Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-03-30
From The London Times, Sh.

THE MORRILL, TARlFF-FEELlNG THE WAY IO
A RECOGNITION OF TIE MONTGOMERY GOV
ERNAENT.
From the London Times, Sth..
Many people have doubted and their doubts will be
confirmed by perusng the text of Mr. Jefferson Davis
inaugus al oraon whether after all the uthern States
of have clearly conceived the object OF their own
secession Is it pure zeal for the maintenance and de-
lopment of their fvorte institution, is it the con-
summation of natural antagonism of interests espe
chilly in matters of commerce? Is the question OF slave
subordinate to that Of free trade or free trade the
bribc offered TO foreign nations in consideration OF their
pocketing their scrupes about slavery? We have had
the Message of President and we have the address
OF an Anti President yet we little wiser than before.
Familiar have become during the year with the
manest)es Of going aud incoming monarchs, and the
of statesmen in every conceivable predica-
mtnt We have never read public document difficult
to anayze and Interpret this. 1t begins with lofty
t,ibue the wisdom and patriotism OF Southern plant
ers and recognition Of the provisional character OF the
existing government then comes dn allegation that the
Union been perverted from the purposes for which
il ordained, and solemn appeal TO Heaven that
ale who knows the hearts Of meu will judge OF the sin
cerity with which intended 10 preserve the govern
ment OF our theirs in is spirit " next it rcpudates the
abuse of language, by which the term revolution
has been applied to the act OF the South The ausioss
TO commercial policy which follow seem primarily ad-
dressed European States, but before long, do not
exactly know how iud ourselves again in the midst
OF American politics. ard discover that Mr. Davis is not
Ony preaching non intervention based on lust per-
cepuon Of mutual interests to his Northern rival but is
actually udugirg the hope-not that Southern ianati
cim will be cooled but that enlightened by experience
''the States from which have recently parted may
seek TO unite their fortunes with under The Govern
ment we have instituted" Not that Mr. Davis cares
much whether they do not On the contrary he con-
fd ny appeals the issue of arms, and significantly al
ude to "the well known for retaliation upon
the commerce of an enemy. He doubts whether there
is go much of homogeuey" between the interests OF the
two Conf Geraons that "the welfare Of every portion
would be the aim Of the whole" lie fearessy relies on
the innate force of movement sanctioned by its justice
aud sustained by virtuou people, and does not hes
tate to assume that Divine Providence is the side Of
slavery, which probably from motives Of decacy he
never mentions by name, but which must certainly be
indicated by oue all Of the sounding phrases honor
right liberty and equality, since told that 1t Is
these principles which inspire "a purpose OF high re-
solve in the heroic Southerners
Whatever we may think, as Englishmen of Mr. Da-
viss morality, men of common sense, of Mr. Da-
viss rhetoric, important TO distinguish the suoSra'
tum of truth which undees the speech from the crust
OF sopbisry VIII ch obscurs it. Much OF the suspicion
and antpahy between the North and the South may be
vague aud unreasonable and the present attitude Of
Kentucky, Delaware, Mar yland and Tennessee might well
lead the States represented at Montgomery to re-
consider their determ nation. But IL s useless to DIS
QlsiSe the fact that long the Washington Congress
dlreS and even adds reD restrictions TO protective
policy they gire their the best Tcse for hostility
and cUt he,lyeiUes III from the sympahy Of hs'r
friend. Crtum, tances have almost nsensiby taught
the Southern States OF America lesson in political
economy which the labors OF HuSksSoa aud Peel and
the party warfare OF whole gene aion barely suihced to
impress on the English mil d. The inhabitants OF a coun-
try exc cusyely de,oed the growth of crop for the
production OF which II had unrvaled facilities n its soil
aud climate could be duped by the idacy which
treats each nation theoretically seEsupporug. The
very Law OF nature to which they owed the pIact-
cal monopoly OF the cotton trade cOu1 not but occur TO
them the fundamental law Of commerce, and they
have ceased rebel against the tariff 10y which
their produce and imports are taxed osieusbN Tor
bsnef Of The Union tul as they believe TO gfaily tie
bind seih,hress OF the North. TINS is peThaps. The
only point Of cou.act between the issue cnJIg and
those which clmilatcd in the War OF Independence and
the destruction Of the in Boston harbor is likely
enough to fad parallel in the present year at Charleston
OF New Orleans. When the planters hear that Mr. LIN
c,u who has preserved cautious reticence on other
points has deClred lis intention OF collecting the Gus
tours as usual while the Federal Legislature is hurryng
through the Morrill, Tariff Bill imposing all but prohb-
tive du les Manchester and Birmingham goods they
fnav ireH feel Gggricred ssH alarmed IL is long
since the Cotton States have produced food enough Tor
their own consumption and for great many other ar
ticles OF common they are dependent on EUROPE
As Mr.. Davis ssys,-"An agricultural people, whose
chief interest is the export Of commodity required III
every manufacturing country, our true policy Is peace
aud the freest trade which necessities viii permit
Probably they have not vet calculated Tue proportion
which their quota of taxation has hitherto borne TO the
whole civil and military expenditure OF the Ucion, still
less the ruinous expense OF civil war; aggravated as 1t
probably would be by servie iuurection. Upon prin-
cipe hoxever they have here manisy the best OF it.
Il ,riH aot be fault II the lBopporte itgiSiationc n
the North combined ,rih tie reciprocity II rants be-
t,cse, ourselves aud tie South should bring abo.
siderable mod fcaiioa IN relations NTH Amerjea-
No one after the dobte the Slave Trade,
doubt that England is still in earnest on this point AID
will never buy commercial advantages at the cost Of her
honor. We should infinitely prefer deali,g with siI gle
responsible Government TO maintaining two Embassies
and running the risk Of misunderstanding with two
highly sensitive demo racies. BIT Lc teniHces of
tr1{e Herora5 and DiGnUrdctTerS 'olH 'nfatf-
bin ind their 5dy to he best market oi the regularity
Of mechanical iag Hitherto exports have chiefly
been consigned to Northern merchants while our imports
greatly exceeding them ia value have been principally
Supplied from the South mGy ae that the Southern
population VII. now become our best customers. 1t
Is true tLa. both money aud credit now scarce in
the slave States and when We remember that something
like half the estimated value of real and personal prop
erty in them vested in slaves il is easy TO Judge how
soon they would be exhausted by protracei war, Mr.
D avis is sanguue enough to predy. that even in that
evs Mt "thera would BE- considerable dminution IL
The production OF the staples which have constituted cur
exports unless the enemy should obtruct their trans
m ssiOn TO foreign markets. piece of tactics which he
deprecates as something monsuOus and unprecedented
We should have thought it very ordinary exercise Of
bsigerent rights and have, oreover, our own opinion
as to the probable ,.ct of civil the productive
ness of slave labor Granted however, that perma-
neut secession can be o.cted by peaceful appeal to
the bao;-box and that the moral and economical evils
of slavery DO not prove fatal to society based on It,
material prosperity will fill 10 follow unrestricted in-
tercourse aud the free States will long repent an act
which rings needless dscIed the intrinsic merits of