Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-02-14

thus contribute inducements to foreign na-
tions to recognize our separate nationality.
Their manufactures, too, will be kept in
check by the competition of foreign fabrics,
and the truth made to appear that they have
prospered on the bounty extorted from the
South through the iustrumentality of their
protective tariffs, and not by the superior
economy and virtue of white slavery over
black, as they have falsely professed to the
world. Nor will any ingenuity of theirs
then suffice to make the South contribute to
the support of their government If our
people even adhere to their present course
of business, and permit New York to con.
tipue the importation of the foreign goods
we consume, the goods will not come to US
charged with tax that has already been
paid into the treasury of Northern Gov
ernmept. It has been argued that mode.
rate duty on all goods from abroad would
give protection to our commerce, by sub
jectiug goods coming from New York, and
that have already paid duty there, to Sec
ond duty here. We have no confidence in
the efficacy of this suggestion. Some goods
will be warehoused and exported to the
South in unbroken packages, as gunny bag
ging, for example; and the great bulk of
the foreign imports, certainly all the fine
goods that are sold almost in retail quantities
will pay the duties in New York, and be
sent to the South by a thousand channels Of
railroads, rivers, &c., and be introduced
free of duty. 1t would take half the reve-
nue. to protect our widely extended frontier
on the North from smuggling. And if
goods can come by land free of duty, but
not by sea, it will be easily perceived that
the trade of our seaports must be entirely
anuihilated And if the Northern confed-
eracy are prevented from filling their treas
ury by Indirect taxation, and forced by our
free trade policy to resort to direct taxes,
their treasury will be meagre enough, and
we shall be in no danger of the extensive
armaments by sea and land, of the present
or any future military dictator. Instead of
the spoilsmen being alone represented in
their Congress, and combining all over the
country to possess themselves of the rich
prize of a redundant treasury, the tax-pay.
ers' voice would almost alone be heard ;
there would be lean treasury, stinted ex-
penditure, frugal government, and hor.
ror of standing armies and floating navies.
In our own Government the greatest sim
plicity and the most prudent economy would
prevail. This economy would 60 far to at
tach our people to their new government ;
and simplicity in our intercourse with for
eigu nations, and still more with the States
of the North, would afford US large secu-
rity, against the occurrence Of irritating
questions, dangerous to the peace and pros.
perity of the country. All nations would
desire to trade with country that admitted
its products free of duty, and acts Of hostil
ity on the part of any, resulting as they
would in the interruption of their trade
would fall with most severity on themselves
and other nations, pro6ting by their exclu
sion, would have new inducements to main
tain their friendly relations.
In considering this question, too, We
should carefully reflect on the altered rela
tious to be established with the riparian
States of the upper Mississippi, and its grea
tributaries, whose commerce finds it's chic
outlet at New Orleans. Shall it be said tt
them, you may come with your teeming
> productions and export them without res
traint to all parts of the world, but wher
you bring back the return in foreign goods
We will tax them twenty per cent, or ter
or one per cent? Will these great State!
consent to this? For let it be observed
that no matter who imports the goods, i
duties are paid upon them in New Orleans
} the money oesinto our treasury; and wher
sold to the people of the Northwest, the
tax is paid by them. Shall we, who pro
tested against the inequality of such sys
, tenn while yet members of the confederacy
expect it to be borne by States who are no
members of the Government that would i'm
pose this tax upon them? Whether We
expect or not, nothing can be more certain
than the certainty that they would not bea1
it. How could all these complications bf
adjusted? And what good end is answer
ed by creating them? These States, i
8 members of the Northern Confederacy
would of course, in such case, impor
3 through the Northern ports, and put the du
ties into their own treasury. We eshall ther
lose their trade altogether. If they form
E Northwestern Coufederacy, England woule
e compete with the North and South for thei
, commerce, and they could obtain free trade
through Canada if they had the wisdom tt
s seek it. There is no ingenuity or devic'
, then by which this tariff can be made to col
!. lect taxes from any but our own people,
! Why not then at once dismiss all these com
e plications and levy the taxes directly upoI
! the property of the country? If the asso
/, ciated States determine to raise $40, ,OOO,O ,OO(
8 of revenue, what difference can it make tt
e the people from whose pockets it must b.
drawn, by what method it is raised, so tina
f it be equally distributed? We have show
D that an indirect tax cannot be equally laid
s A direct tax can be- If the confederatet
+ States export the value of $500, 100000 o
: their own productions, we may safely as
sumo the value of their real and persona
!. property at So, 900, 100000 at least. The'
e $50, 100000 revenue would be equal to II
r per cent. import duty, or 6S cents per cen
3 tum direct tax. Who would hesitate t.