The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-16

The CENTRES or TRADE TO Tx REMOVED TO
TIE SoUTH-The forcible revolution of CON-
nerce, brought about by the fanatics aud un-
principled political demagogues Of the North,
will result in divertipg the whole trade Of the
country to the South. As II the disturbance
naturally resulting from the secession Of the
cotton States and the low tariff they have
established were not enough to damage the
Northern States by cutting off their own trade
with the South, and by drawing away from them
the commerce of Europe, the late stolid, blum
dering Congress capped the climax Of their
suicidal folly by adopting a high protective
tariff, which in many instances amounts to q
prohibition Of imports, and in all cases tends
to drive to Southern ports the commerce of the
world. Already the merchants of New York
who are not yet utterly ruined are preparing
to establish importing houses In the Southern
cities, for the triple purpose of supplying the
local trade, of sending goods to the West by
the Mississippi river and other channels Of COM
munication, and of sending the merchandise
over the frontier Of the Southern confederacy
to New York, thus escaping the duties Of the
Morrill, tariff. Dry goods palaces here are
being offered for SALE without purchasers, at
half what they cost, and leases Of warehouses
can be had at a little over half their former
rent
The merchants say 1t is impossible for them
to do any business under the new tariff, from
the delay in passing goods through the Custom
House, owing to the complicated calculations
of the duty. For instance, in the case Of
linen, the number of threads in the square inch
must be counted, and narrow velvet must be
calculated by the square yard. To render the
matter worse, the Custom House will be filed
with new hands who know nothing about the
business The embarrassments will be over
whe!ming and litigation endless. The importa-
ton of carpets, blankets and other heavy wool
len articles, ON which an enormous duty is
levied by the pound, is in effect prohibited.
The same observation applies to steel. An
other of the absurdities of this tariff is that the
duty on manufactured tobacco is far greater
than on manufactured, thus striking deadly
blow at the segar manufacturers of the coun-
try. Such is the consequence of entrusting
legislation to the hands Of incompetent and
selfish men, who destroy the very interests they
profess to serve.
The result of this tariff, coupled with the revo-
luton and tariff of the South, is to remove the
centres of trade to the Southern States, giving
that section not only the whole commerce Of
the country, but the duties also upon what
goods may reach the North, via New Orleans,
Mobile, Savannah and Charleston. Its perfectly
idle for the federal government to attempt to
collect the duties outside Of the Southern har
bors by means of ships-of-war. They have no
legal power to do SO. For instance, large
portion of the goods would be entered in bond.
Where would be the warehouses in which to
store them? Then if there is any dispute or any
fraud, q court must dispose of the case. Where
are the judges and juries to be had? Force
bill would be necessary even to the attempt at
collection Of the duties, and it would utterly
fail, because impracticable. There is no posi-
BILE way of surmounting the difficulty by forci-
BILE means unless by declaring war against
the Confederate States, first acknowledging
their independence, and then placing a block
ade upon the whole Southern coast, which to
be valid must be complete; otherwise it viii
not be acknowledged by the Powers of Europe.
But to render blockade of such an extent of
coast complete and effectual is out Of the ques-
ton. 1t is thus clear that Northern commerce
is in fair way Of being utterly ruined. Such
are the bitter first fruits Of the success OF the
republican party and its elected head.