Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-04-24
The Union and the Tarlfr

The President Of the United States. in his ina
al address, relies upon The benefit which rasnItu
the States of the Union, by the free trade he's. 10
them, as conclusive argument why the Union coe
not be dissolved 0'n'
We have no faith in arguments of mere into.
being sufficient 10 hold communities together Dos
pie can mistake their interest. Even thoueb ae O'
sclous OF great present benefits, they may risk thu
to obtain some other or greater advantages, raaI &c
imaginary 1t was not the interest of Great Ry;,oot
to drive our ancestors into dissolution of our uu;o
with them. Yet they did it. And so may the No..Hn
in spite of all the benefits the present Union coUo'
upon them, drive US into the same measure of seSS
fence. I be President does not overrate the benoe
of the Confederacy but he errs if he means to ns
firm that they equally applicable to all paris "
the Union The North has free trade with the Sontb
that is, she imports and receives from the South IL.
productions, without paying any duties on them :"
But the South does not receive the productions of M
North with similar exemption. On the contr,"4
the Custom House duties levied on similar art;oIs,
coming into the United States from abroad rnshs
the Northerntproducer or manufacturer to levy from
the Southern people like exacton, in The in ,aasa1
prices he obtains for his productions He haS w
the one hand, prohibition by Custom House dnt;oo
TO exclude the foreign commodity and, on the o,boI
hand, free trade with the South. The South nv
pery speaking, has NO free trade at all. Whebo.
her people purchase the foreign commodities with
the duties on it, or the Northern commodity enh,nood
in prices in consequence of the duty makes no d;f
ference They consume burdened commodities o u
their trade is fettered The whole trade betwaor ha
North and the South is one-sided II ia trne tbat
there are no Custom Houses on the borders If 10"
States, exactng duties commodities passine f rno
one State into another; but this is only on. modo -
nerrupting trade. And if our foreign trade is ;nte
rupted, in order that there may be forced consnn
ton of Northern commodities, it is absurd f. na,
this free trade. Although duties are enacted hv Gov
eminent on the Nothern commodity, the duty Is viz.
ual, and goes not to government, but the manufac.
turer If the United States were TO make treaty. with
France, by which it was stipulated that enormona
discriminating duties should be laid on all British
manufactures with which the French could not com.
pete, in order that coerced consumption of French
commodities might be Produced could The people of
the United States, with any proprety, be said to be
enjoying free trade? Free trade consists in buying
where We can buy cheapest, and selling where we
sell dearest, without any restrictions from GOV
ernments The Southern people have no such priv
ege So far therefore, as the trade between the
North and South is concerned, we can see powerful
motives with the people of the North TO continue the
Union; but the very motives which would urge them
to preserve it, would induce the South to dissolve it,
They lin enormously by the Union. annually count.
less millions-millions exacted from the South
1t is possible, however, that the President in his
argument, had respect only to the North. 1t nav
not occur 10 him. in view of the past, that there is
any danger whatever TO the Union from the South ;
and, perhaps, he is right.