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

The tariff question is looming up in the Sc
Cession movement, both at home and abroad.
The Virginia Convention has added it to its
grievances, and is using it as an aid to the
precipitation of that State-a thing which
seems to be only a question of time. Foreign
papers are discussing it, and charging on
tie more favorable commercial relations
offered BY the Confederstes and it will be
an important aid to them in securing the
recognition Of their Independence. No OBJ.
serving man can now doubt that the
Confederate Government will at once be
recognized by the leading European Powers.
On the LIST of April, the new tariff goes
into operation, which levies duties from fifty
to seventy five per cent. higher than the
Confederate tariff, on the leading articles of
cotton and wooden goods. This, of course,
will, if rot prevented by Government force,
drive all the importations to the Confederate
ports, apnihilating Northern m and
the revenue of the Government, and doing
for the South what of itself it would never
begin to do, giving it a great foreign COM
meTce.
To prevent this by collecting duties off
the coast or by selling cargoes, is war. The
Government and people may as well look
that event in the face at once. The first at
tempt msde TO collect duties from foreign
goods bound to Confederate ports, will be
followed by r~eprisals on our " commerce,
and will be the beginning of a war with the
Confederates, with a probability of involv-
ing US with foreign powers; for the first
shipments will be made in foreign ships, and
a seizure will raise the question with foreign
governments; and what foreign power will
respect our national claims over the Confed-
crates, when we ourselves admit by ouI
actions that we have no power over them.
Everybody begins to zee now that the
North has furnished the Confederates with
the most powerful means for carrying out
their scheme. We derive no satisfaction
from reminding our readers that we told
them so, while this tariff was pending. We
urged this very advantage which the tariff
would give the CoDfederates, as a reason
why NO increase of duties should be made at
this time. In addition to giving them our
and a revenue to support their
Government, we have furnished them with
what they regard as a real grievance, one
that they can state, a thing which they have
not yet been able to do in regard to the
slavery question.
The new tariff does not include the whole
tariff difficulty, for the Confederates might
have reSorted to the same means under our
present tariff. But that would afford them
too small a margin to be used with much
effect, for the current of trade is not turned
from the great commercial cities by any small
margin. They could not have seriously dam
aged our without a tariff 80 low
that it could not be relied upon for revenue,
ever II 1t would pay tue cost Of collecting;
and the probability Is that the present tariff
would have driven the Confederates to free
trade, and 10 direct taxation TO pay for theiI
Secession amusement, g thing which NIGH
have been a very useful lesson to them.
The North has played the game badly
TIE Republican Party was besotted with tn
Old Whig idea Of protection, to which tn