Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-05-22
From the Richmond, va, South.
Distribution and Free Trade.

Lduus, WHICH is now sOuSnG 10 De Ildue d Houuy Wy
the Opposition, which they may ride into power,
affords sad illustration of the extent to which the
public mind may occasionally be induced to surren-
der itself 10 the dominion of idea, and of the ia
| tai tendency of many 10 overlook really important
measures for side issues of no practical moment
whatever. The very gravity and pretentiousness of
great issues and dangers have often the effect of turn
| ing off the consideration OF unmanly thinkers and
anything that able to afford temporary relief from
the sense of the approaching storm is eagerly well
coined: in the vain hope OF escape by negecting its
progress. 1t is perhaps owing to this circumstance
that in great emer encies. when there is no longer
any opportunity of Sinking The consideration of real
perils leading minds and strenuous characters rise
their proper altitude above The general level, and
their abilities are eagerly sought by such as in.
disposed incompetent to grapple with urger t
events
To repeat the arguments against the measure of
Distribution be crambe vis cocta to all of your
readers rehash with whose ingredients the public
mind is familiar. At first thought, one would indeed
have supposed that so lhreadbare matter would fai.
to meet with even the smallest band OF supporters
1t requires, however, but little observation OF hu-
nature to discover that antiquated absurdities,
even when apparently fully ''used up, never so at
terly expire to be past the hope OF revival. II
would even appear it times, that the more absurd the
proposition Inviting readoption the more ex'raVagant
the Juror of its acceptance The of the Dis
tribuonIsts' in the world of politics reminds US ir.
resistby OF cOtemporaneous IN the equal.
| racine, OUT more GRACEFUL WOflu OF IdsnoI, WneTe
he talrer half OF creation display their curious
| idiosyncracies with boundIess immunity from
tralnt Crtnoline, IN It's most developed amplitude
and arrest proportions is greater eXaggeratlon
IN its sphere, than is Distribution the field of poll
tics; and, indeed The latter is supplied with very
significant type in the former, both in history and
properties. The reader of the Spectator five years
ago, could not have been entirely convinced that
ADDISON had efectuay and forever demolished
hoops" than was the student of politics at the
time, of The final settlement of this land measure by
the arguments of it's opponents But 10! both bub-
hes have again risen the surface. The pl operieS
OF Cnnollne also, in it's latest shape, it may trust
oracular on dts, resemble the qualities of the new
political mode, Distribution. In the one instance,
proper Initiation expands to indefinite dimensions
fabric " light is the shadow of dream,' which
mere inversion in ithspcthoric condition again re
duoes to the &c size and shape of Melted silk bag,
not much larger than the hand Vid Home Jour-
nal) In the of Distribution, it requires the
same means, ndustriously employed, to cIothe the
" thing with size, and only the handling, to
expose It's natural insignifcance. Qf our compari.
son should be deemed a SANDER on sacred Crinone
by any lady.readers, we plead in mitigation our ne
cessarily very round about information on The sub
ject)
In sober earnest, the idea of inaugurating any
policy which looks TO an increase of the Tariff at the
present era is most singuarly absurd and suicidal
There is very little that is novel, which be pre-
scented in favor of Free Trade, the policy which
ls, par excellence the great need Of the South the
one which alone can reclify the unnatural results
produced by The long and yranicB rule of the oppo-
site legislauoH and which, within without the
Unlon would be most apt to for her that
and respect from abrof d which she now fails to com.
mand But, unpretending as they may be, the con-
slant relleration of fundamental maxims and truths
can alone cause them to spread from the few, to
whom habual reflection has made them familiar
abroad to the many, who are, indeed, less disposed
and capable to consider them in their various rela
tons, but who are yet called on to pass final udg-
ment respecting them. This iteratng it is one great
object of the press to accomplish, which thus accom-
modates the laborousy gathered conclusions of the
closet 10 the mind and attention of the general readers
pre'occupled by the cares of business and daily
employment.
To enumerate the Injuries inflicted on the South
by the operations of the systems of protective tariffs
IN direct or indirect manner, would be to recapitu
late the of the Respondent over her comparative
backwardness III the career Of material prosperity
the sneers the jublant threas, and the actual power
OF her sectional enemy, and the fears and the vatic
nations OF all, growing out of these circumstances,
OF an approaching dissolution of the Confederacy
1t Is easy to that the sum annually distracted
from the producing and slaveholiing States in the
shape OF bonuses TO Northern manufacturing COM
munltleF, by the workings of the protective system
must necessarily have produced the effects visible to
the eyes OF all that of d vital exhaustion, as i we're
In The commercial operations of the one and Of an
excessive activity IN these Of the othtr OF the vast
totaI which the tarif-appeciaed manufactures of
the North, In years gone by, have drawn from the
ooulh, and formed into mi ghty capital, wherewith
to prosecute the manufacturing, commercial, and in
lernal improvement enterprises of that region, we
say nothing. We would rriefy allude, however, to
The annual PROTESTANT Isl the gross sum above all
cost OF production reaped by the manufacturers of
Northern goods out of their Southern consul ners in
consequence of the tariff corresponding articles
manufactured in foreign parts. This sum- was as
Sumeu former Of ~
Southern share of the impost tax. This perba s is
rather below the actual amount, although we know
OF no statistics whereby to arrive at an exact est,
mate. An approximation TO the truth may perhaps
DE attained IN the following way: Considering the
consumption of foreign goods to be in proportion to
population, The South would pay in the ratio of to
2, or about twenty five millions of the whole sixty
tour millions received from that source at the federal
treasury. These twenty five million dollars of GUS
toms would Indicate consumption of about ninety
million dollars worth of foreign goods Now the
Southern share of the exports at least one humid ed
and thIrty-fve million dollars her sales 10 the North
thirty five million dollars more the sum of which
amounts Or one hundred and seventy million dollars
will represent her ability TO purc1as in the foreign
and domestic markets Deductng from this sum
The ninety million dollars paid for foreign goods |
which these cost after passing the custom house,
mere remain eighty million dollars as the sum spent
tor Northern manufactures The annual average |
pront on these manufactures was found 10 be over AZ
per cent by The census returns of $780, which would
give more than thirty four million dollars as the clear
annual profit made by the Northern manufacturing |
interest out of the South
1t Is true that the fact of indirect trade diverts
considerable portion of this profit TO the commercial
classes and also probably lowers the ability of the
South to purchase to the extent above stated yethe
fact nevertheless remains, that by the foreign man
utactured goods coming to her with an average en-.
hancement of p per the part of the govern
men over their original price, together with the i'm |