Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-30

the Republic Is mensced with the worst catassrophes
OF civil war it's Legislators is engaged upon meas
IRE which seems calculated ct once 20 ahenate for
eign nations, 20 embitter domestic strife. and to
provide an inexhaustible nliment for the antagc-
Dism unhappily suhsisting between shetvo sections
| Of the Coufederaoy. The Bill called the Morrill,
Tariff Bill is an act for the establishment Of pro-
teoiive duties on most sztrevsgant scale. 1fit we're
! designed TO condcmR the very principles Of Free
| Trade. and to introduce those Of Protection, Is
forming the only true theory Of International COM
merce Il could not be more strongly framed The
duties imposed BY the bill are not only in moderate
" high but they are levied upon imports Of the first
necessity. The ariiclss taxed are not mere lnxu-
ries. or commodities entering into the consumption
Of the opulent alone. It is upon cotton goods.
wooden goods, and hardware that the imposts viii
fall, snd 50 enormous the duties proposed that
the result can be little short Of absouts prohibition
Cutlery is to be taxed upwards Of so per cent. Ia
the lowest instance, in tbs highest nearly 260 In
addition to this, the bill enacts 80 many complicated
arrangements, and throws such interminsble OBJ
structiens in the way Of business, that commerce
viii be next to impossible under conditions SO Diff
cult We need not enter into the particulars of the
act, which is said to be scarcely Ineligible even to
Americans themselves but we can convey very
good idea Of its character and purpose by OBJ
serving that il II should be passed sciE alnaoss
PROHIBIT all imports INFO the Unted STATES from Eng
sasd, France and Germany. That, and no less, is
the effect anticipated from the measure in Nav York
itself. or our own position under such circuul-
stances We shall presently speak but, the conse
quences Of the measure would be felt most deeply
by the Americans themselves. we may give them
the precedence in our remarks upon the subject.
Il has been asserted in some quarters with con-
siderable emphasis that Europe has entirely mis-
unprecedented the controversy between the Northern
and Southern States Of the Union. We are assured
that the question Of Slavery does not constitute the
essence Of the QUARREL that it has been merely in
IL 80.
ton and that the real point Of contention lies the
national tsri5. We do not believe in this explains
ton. We sre convinced that the contest for terri
tory is shs real contest between North and South,
but atthe time it would be impossible to deny
that the South has always conceived its interests In
the matter Of tariff to be opposed to those Of the
North and that its desire to regulate its Customs
duties for itself has had strong influence in deter
mniingits recent movements. The Southern States |
sre agricultural and exporting countries. Free |
Trade is their natural system, and sisibly The
cotton planters perfectly understand that the
merce between the manufacturing States of Europe
and the exporting States Of America cannot be too
free. They have always objected TO the Tariffs and
Navigation Laws Of the North. They do not wish |
TO protect Pennsylvania ironmasters or favor the
factories Of Lowell They comprehend the views |
Of the North 10 these respects, but do not share
them. They have only object, which is to get |
the highest price for the greatest quantity of cston
free trade. fortnight ago the President Of the |
new Southern Confsderacy addressed his eonstiiu-
ents in an inaugural speech, and, after touching /
upon the pers Of the crisis and the possible obi
cations Of the seceders, he proceeded to declare /
that the separation just consummsted was, in rea-
ty, political necessity, arising from the natural
discordance between the Northern AID Southern in
terests. He argued deliberately and dispsssiona.ey
that there was not enough con9ruity Of interest 1
to keep North and South together, that an an
tsgonsm had been unsvoidably crested between
them by the very nature Of things, and that DISCO
luton Of the Union was not only necessary, but |
sn advantageous, result. We shall not attempt
any analysis Of these arguments II will be sufi-
cient for our purpose to remark that they are, At
any rate. founded to some extent fact, and that
they will receive accession Of force from
the Tariff Bill now before Congress. That Bill
would be far more detrimental to the interests of
America than to those of Europe. The blow would
do little damage to this country, but such propo
sal at such Q moment WILCOX like new sacrifice
of the Southern States 10 the exigencies of the
Northsrn and will intensity the quarrel between
by eslousies which will survive after the political
tempest has rolled awsy.
1t has now bvcome perfectly known that protec-
ton in these matters is only another word for sui
eide. and that when State establishes prohibitOry
tariff it is itself the sufferer from its own ordi-
nances. If the bsekwoodsmen Of America are to be
deprived Of good axes, and settlers Of cheap cloth
ing, the penelty Will Dc p8luo tnem. AT the same
time, however though shall not think the worse Of
America for this measure, except IS regards her |
financial wisdom, We must needs remark that, as
amity follows free trade is estrangemsnt indif
ference likely to follow commercial seelusioa It is
rather en- extraordinary reflection that what We
have just been endesvoriDg TO do ct some cost ss
regards France, America should be proposing TO
do regards us. II friendship follows in the wake
Of trade, it mast needs be exposed to decay when
trade is prohibited. The Americans are at present
not only nearest kinsfolk but our best custom
ers, and whenever there has been difference be-
tween US we have always remembered with peculiar
yratihcation that community Of commercial inter-
ests bound US indissolubly together We should be
very sorry to lose this bond We do not suppose,
indeed, but what we can be ss good friends as be-
fore, but unless the principles accepted this sub
Jet altogether false the connection between the
Two countries must be weakened, and the inter-
,hsnge Of opinions as well commodities be some
What disturbed. That in fact is the most disagree
able aspect Of the whole case. As to the loss of
,ustom, we can soon make that up. Our trade has
how attained to such prodigious dimensions that
Jingle nation, however important, can materially
fleet it by tariffs or legislation.
We shall find customers elsewhere. So long IS
ne offer the hest bargains We shall maintain our
rsde, and the consequences of mistaken policy
will fall upon the Americans alone They will chow
he world that purely Democratic Government
repudiate principles confessediy identified with
popular interests; they TU ineredse the materials
or that sectional conflict which has already almost
destroyed them, and they will plunge deliberately
INTO errors which experience has everywhere con-
lemned, and from which the States Of the Old
World are gradually and successfully escaping
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