The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-12-19

WHxS honor, right and safety are at STAKE
nen should brget the psiky co nsideratiops.
Of dolIars and cents, and determine their az
Cons upon the naked question: Of ruth.
sWho steals my. purse steals trash;
But whose flchdsh from me my good nslne,
Robs me of that which not enricheth him,
But leaves me poor indeed.
: Those persons who oppose the secession
movement are, as we think, improperly lug
ging into the discussion, the question of tax
alton, as If resistance TO wrong were to be
ranged by the size ofa.purse. While webs
Here that the mere question of cost should
ihave nothing to do with the decision Of the
smoshentous issue before the country, and
that death is preferable to dishoncr, yet we
do not fear to meet this question fully aud
fairly, They who assert that the increase Of
taxation, in case of secession, would be in
supportable, display an ignorance which is
remarkable. They overlook the fact that the
Southern States are, and will be, so long as
they. submit to Northern domination, and
dictafion, the most heavily taxed people on
the face Of the earth, not excepting, even, the
Turks or the Persians. The Southern peo-
pie, actually, support the government, and,
in addition, pay annually countless millions
into the pockets of Northern manufacturers,
ship builders and fishermen. I.,ssssea4-
!, What are the Facts of the case . The an
nua revenue Of our government, from i'm
posts, is almost S75, oO0, goo. OF that amount,
the South ought to pay about one-third. In
stead Of that, we pay more than two-thirds.
I'm addition, we use, in the South, annually
$40, 100000 worth Of goods Of domestic
manufacture. On account Of the tariff tax,
we are compelled to pay, on an average, at
least rs per cent. more for these goods than
we would have to pay if competition were
untram,neled. This takes from our pockets,
and places into the pockets of Yankee manu-
facturers, $50, 900, 900 yearly. 100000
is thus the amount which we yearly pay,
putting it at the very lowest estimate. Is
there any one so crazcd as to suppose that
the expenses of a Southern Union would be
greater than thata But that is not all. There
is a law giving bouhties to Yankee ships, in
the foreign trade, and giving them monopo-
ly of the coast-wisc trade. Consequently, we
are compelled to pay them large sums, which
we might keep in our pockets, if competition
was allowed. To show how this works. sup
pose that an English vessel could carry a
bale of cotton from New Orleans to New
York for dollar; Yankee ship cannot car
nv it for less than dollar and twenty-five
cents. II there is free competition, we send
our cotton in the English vessel, and make
saving of rs cents on each bale. If a ton
mage duty Of 81 per ton is imposed Oh
foreign vessels, the English and Yankee
Ships are on a par, and we must pay Sl.25
on every bale between the two ports, losing
25 cents on each bale. But, as it is, the
Yankee ships, having monopoly Of the
trade, we are at their mercy, and they may,
if they choose, charge US 50 per bale. To
show how the tariff works, take up any state
mcnt of the commerce Of the United States,
and the fact is patent on the face of it, that
We are supporting the government, and en-
riching the Yankees. Turn, for instance, to
tabular statement of our commerce for
1861, which may be found in DeBow's
Review for March, 1858, page 1852. We Sc
lect this, because the book is before us while
we write. Our exports to Cuba, for that
year, amounted to $l4,99S,443. Now, it
would be natural to suppose, since trade is
but an iuterchangeof commodities, and since
it is but proftless to navigate ship across
the seas in ballast, it is natural to suppose
that our imports for Cuba would about
balance our exports to it. But We do not
find it so. Our imports for the same year
amounted to the enormous sum of S45, 248,-
lOl. Such a difference is an anomaly in
commerce, and requires an explanation. We
do not have to 60 far TO find it. In Cuba,
goods manufactured in Yankee looms, come
into. competition with English goods on equal
footing. There is no protective tariff there
which discriminates in their favor. The con-
sequence is that, Yankee goods being under
sold, they are driven from, the market. but
sugar and coffee are articles the Yankees
must have. They cannot exchange goods
for them so they send their goods South,
and with the rs per cent. which the tariff
gives them, on the $240, 100000 worth Of
goods they sell US, they can afford to send
cash to Cuba and Brazil for the purchase of
sugar, coffee, hides, etc. -, .-s,,.,
But you say, capital seeks an Equilibrium
and when there is an interchange of com
modities, the profits Of capital are capitalized;
and so of labor. In other words, you mean
to say, that increase in the price Of Yankee
goods makes a corresponding increase in the
price Of all other commodities and that II
they get an additional IS per cent for the
products Of their manufactures, you will get
an additional rs per cent. for the products Of
your farns-when Yankee goods advance,
4