New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-21
MIR. RHETT,s INDICTMENT.

Though the interests of the Southern States
are utterly at war with secession, yet, when
men or communities act from present insanity or
loregOne purposes the certainty that great evils
will follow their footsteps is proof that they
will moi pursue their chosen path Hence, the
separation from the Union of two or three, or
even half dozen, of the Cotton States is a pos
sble event. Should the cOmmotion below the
Potomac eliminate in secession, to what cause
or causes will it be attributable
Among the ablest and bOldest leaders in the
contest that now cOnvulses the Gulf States, is
the Hon. X. Barnwell Rhett of Charleston He
was one of the most confdDg, as he was one of
the most trusted disciples of Mr. Calhoun. When
he essays to discuss the theme Of disunion, he
does not merely fume and flame like Keitt, Ches-
nut, and other sensation declaimers, but aims to
give reasons, deduced from philosophy and his
tory, for the faith and the purpose that inspire
him. He has had large and varied experience
in public affairs; is gentleman of undOubted
honor; and, though a decided partisan, all his
words and acts wear an air of sincerity, and
seem to spring from conscientious convictions.
The pronounced judgment of such upon
the causes that justify Southern secession, are
worthy of grave consideration.
In his recent speech at Columbia before the
inagnates of South Carolina, which We have al
ready published at length. and made the theme
Of some brief comments, Mr.. Rhett sums
up the grievances which, i'll his opinion,
Justify the Southern States in withdrawing
from the Union. His statement of the al
legged aggressiOns of the Free States upon
their slayehoding neighbors is terse but explicit
having the precision and specification of a pre-
sentiment by Grand Jury, stripped of its techni-
calites and verbOsity. We subjon the list. Scan
it, and see how small space the Republican
party and the election of Lincoln occupy in it
Nay, more; see how little the North has had to
do in originating the measures complained of, and
how few have been the exclusive privileges re-
sulting TO her therefrOm.
l. The first item in Mr.. Rhetts list of griev.
ances is the Alien and Sedition law of John Ad-
ANS. But this measure had no sectional aspect
beyond the accidental circumstance that the Pres-
dent WIS then Northern man. AT all events
it was erased from the statute-book sixty years
ago, and has no bearing upon current events.
III. The second item is the war of 1872. And
this was a Northern aggression Why the war
was declared by Madison, forced upon the
country by Calhoun, Clay, Grundy, Cheyes, and
other Southern statesmen, and was prominently
IA Southern measure.
Ill. The Tariff of 1916, and the act encour-
aging American shipping to do our carrying trade.
Mr. Rhett is forced to admit that Mr.. Calhoun
voted for both these laws-that the former was
not protective in its character but was passed
in order to raise money to pay the war debt
and that the latter was intended simply to pro-
tect our shipping against ruinOus European COM
petition. IfNorthern manufacturers and mariners
derived more benefit from them than Southern,
this arose not from their respective geographical
positions, but because the one dwelt in Free
States and the other in Slave-a fact which Mr..
Rhett wholly oyerlooks
". The Tariffs of 1924 and 1879. These.
doubtless were moderately protective in their
character. Aud why d. not the South take ad
vantage of them as well as the North The
answer has already been given. lis system of.
labor, and not its geographical locality, for
babe. But the South finally oyernastered the
North in this conflict, through the process of
NullfcatOD, which eliminated in the COmpro-