New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-23
rorJOEALISK IN FkDERAL CUR
RERCY

IN Nm Thirty Years View" Mr.. Benton says
s.t the superior prosperity Of the North over the
souib 10 mAinly owing 70 the fact that the laiIer
"A, coveted the Official hoDors Of the Federal Gov
eminent While the former has sought and enjoyed
m more substantial peounisry benefits Meaning
xAsys.y that the North has been busy In making al
xAe money il could out of the Government while
~ less Aordid South hiss barely taken 70 lfseh me
ekses.
undoubtedly true tbs. the dweTers in these
solder regions have given much OF their attention
IA commerce, manufactures, and other free labor
nurpit,. and have left Office holding and slave
holding TO their more ardent and chlyAlrOus bretb-
rem living nearer the tropics. The opinion has
very generally prevailed that the Democracy"
snd especially the Southern sample Of il, is the
usrty of economy; and that its opponents, BY
vb.te,er name called, have a prOelivity toward
hvi,h expeDditsres-an itching palm for the public
moneys. Southern politicians, who grow rich on
unresuited labor, and pa,s laws that shall fine and
ipprison all who viii not chase and capture
their fugitive property, affect great contempt for
parties and localities that feed at the Federal cub,
or ask Government protection in their business
p, r.uits So loudly and 10 long have they de-
claimed against such practices, that superficial
observers, and those who do their thinking BY
proxy, do really believe that the South H modest
IN her approaches toward the National Treasury;
that che is not a persistent pensoner upon s'e
Government; that she does not quarter three
times ~ mary Of her sons upon The Excnequer a.
her numerical share; and thst she does not at
every opportunity, thrust her hands to the elbow
into aII sorts of jobbery and mODey-settng.
In refutstion Of this too common error, We will
cite few facts, obtained BY careful examinaa Ion
Of "tbe documents" which we do not recoleet TO
have seen present in this connection before.
They will prove that the Wanted economy Of the
South is bypOcritcsl prstense, And her complaint
Of being overreached by the sordid North bald
and inpudept falsshoOd.
Within the last nine yssrs the Federal Govern
nebt, finding itself with plethoric treasury, has
commenced the erection Of seventy or eighty
buildnss, in ali sections of the Union, to De used
for the combined purposes, in each case, OF Gus
tom House. Post Office, and 4uited States Court
House. Very many Of these buildings are com
plstsd. Others are still in process Of construction.
We will make o fair average selection Of some
twenty OF them, situated in Northern and Southern
shss, giving such data as will best illustrate the
spbject in hand. In the following table, column
No. l, gives the places where the buildings are
erected; No @ the cost Of the building, in dollars
No. 3, the population of each place, according to
the census Of 1850; No. 4, the net amount, In dol
lars, Of hostages received at each the p"t year;
No. s, the value, in dollars, of the exports aud I'M
ports Of each during the fiscal year 1856 No. .,
the tunnAKe Of vessels, in tuns, which entered and
cleared at each in that year; No. 2, the tan-
mage Of vessels, in tuns, regiitered and
licensed at each in that ys.r; No. 8, the
vessels, in tuns built at each in that year These
data exhibit fairly the amount Of business 10 De
transacted in these buildings, respectively, and the
relative importance Of the various ports where
they are located. We place the North and
South in ju1taposisOn. Let the table speak for
Itself: