The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-11-04
NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4, 1860.

The Effect Of Dissoissaon or ths Unioa
North and south.
Ia another column the reader will Cad re-
markable article from the Charleston Mercury,
entitled . Our Merchants and Mechanics" Its
| object is to show that the merchants and me
chanics of the Southern cities, and particularly
OF Charleston, would gain immensely by a
dissolution Of the Union; that at present Nor
folk Charleston. Savannah and Mobile are but
suburbs Of New York, Philadelphia and Bos
ton and these Northern cities carry on the
| foreign trade for the Southern cities and grow
wealthy not only by that trade, but by their
manufactures, which they exchange with the
South for its cotton. tobacco rice and sugar
whereas In the event of the Union being dis
solved, the Southern cities would carry on their
own foreign trade, taking 1t away altogether
from the North, and would receive the manu-
featured goods OF the Old World direct in re-
turn for their products, at cheaper rate than
they do now, under tariff Law protecting the
Northern manufacturers against the competi-
ton Of England, France and other foreign
| countries. The result would be that the
Southern cities, whose prosperity is SO slow
and lingering, would grow rapidly rich, and
the Northern cities would grow rapidly poor 10
proportion, and continue poor and stationary
instead Of advancing
This L. undoubtedly true, and is a powerful
appeal to the inhabitants Of the Southern sea-
board cities to use every means 10 their power
| IN hripg ohout q disaoln zion NJ tho IToion The
| citizens Of Charleston and of South Carolina
have long been ia favor Of this measure, for the
very reasons now assigned by their most in
| fuential organ. But the argument that is 30
cogent and 90 logical to the Southern cities for
| a dissolution Of the Union is, or ought to be,
| equally convincing to the Northern cities to
maintain the Union intact by every Legitimate
means The union Of the North with the South
is the source Of their prosperity, for by that
union the North resps immense profits upon
Southern products, By doing for the South its
foreign trade, and thus accumulates capital
which enables the North to establish manufac-
lures and reap a second harvest from the
South, not only in the natural profit Of the
manufactured articles sold TO her, but in the
additional profit of higher price extorted by
means Of q tariff, preventing the free competi-
ton of foreign goods This is the immense
price the South agreed to pay for protection of
her interests when she entered into the Union
But If the North, from ignorance Of its own in
terests, from fanaticism, and through the ras-
oality Of politicians, who merely use the
anti slavery sentiment to reach the spoils
Of Office, but now find 1t like o horse
with loose reins, almost beyond their control
II the North will not render the Quid pro quo
for which she is paid 60 we'll; If two-thirds Of
her States have by their Legislatures and by
their judicial tribunals nulli6ed the compact of
the constitution to restore fugitive slaves, and
If they make an issue against the South going
into the common territory Of the Union with
Der property, consisting In slave labor
while they make no issue ag ainst citizens Of the
North going into it with their proprty-their
horses, their oxen and their agricultural imple-
ments-thus destroying the equality Of the
States, and II they further menace with de.
struction the institution within the Southern
States themselves, is 1t to be wondered at that
she should now. through her organs, announce
her intention to stop the payment for protec-
ton which she does not receive, to secede from
the Union, and TO indemnity herself for her
losses In escaped fugitive slaves by doing her
own foreign trade and manufacturing for her.
self, If che finds 1t more profitable to do so than
to take 10 return for her staples the manufac-
tured goods Of other nations free Of duty? Az
long as the population Of the interior Of the
Southern States were let alone In the enjoyment
OF their rights guaranteed By the constitution
they were satisfied to LET the North grow
wealthy upon the profits Of their wealth; but
when the motto Of the North Il no longer olive
and let live" but death to Southern institutions
and prosperity, which Is like killing the goose
that laid the golden eggs, It ID time for the
Southern people to look to their own interests
and to take measures for their own protection.
If the course Is persisted In which has driven
them TO this determination, fatal a. the result
would be TO the prosperity Of the North, and
particularly TO New York city, we cannot blame
them. The Mercury remarks that "when the
constitution Of the United States was adopted,
the commerce and shipping Of Charleston were
greaterthan those Of New York" What has pro-
duced the change In favor OF the Empire City:
Partly It's natural advantages in possessing the
finest harbor In the world, and the energy Of
Northern men; partly the trade Of the West
which did not then exist, but above all and be-
fore all, the cotton and other products Of
the South. At that time cotton was Of so little
account and slave labor was comparatively of
so little value that some Of the greatest states
men Of the South contemplated the abolition Of
slavery. But the cotton gin and the develope.
ment Of cotton culture at the South have changed
all that, and no Southern statesman now dreams
Of abolition. In the year 1890 the value Of cot
ton exported was only s42.2s5. In the year
1859 ii was sl6l,43ie23. Here, then, Is
main source Of the wealth Of New
York, which, but for the Union, would