Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-21

only he attained by the assurance to bc ex-
tended to the Gull States By Virginia, that
Virginia will accept no terms Of adjustment
with the North which shall fail to receive the
concurrent approval of the Gulf States.
IF the return Of the Gulf States 10 the Union
shall prove ilnpraclicable, then we hive still
n means Of safety for Virginia left: that Of Sc
rersting ourselves from the Northern Confcd-
eracy and forming u conpac! CGnfederacv Of
Southern States.
This will ensure not only our own interests,
but will prove even more advantageous TO the
Northern States, than would our remaining the
tail Of Northern Confederacy.
Let Virginia become member of the South
ern Con(ederncy, and that Conl-dcracy will i'm
nediately become POSSESSED Of cxhaustless
manufacturing resources which it will be its
pride and interest to develope. The incxhaus-
tible fields of coal and iron and the iumeasur.
aole water power at our command, will be sul.
dependent of the world. \ wise system of
navigation laws will also raise up ship yards
in every harhor Of the Chesapeake-giv our
mechanics all the ship building, and our ship
pers all the carrying trade Of the new Confed.
eracy. At the same time our agriculturists
will not only be perfectly guaranteed against
unjust discriminating duties, but they will have
all the incidental advantages fprotec;ion which
will enure to the manufacturing interests.
Even the tariff question will he altogether
removed from its present political arena, and
will become purely matter Of diplomatic ar
rangeRsen! between the two Confederaces.
Nor will there be need or occasion for the es.
tablishment on either side Of the frontier Of
inland revenue ports. The two Coniederaces
will be obliged, by common interest 10 ncgo-
tiate treaty, s,ipulating the common rates Of
duty at which the goods Of the ''reSt Of the
world shall enter their ports This will re-
move all ground Of connic, between them--
And each can still remain free, within it's own
borders, to discriminate against the merchan-
dize Of the other as compared with its own
production. And this discrimination, So far as
it shall prove desirable, can be effected in n
variety OF mcthcd:, without tho establishment
Of inland porls of revenue. For example, tue
Southern Ccalederacy would impose duties on
al! Northern goods transported by sea to South.
ern rorts-thrs discriminating against such
goods BY obliging shetn to take the more ex-
pensivc mode Of land transportation, and thus
to pay tribute to Southern lines OF internal
improvement And any extent Of dscrimna.
zion would be afforded BY direct taxes imposed
by the separate State governments of the
South on sales Of Northern goods Of every de-
protecting alike the Virginia farmer
against the competition Of Cincinnati bacon
and the Virginia manufacturer against the
competition Of Pennsylvania iron.
Thus the dividing line between the two Con-
fedsraces would neither be bristled wi 'bayo.
nets, nor barred with revenue stations. 1t
would be simply political lins-no,hng
more. The people, on either ride, woald en-
joy all the sumo privileges OF reciprocal inter
course which they have ki;crto exercised, and
neither would have pretext or opportunity 10
oppress the other-ncither would have cyen
strong incentive to protect or encourage indi.
vidusl offenders against the other. Old ele-
lnen.s Of discord would be removed and ro
new element ofccntention woudbe originated
Aswe haze in;na;st this view OF the subject
does not affect the border Suites Of the South
alone II also remains lor the people OF the
North to consider whether it will not be better
for their own peace and prosperity to separate
themselves entirely from the slaveho!ding
States, rather than to isolate the Gulf States
and thus force upon themselves the alternative
Of an entire abolition Of thrift duties, or their
maintenance through the agency of all army Of
inland revenue officers sufficiently expensive TO
consume oil tho receipts from tariff Of re-
venue