New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-27


nature been spared the disgrace Of such an in
famous confession as this of Jacob X. Thompson.
---~~-@----
WHY THE SOUTH GROWS POOR,
The South alleges that, while we grow rich.
she becomes poor. There is o faint cOnTctioa
in our minds that she is not far ont OF the way.
1t is extremely probable that on this occasion
she has bit the truth We know she cannot close
her eyes to our increase in Realti-indeed, it has
been rapid epr3dgh to make her open them-and
ne presume that just now she feels unpleasantg
the old chronic gripe OF an ot-recurrpg po''
erty The North has "reminiscences OF ts own
touching twinees very much akin thereto, IL Is
therefore in a condition to sympathize, and m'sht
even venture on the grateful office, II 1t oeieEea
the sympathy aforesaid would DO taken kindly.
In this matter we are disposed TO concede eAtsn'
siyely, snd on the most shadowy intima'ion 'o''
il would be agreeable, shall certainly spread our
sa,va. Rut IN the mean time we feel under no
ALLEGATION n renpd,.cte our riches. The whole
North went in TO make money, hrs' " COM
MERGE, which the South iorceo her 10 aDahoou
for manufacturing; but by patient ieHcr' ua'
exampled ingenuity, and fexibilE Of esSar,
| acter which enable her to turn the most uni.
promising combinations into signal advantages, she
has achieved her destiny and grown rich.
She thanks no one for this prosperity. Her owa
ros ~ arm did it. The Government welded al
,be time ~ hostile South, struck the humblest
branches Of her Industry with palsy that blasted
her energies and dro~e thousands from the plaza
of their nativity to raise the food which they
were forbidden to earn at hcrue. The last tea
years give memorable proof of this calsmitoQs
exile. While in that period South Carolios
increased her population seven per cent. Vermont
increased hers but five, and New-FIanpshre les
than three per cent. Her manufacturing popula.
ton was turned into boOk.peddlers or patent
agents. Traitors within her boundaries lent their
aid in this crusade but their inspiration came from
uniformly hostile South. The North owes
thanks neither TO principal nor agent, but By her
own honesty, industry and enterprise, she has
worked herself up to that impregnable position
of independence which, instead of challenging the
admiration of her bafied prosecutors, calls forth
nothing but the sneer Of spiteful jealousy.
Free trade with Europe has been forced on the
North for the benefit of the South We feel that
we have suffered by it, but the South imagines she
has been the gamer. Could she have had her own
way, all tariffs would have been abolished, in
vitng general ruin among US. We have sold her
millions Ofour manufactures annually, and so taught
her to rely on US for all her comforts and lu1uries
that the newborn babe is rocked in Northern
cradle, fed with Northern spoon from North.
ern cup, and when carried forth, o full-growa
man, to burial, is laid in q grave opened b. .
Northern spade, TO be suunounted with Northern
marble, made eloquent by Northern taste and skB
She buys from US 10 the extent not only Of her
whole industry but of her whole credit not
keeping back a dollar for her own operatives
Her lavish indulgence in this traffic with US has
gone far to neutraze the damage inflicted b. the
freetrade with Europe she has forced upon us.
So helpless is this dependence, that the absence
of the production of arms and ammunition within
her limits drove her Senators TO stealing them
from the Government; and ut this moment South
Carolina is unable to maintain troop of cavalry
in the field, because Northern hay is to be OBJ
tanned nowhere but in the cities, as the country
at large produces none whatever.
No country which raises and sells but t"o or
three commodities, and buys from others al it
consumes can ever become rich. Yet this limited
circle embraces the whole range Of Southern IN
dustry and craftsmanship. The policy tne
the South separates the consumer from 'ne
producer forcing the former to remain WIN us
or in England, and repeling every effort ne may .
make to plant himself beside the latter. Instead
of manufacturing cotton, she prefers that olben
should do SO. 1t is this insane preference Tor
goods manufactured elsewhere instead OF manu-
featuring them herself, that has kept the Soa'n
so poor. Her industry must be diversified like
ours before she can grow rich; and ours ma"
be diversified, like that OF England and Ger
many, before the country can be truly prosper
Gus. But free.trade ia fatal to oil such hopes
and the South must abandon it before sue cas
expect 10 thrive. In the midst Of this embaffasA.
ment, abe punges into secession. Europe alarmed
at the danger OF short supply Of cotton has rouseo
herself to new efforts to become permanently inds' =
pendent Of the South. England rarely undsrsaAess !.
national enterprise Of this magnitude wisSou' sue
ceedug. She has already laid broad foundations
for this independence, and she Will aow co.nP'e,y
kIa