New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-25
SOUTHERN ESPIONAGE.

We have been addressed by two firms whose
names appeared in the list of traders published in
The Conttderaey, at Atlanta, Georgia, which we
copied into our columns two or three days ago.
These parties desire to signify their submission to
the impertnent demands Of Southern oligarchy,
and we yield sufficient room for them to do it. 1t
is not for us to decide what craven posture our
merchants shall assume toward those who exact
slavsh obedience at their hands. When men con-
cude TO sacrifice their manhood and to expose their
subservience TO the public gaze, we may be dis
eusted at the spectacle, and turn in shame from the
degrading exhibition But we cannot undertake to
prevent it.
We know full well that all this manifestation of
servity of spirit only lowers and belttles, and de-
grades those who exhibit it. We know that in the
end it produces only modification and sense Of
humiliation hard to BEAR without bringing the poor
alienation even of securing the objects sought.
Trade has its laws, and those laws, in the long run,
are Independent Of the passions and folies of men.
All this miserable raft of espionage carefully con-
structed for mean and despcabe objects, will carry
no freight to the markets toward which it purports
to swim. 1t will rot on it's way, and leave all who
trust to it in filthy waters.
The men who come out and invite scrutiny of
their position on this matter, cannot complain if
the invitation is accepted by those who will rdicue
and denounce, as well as those who will applaud.
If they desire to place themselves in the category
of mere Uriah Heeps who fawn, and cringe, and
make merchandise of their manhood, for the sake
of a profitable traffic, they must take the loss
along with the profit of the transaction. If the
South will only buy of the man who will dsown
the North, the North will be but too likely to repay
the servility of that man, by leaving him to the
company he has chosen.
We need not say we deprecate this prepOsterous
and every way mischieyous attempt to drag politics
into trade; but we conceive the best mode to ar
rest the folly and maIgnity Of its authors, is to
show that it is game that both sides can play at
If New-York merchants are stupid enough to ad-
yerse themselves as sound ON the goose the sake
of getting Southern trade and if the South guilty
of the folly and wickedness of saying it will traffic
with no other, then there is nothing left but for
Northern buyers to retaliate. That such course
will only tend to influence existing irritations, may
be very true, but il is the quickest process we know
of to cure the irritations themselves 1t is the
treatment with nitrate of silver that makes the
wound worse that it may be sooner healed.
One thing we will here suggest to our Southern
watch.dogs. They will need to keep very vigi-
liant supervision of their lists. We understand an
Office, or Offices have already been opened in this
city for the purposes of vouching for the soundness
Of applying mourners. We learn that clean bill
of health is furnished for fifty dollars. Even those
whose sins are scarlet, and their sAns black, are
certified to be white as snow for consideration
Then, again, we are informed that rival tradesmen
Of lives equally snowy, expose one another as be
ing the blacklist sort OF Republicans, and represent
that their contradiction of the report is unworthy
Of the slightest attention. The numbers of this
class are unusually large, and hard names are al
ready called in the journals. Indeed there is every
appearance of a general row all round before tn
scheme of settling the status Of the several parte,
can be fairly entered upon. We already hear of
numerous ingenious schemes to crcumvent and i'm
pose upon the fools who are embarked in this cru
SADIE at the South, which hare been put in highly
successful operation. II seems to be universal
sentiment that such asinine conduct a. has been