The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-04-10
WHOLE NO. 234.
From the Liverpool Mercury, March ..
American protcctionlsm.

From the Liverpool Mercury, March ..
American protectionIsm.
The politicians of what were lately the
,, United States, seem bent on turning great
nation into little one. Southern seces.
sion finds q fitting match in Northern pro-
tectionisln, and between the two it appears
not improbable that America may, at no
distant day, cease to be numbered among
the worlds great Powers. II the new tar
if bill just passed by the Senate at Wash
ington has been correctly described, it is
about the most retrograde piece of legisla-
| ton that any country, either in the Old or
the New World, has seen Of late years
Its object appears to be to reduce to min.
imum the foreign trade Of the Northern
Union, and to compel the whole communi.
ty of consumers to pay any price for the
most necessary articles Of civilized exist.
ence which an oligarchy of manufacturing
capitalists may think proper to exact. The
duties henceforth t. be imposed on some of
sh~ must important branches Of ,nanufac.
ture are stated to be absolutely prohibitory
in amount, besides being intoTerapIy confi.
plex and intricate in the mode in which they
are levied. We are told that the increase
on the existing imposts laid on the various
descriptions of cutlery goods ranges from
so to 24O per cent. On cotton aud wooden
goods there are ad valorcm duties and spc
cific duties, duties levied on weight and du
tics levied on measurement so curiously
mixed or alternatcd that it will be a sort OF
scientific problem for the importing mer.
chant to calculate what he will have to pay
on a consignment from Lancashire or York
shire. The Republican party, while il
strongly claims our sympathieS on one all
essential point, is committed to the narrow.
est dosmas Of a false and exploded political
economy; and Mr.. Lincoln himself in a
late speech at Pittshurg, Pa. has shown
that he entirely accepts the absurd and
made for produces. The new President is
distinctly Of opinion that it il grand
point of national policy to buy in the dear
est market. and that country grows rich
and powerful by paying more for all the
comforts and neceSsarits of life than they
are worth in the market of the world. We
nave no reason to suppose that he and the
majority which returned him will fail to
AIRY out convictions which they doubtless
hold with perfect sincerity; anl if the new
tariff should not be found sufficiently strin.
gent for the purposes Of the dominant 'in-
tcreSts," it will doubtless be made so in fil-
ture sessions. We are afraid we must take
for granted that for some time to come the
fiscal legislation Of the Northern Union will
be largely influenced by anti commercial
f,llaci-s which have been obsolete in this
country for dozen years past. 1t is un-
fortunate for the North that the advocacy
of sound economical principles should be
almost exclusively confined to slave owners
and their sympathizers, and that Mr.. JEFF
fcrson Davis should talk like a statesman
and man Of sense on a subject on which
Mr. Lincoln diScourses like an Essex squire
Of the Corn-law andtop boot epoch.
1t would be we'll for Northern statesmen
if they wish to keep together what remains
of the Union, to heed the warning uttered
thirty years ago 10y one Of the very best and
wisest of American citizens. In an essay
on 1.-THE Union,' to which the events now
passing before us have given new interest
and value, Charming pointed out that free
States "cannot be long held together if il
shall be thought that the power given foI
the general veal, is, through intrigue and
selfish combinations, perverted to build up
portion Of the conIederacy at the expense
OF the rest lie especially applied this
principle to fiscal legislation. Il restric.
tive tariff is necessarily a source of dis
cord; to some portions Of the country il
must be an evil; nor will they suffer patient
Ily" This is "a kind of legislation which
if persisted is, will almost certainly loosen
and may rupture, the Union" The actual
rupture of the Union has been mainly bro,
about by causes unconnected with false and
selfish commercial legislation, vet there can
be no doubt that this has had its influence
in determining the South to risk the ex
pertinent ''ot a separate national existence -
Thirty years ago it was a restrictive tariff
which led South Carolina to utter the first
menaces of the disunion which has now
been accomplished; and the recent seces.
sioniSt mauiflstoes Of some Of the malcon-
tent tStates-'ieorgia more especially y-place
the commercial grievance in the front o
their reasons for breaking up the Union
Protect,onist tariffs which tax the industry
and obstruc. the trade Of the whole fedora
community for the supposed benefit of par
ticular classes in particular States constitute
q real reason-we do not say an adequate
one-for dissolving so unequal partner.
ship; and it is impossible to say how ia,
the new Southern confederation may no
find in unfettered commerce with Europe !
compensation for the financial inconveni
ences and burdens Of separation. Be thi.
as it may, the North will do wisely to alb
stain from measures which may perhap
set other States calculating whether tn,
benefits derived from the federal govern
ment are an equivalent for the daily anl
hourly tribute exacted by New England cot
ton spinners and Pennsylvania iron mas
tiers. 1t seems rash to thake for granted
that the Pacific States and the Northwest
ern States will always be centen,cd to pay
taxes, not to the federal treasury, but t,
certain privileged classes in the Atlanti,
and Eastern States. AS yet these thing
are little understood in America, and it doe
not appear that California, or Indiana. O
Michigan objects to give more for hardwar
and cotton goods than they are worth Blu
+ the day must come when these things vii
be understood; and whenever that day ar
rives it is certain that either protsctionis
tariffs "r the federal Union wil hare to gir
,cny. Considering how loosely the fedora
fabric is ccmented, and how easily it ma,
be riven assunder, one mavels at the bold
ness of those Northern politicians wh'
think the present moment a good one TO
sowing the seeds Of new sectional quarrcls
- "John," said man to his Dutcl
servant, "go to Mr.. Robins house and tel
him that if there is any law in the land,
will prosecute him Tell him not to bring
his dog here, for the animal is rabid; anG
that if he comes here in my absenc,. t.
scold and bawl, and pick quarrels. viii
send for Mr.. Jarvis and have him taker
care Of" John went and delivered his nj 5
sage-"My master says you shan't brins