE