Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-23

The Banner thinks that the present tariff Of the
Confederate States is intended as a slure" to the
Border slave States and If the latter should be be
guied by it into joining the Southern Confederacy
the policy win be changed and direct taxation will
be resOrted to. This is evidently the mere dream
of prejudice and hostility. The dominant senti:
ment in those States is known to have always favor
ed q revenue tariff. A protective tariff we grant,
has few friends omong the independent agricultural
classes Of the South. Nor is 1t desirable that 1t
should have. 1t is q system of plundering the pro-
Queer for the benefit of the capitalist and has been
submitted to by the South only for the sake Of the
Union. We rejoice that 1t has been sxtirpated IN
the Confederate States.
The Constitution of the COnfederateStates prohibits
thelayng Of tariff protection of one class and
the plumber of all others. Buta mere revenue tariff
must have the incidental advantage of fostering the
productions of home industry. To that extento only
can any branch of industry be benefited by reve-
nue. tariff If the Border States do not unite with the
Confederate States there viii be no necessity even
for this incidental protection to manufacturing
industry, because the Border States will consti-
tute the manufacturing States of the New Con-
federacy. If, therefore, the Border States do
not unite their destiny with the South, it will be
decidedly to their advantage that the Confederate
States adopt free ports free trade ard direct tax
alton" 1nasmuch as it will admit their products
free of daty and unincumbered by commercial re-
strietiOn. Surely the Border States VIII not, in
that case, complain of SO liberal and generous
policy towards themselves.
But if they become members of the Southern
Confederacy, the Baanr says:
The eight Cotton States will have a majority of
two in the Senste and can defeat the enactment of
any tariff for revenue and thus compel the raising
of the revenue by direct taxation. Such Is the feast
prepared by the Montgomery Congress for the people
of the Middle and Border States. Is il an alluring
inviting one?
The Bonner forgets that the Border States will
have a majority in the House Of Representatives
and "can defeat the enactment of any law for direct
tarqtion, thus giving them the power to protect
themselves. The Confederate States have thereby
generously provided in their Constitution that other
States coming in hereafter, shall have the power to
protect themselves against this imaginary oppres-
sion that the Banner drags up from the depths of its
fancy.
No reader of the Banners article fail to have
observed that its whole line of argument is based
spon the assumption that the eight Cotton States
positive unit on the question of the tariff
This is much more than the Banner has given
them credit for on other questions. If the Banners
assertions correct the people and the politi
clans of the Confederate States antipodes When
the people of the Confederate States come to elecr
their Representatives to Congress- it is to be hoped
they viii exhibit some of that independence of poll
ticans for which the Banner gives them credit and
that they viii throw off the deceptive policy which it
attributes to their leaders, and do justice to their
brethren of the Border States in the matter of the tar
if. At least, zee entertain strong hope that the
people Of those States will prove themselves to be
SO unanimous for direct taxation as the Banners
sumpton.would indicate. especially when it is re-
membered that the taxation will fall upon them
selves, as well as upon the much abused Border
States