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

me about the surrender Of fugitive slaves
talk to me about the attacks which have been
made upon our institutions By the North; but
the great attack which has been made, and
continually made, and which has never been
rcmitted or relaxed, is the attack upon all our
institutions through the instrumentaity of tho
tariff of the North. don't blame the North:
would rs soon blame the shepherd for shear.
ing his flock, or the herdsman for milking his
cows, as would blame the North for its poli.
cy to the South. We have borne it patiently.
and we entered into this contract with our
eyes open, and'it was but just that we should
suffer-
But the question is, shall we now pause p
shall we tolerate it any furthcrV And even
while we are attempting to adjust our Difficult.
ties with the North, instead Of giving US an
olive branch they give US the Morrill, tariff
the worst tariff that ever was inflicted upon any
people who call themselves free. There is one
point here that | would have you to observe.
A tariff in Confcderacy Of States like ours is
n very different thing from tariff in consoii-
dated, small Government; for tariff in that
case while it may injure the people does also
increase the consumption Of agricultural
products, and it these manufacturers which
have made an ElDOrado and a Paradise OF
these Northern towns, had been located here,
We could, probably, have stood it But the
tariff has been levied for tue benefit of the
North; the free trade between the North and
the South has given to them all the benefits of
this tarif' not only by beneftting the mauufac-
turers, but also the agriculturalists. The man
who lives near factory has market He
can sell every vegetable to advantage saw u
Northern man who was ut my house, and while
there, walked with him through large held
Of turnips. Ils observed, il | had these
turnipS in the North they would be
fortune 10 ME, for could find q
market for them at my door at the factories.
How am l TO sell my turnips? | might
send them to Massachusetts, but they would
not bear the cost of transportation. But the
agriculturists OF the North can sell to the
manufacturers in their nelghborhood ut remu-
neratire prices, from which but little is de.
Quoted, II any, for transportation. But far diff
terent with US. We are ground for the bene-
ht Of the North, not for the benefit of the
manufacturers alone, but also Of the Northern
agrlculturalisL And, sir, this enables them
to monopolize the trade Of the whole country.
am informed that when Mr.. Bird run the line
between Virginia and North Carolina, be-
fore the adoption of our present Constitution,
he saw in the harbor Of Norfolk, twenty
large vessels. Does the gentleman who repre-
senS the City Of Norfolk, rccullecL seeing al
one time in his port, twenty nine large vessels:
No sir, that time has passed; the commerce Of
Virginia has gone, and all that is left TO u.s. is,
that We shall employ the ships Of the North.
and use its manufactures.
Now, sir, is it not perfectly clear case that
if there was law passed that Virginia shall
not be permitted to buy any goods from any
nation except from the North, We Should not
be i'll greater state OF yassuage. The North
tells Us, by enactment OF Congress, that
we Southerners Shall not buy from any other
people bot them. Turn it over as YOU please,
and it amounts to this and no more that the
South is ompeiied, by s;atuts to bu: from the
North, and tue North alone.
Mr.. Chairman, will for moment call the
attention Of the Committee 10 single practical
view Of the effects of this vassaiage Of the South
TO the North by few facts within my own
cognizance risk the charge Of egotisln that
| may establish 10y point the better.
/ was once, sir, Southern planter. Ia he
year 1871 went to New Orleans. My imagi.
nation was kindled by the quantity Of sugar.
and moiasseS, and cotton that planters raised
in that sunny region. ! came home, and was
invited to address an agricultural society in &
neighboring county. advised my friends who
were large planters 10 carry portion Of their
negroes South, where their profits were great
and not keep them here where our profits were
small. 10 show my sincerity in this belief,
went to Louisiana, ard became cotton and
sugar planter. the first year made nothing,
as might be expected, because had heavy ex-
penses; but the next year afterwards, there
was genial climate, there was fine season,
there were fine showers and thought that our
crop was very great Well, sir, it was sent to
commission merchant in New Orleaus, and
went there in the spring, aud told him that
wanted my money. All, said he, | AIN sorry
20 tell you that ycur expenses have been very
great, and | have no money OF yonIs IN my
hands. What, sir Where are all the hundreds
of hogsheads Of sugar, and bales Of cotton !
Is there no money coming in from themY LIE
opened his portfolio, and drew cut paper
which he presented to ue--l think he called it
an account current The thousands Of dollars
for the proceeds OF my crop Was on one side,
and then Or the Other side found the account
more than balanced. How is il
I took the account, carried it to the planta-
ton and examined i; carefully. found it all
right. had no money. iuund my pockets
empty-not dime in theu-niy purse turned
wrong-side outwards did no! reveal picayune
Il began to reflect upon the matter. found
that though had no money, had been mu-
ni6cent patron of all the arts, which gave me
some comforts. had bought scientific in.
struments in Philadelphia, chronometers, ba
rometers. sacharometers and spy-gasses. |
bought from Lynn all my shoes--l bought
from the northwest all my stock-I had bought
my pork from Indiana bought my corn
from the Wabash-hoes, ploughs, cane.knives,
wagons and carts FROM Cincinnati cotton
goods from Lowell, and hats, blankets, and
other woolens from New England. found
that ali went into the pockets. not Of slave
holders, bnt of the non STAKEHOLDER. say now,
sir, that if had given these plantations to the
North and let them manage them held
them seven years ago, but do not now
believe would haze been the gamer. No
doubt about it If we had had free-trade in
stead Of protective tariff, the profits derived
from the plantations would have been hand,
some All the profits went North and all
| got was the support Of my negroes, and
money enough to pay the overSeer.
Why is this? Why do you encourage the
manufacturers Of the North? They had de-
rived all the profit, and had received nothing
Well, sir, don't mean to say would not be
understood as sayins-that all the planters IN
the South were as bad planters AZ | I'm; but
this l know, that they RAISE nothing but their
main staples, and buy everything else in the
North, Well, We are asked, why, under this
high tariff, has not the South the benefit as
well as the North? have just shown you, J
hope, that the reasons were obvious-that the
Of the North was such as to enable
them to get the benefits Of the tariff, and that
the South did not apply herself to the pursuits
which might have given her those benefits
We are to blame, and not the North. With
the advantages which they possess over u.s. 1t
would be- impossible for US to compete with
,hem It would be just as difficult for US to
compete with the North i'll manufactures, as 1t
is for the North to compete with Louisiana IN