Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-27

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force It never had before. And Northern
politicians and journalists were besotted with
the idea that hostility to slavery would pre-
vent the Slave Confederacy getting any
countenance from European Powers, and
have seized with avidity upon every EnglisA
and French article against Secession as proof
Of this. Probably by this time they begin
TO see that trade will beat Philanthropy, no
matter how long a start it may have.
Another notion with which Northern
journalists blind themselves, is that the
Confederates can do nothing OF sea, because
they have no vessels. What should prevent
their having lYesseis2 Y They have ports,
navy-yards, revenue, some vessels already,
which are iuvincible, under the present
practice which permits them to make war
while we CRY no coercion. They have one
of the Government war steamers lying at
the Pensacola Navy-yard, which, doubtless,
they will have fitted up ready for service
when Fort Pickens falls into their hands;
and even should they limit themselves to
r~eprisals ON Northern vessels in their ports,
they can carry on the war in that way with
out loss to themselves.
But the worst feature of this tariff question
is that it is governed entirely by a false idea
of its operation. The South suppose that it
makes them contribute more than their share
of the Federal revenue. The North has al
ways admitted il, and supposed that it made
something out of the South by this system
of supporting the Government. The idea is
totally false. The laborers of the South con-
sumo no imported goods. Nearly all the
laborers of the North do consume imported
goods. The poor whites of the South con-
sumo no imported goods. We have no class
in the North corresponding to them. '
The small planters and farmers in the
South consume much less of imported goods,
or goods of any kind, than the lame class in
the North, on account of their different mode
of living, and the greater comfort, taste and
luxury which prevails at the North. Thus
the class consuming foreign goods in the
South is a very small one. Any one &C
quainted with the different circumstance of
the people of the two sections, must see that
under our revenue system the North pays
vastly more than its proportion for the sup.
port of the Government.
The tariff is really a Northern grievance.
Under it the South does not pay more than
half its proportion of the Federal revenue;
nor half what it receives back again in ssla-
ries, Notifications, troops for defense against
Indians, and postal facilities. Under a tariff
system the South is almost exempt from the
burdens of Government, yet the South is
permitted to allege the tariff as a Southern
grievance. Thus our Government has a
rotten financial system, totally unreliable as
q means of revenue, and which puts the
support of the Government chiefly on the
North while the South, which is supported
by it, makes it a source Of constant com
plant.
1t is time the falsity of the whole tariff
system were exposed, aud the thing over
thrown. The North, with its immense tax
able basis, would not feel the support o
Government by direct taxes, any more thar
it should be felt, to secure an economical
Government; and it is time it should shoV
that it can stand on its own genius, withou
any Government restrictions In the Ion
run the tariff has never benefited manu-
facturers, and never will. They will prospe
, best with free trade, and should demonstrat
!. at once hat they can stand on their ow
bottom.
!. Ard we will say to the manufacturers tbs
: it will not be long before they will be til
loudest clamorers for free trade; for a horr
; zontal tariff of fifteen or twenty per cen
y will be destructive to them. 1t will civ
10 them no advantage of any moment at HON
while the duty which they will pay on IL
ported materials will cut them off from 70
eign markets, where they will.come in coz
petition with goods made from free m
; t~erisls; and that is the tariff we are cor
ing to.
" We conclude that a Government whit
: will not make war to defend its importa
u positions in the Confederate States, will n
to collect its revenues from them. 1t CT
not be done without. There ore there is
a immediate necessity for the reduction of o
tariff to theirs. Fortunate would it be
IS the country if the present disruption shor
,e overthrow the whole tariff system.