Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-30

1khS,1 0ilN l. bsitkl ~ ''->'
there was any thing which would cause me to
Doubt The correctness OF tho position | cccu'
ried i, was that I differed ia opinion wiih my
friend erom Kanawha.
Sir. am sfftcled with general political 'ael'
;nss. in common with that friend, as | am, to
some extent, with those Of my friend from the
county of Orange, (air. Monros) wh"m do
not now see before NE. But | never was IN
bued with the feeling which that gentleman
said he had upon one occasion. | have had
feelings in common with my distinguished
friend in reference to the great political issues
my friend from The county Of kanawha, (hr.
SrMMgS,) | mean-which have engaged lie
attention Of the country, but in reference to
that matter 10 which my friend from Orange.
(Mr. MORTON advcrted, | cannot say that
could have sympathised with him, on tho oc'
casion to which he refers. He ssij, that when
in London, years ago, he heard abolition ora
tors in the meeting where Wilbe,lorce PRESIDED
upon The great question OF the abolition Of
slavery in the West Indies, and he sympathiseo
with the sentiments not only sympath'zed
with the sentiments. but found himself shed.
ding tears upon tnnt occasion. 1 FAY, SIT,
have not the necessity to stand here TO dis
claim any such position now, and / know
need not disGlaim for my friend FROM Orange
any sympathy now With AboliiioniSm IN this
State or out Of it. And, sir, lest others might
perhaps, think that | Ind, in his absence, omit
ted to perform a duty to him also, | must DC
that friend, whom | have known lcnf, the JUS
;ice here to say, that there is not . !luer man
or one who more earnestly desires 20 persocu
his duty as q good citizen, than the gentleman
from tic county Of Orange.
But. sir, | was about to refer for u moment
TO smother subject, in reference 10 remarks
which were made by the gentleman iron
Orange, (Alr. MogroS,) to a certain nSricultu
raj production, which concerns That portion o.
the State ia which be ard | reside. | mad
an argument here, some weeks ago, in which
endeavured to show that Virginia was deeply
interested in another great staple beSlueS cot
tOu-that OF tobacco-and | cited the fact thai
so many hogsheaGs and so many pounds o.
tobacco were sent FROM the city OF Rlchmonc
10 the Northern pn:tS. On i subsequent DC
casion, the gentleman from Richmond city,
Oh. EASpoLra.) with others who have alluded
tu the subject, agreed with me, | believe, in the
great Importance Of that article as one OF the
sources OF our wealth. The gentleman from
Richmond, (Mr. RASDoLrn,) made q speech
upon the subjects OF our commercial connections
and relations, Of very great ingenuity and ablli
ty, in which he took Il "icw of this particular SUB
jcct to which | desire for q iaO1nent TO refer.
Now, sir, | have before me-and do not
intend to be tedious-a publication, to which
call the attention Of this body. 1t appears
that in the year 1853, according to this report
which is an official docuinent Of the House OF
Representatives Of the United States, on the
tobacco trade, OF the last Congress, that the
export OF that article during the year ending
the 30th June, 1859, was of the value OF
S2l, 074, O3S, while that Ct cotton was
$751;, ABA, 923, and the value OF the exports Of
agriculture" proper, other than tobacco and
cotton, was $40, 400, 757; that Of 'the forest"
such as lumber, ur, turpentlne, &c, was
Sl4,iS9 ,406; and that Of the sea" such as
fish, whale oil, whale bone, &c, was S4,4b2,9T4
OF these articles or products, it appears that
cotton, @Aich Is douGle the Tatue Of aH the
Others, BY virtue OF our commercial regulations
and the policy Of foreign nations, is admitted
by all the nations Of Europe, OF nearly SO, free
If all duty, or at . nominal rate Of duty only.
Cotton, then, the product of the seeded
States, the produc. exclusively Of slave labor,
is protected to that extent. And now IS 1t IN
regard to the next NEST valuable eXport-lhe
products Of agriculture, all kinds Of grain, &c?
This, too, is admitted at 4 free or merely notni-
nal rate of duty, by all the nations of Europe,
except the Germanic Confederation. b. the
same sort of commercial! regulations, even the
smallest cIsSs-;he products Of the sea-is
protected by fishing bounties paid by our own
Government. Yet, sir, tobacco has been made
q sort Of offering. a peace Offering, q sacrifice
for these advantages secured to all o;he" pro
auctions.
LIE US see fer a moment the operation: The
whole production Of tobacco in the European
States, not referring TO England and Spain,
its cultivation IS prohibited by lag, 10
ring the year to which | have referred, was
two hundred end one miliions. :crty-nin. thou
sand, four hundred and twenty seven pounds.
(20l ,049. 42D, and the quantity imported into
all the States. including England and Spain,
was 254, 004, 527 POUNDS; from which 1t VIII
appear that the quantity consumed, ~(deduc'lnS
for the exports from the same counties,
50, 20G, 1874 pounds was 396. $4,000 pounds,
or an average Of near two pounds per head Of
the people Of those States. The total receipts
of import duties imposed upon tobacco b. the
LlTUpchu Sl1iCS, III III NNl'SS 2itS't9 'FN
the monopolles in the Trade by some OF the
States, were during the year TO which | haze
referred SIC. G95, 060 IS. or p Cents per head
for each inhsbitsnt. The foreign expectation
OF tobacco in the manufactured condition,
that is in hogshtads, from the United States
for the saule period was l9S $40 hoSsheadS,
valued at $2l, 074 OBS. while the domestic
consumption was J1,3YJ hngs!cads, valued a!
$40. 000, 600. This, however, is lar short, |
have no doubt, Of the actual amount consumed
ut home, as it is difficult TO arrive at the guam.
ti:r-but still those results show all | desired
for the argument. Now i. may he seen that
this important product @; slave labor is bur
dcuel 10 the very heaviest extent III this, that
it IS made to support the Governments 0! those
States Of Europe who derive from 1t near
eighty millions Of revenue. They nave been
appealed to again and again, from the time
Mr.. Jefferson was orr Minister 10 France in
1885, down 10 the present dag, to enter into
sorn4 arrangement: hg treaty, or determine
TO lessen tile burden upon the products
Of the slave labor u the Middle States,
but they have met oar demand siiaply
bv the declaration that the duties being for
the supply ui revenue could not be changed
lulkt u az ~ phiS ~
rather than :te interests OF those Abroad
And, moreover, they have pointed us to the
fact That cotton, tlr OTTER great product OF slave
labor, is admitted free of duty. Let me ask,
then, my friend from Halifax, (Mr. BErcE) It,
as he seemed to suppose would be the case,
We can expect TO be benefited in this regard,
by going into an exclusive Southern, cotton
growing Confcderacy | do not think ina
Virginia can BIZ more successful in making her
appeals through Oil administrator then, thar
she mas been for ~three.9uartcrs Of a century,
under all the administrations of the Govern
nent Of the Unior. She, III fact. will then be
united with the very cotton growing districts
whose products are deriving protection from
her own labor bestowed upon tobacco. The
looms of Manchester mast DC supplied, anc
they in urn must supply these who must be
clothed-but the luxury of tobacco bears thu
tax of this operation, because not only tho wen
ycrs, but all mankind want it, cost what Il
may-all, however, do not get it. Comparative
ly few can indulge in 1t to any extent. But re
mr. ,l,a b,-J.n nc II ie rn.poyaG from The tIyO