Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-03-23
THE eAsEsgATEB4HEAvY TAXATION m
THE Seeding STATES-THE ADVANT-

the people of the Border States TO the Of
secession while they cannot fail to convince every
impartial reader of the immense advantage to the
Border States of remaining in the Union:
From population of two millions OF free inhabi-
tants they have to raise, as minimum, revenue
of forty millions of dollars perhaps more They be-
gin by placing tariff of ten per cent on all imports
other than provisions 1t is obvious that the amount
of imports of all kinds cannot exceed the exports
which for these States do not exceed 100 millions,
while onehalf the imports are free goods Allowing
three per cent for the cost of collection, this tariff
will weld net revenue of little over five millions
of dollars; leaving thirtyfve millions to be provid
ed for by direct taxation 1t is said that they pro-
pose to charge a duty on goods passing through
their territory by means of their railroads and rivers
to the United States beyond but as unquestionaby
the United States would collect their duties like
WISE along their own frontiers the double duties
would soon deprive them of this source of revenue
| Their railroads and rivers would be deprived OF
large amount of inland trade which they have hith
erto enjoyed from NorthC Carolina, Tennessee Ken
| lucky and other States, which would pass to Will
mington Norfolk, Baltimore and other United States
ports
As revenue measure they have already laid an
export duty of of a cent per pound on cotton,
which they propose to increase to one cent. The
effect of this will be to increase the cost of cotton,
one cent pound, and will yield revenue of four
teen millions of dollars only This necessarily comes
out of the pocket Of the consumer the producer.
IF it comes out of the producer then it is bonus to
| the planters Of North-Carona, and Tennessee and
Arkansas (who being in the United States, will have
| no export duty,) of one cent per pound on every
bale of cotton they raise send to market If
on the other hand it falls on the consumer, then
the New England manufacturers using the Tennessee
and Arkansas cotton will have protective duty as
against the English Of a cent pound on the raw
cotton in the market Of the world 1t will be sufi
cient to give New England the control of the China
market to which she already sends goods in
petition with Great Britain to the extent of fifteen
millions of dollars. II will act as bonus on the
production Of cotton all over the world.
In 1860 the supplies Of cotton from other sources
then America was about one million of bales. A
bonus of cent pound on this would be nearly four
millions of dollars very pretty inducement to
stimulate the growth of cotton elsewhere, and lead
growers to increase their quantity and engage in new
enterprises for its production, until gradually the
almost monopoly Of the market will be lost to the
Confederate States. 1t must be evident to every
body than an export duty cotton, added to heavy
taxation will drive the producers of cotton in the
Confederate States to seek other homes and other
congenial soils on which to bestow their labor
Mexico, Nicaragua and Central America, where labor
is cheap and soil and climate suitable would soon
be peopled with emigrants from the Confederate
States; while they, impoverished and weakened by
taxation and the loss of population will become
a CIPHER among the nations of the world, and will
see the control and protection Of the new colonies
the new gardens for cotton-pass into the hands Of
Great Britain France and the United States all then
equally interested in raising independent supply
of cotton.
revenue therefore from export of cotton is self
destruction; ten per cent duty on imports if
fined to those of the Confederate States of no avail
and nothing remains but direct taxaton-and it
cannot be but that forty millions of dollars raised
from population of two million souls, or twenty
dollars for each man, woman and child will startle
the pockets Of the most sanguine.
Fancy Baltimore with its two hundred and fifty |
thousand inhabitants forced to raise government !
tax of five millions of dollars year. Who would
live here? And yet this is what the Confederacy |
must come TO, unless indeed they can seduce the |
populous and wealthy Border States into Joining |
them and footing the bills The cry of the politi-
clans to the people has been "secede secede"- |
Withhold your cotton from market Cotton is |
King, and by the first Of April it will be worth |
twenty-five cents pound" What has been the eff. |
feet? King Cotton only rules over his subjects as
long as they can use him to profit and whereas |
the very turmoil, confusion and stagnaon of bust
ness consequent secession, has made the profit |
to be made out of him doubtful for some time to |
come, his subjects have ceased to come forward and
on the Oath of February in Liverpool mddling cot
ton-nstead of bringing twenty-five cents pound |
is refused at thirteen to fifteen, with every appear
ance of decreased demand. But it is not only |
stagnation Of manufactures which has caused this |
extreme depression There is deeper and more
lasting cause.
About fifteen millions of dollars are laid out each
month in Liverpool in buying up the stock of cotton
as it arrives But the threats of demollshing the |
Union, Withholding and not growing the cotton, the
seizure OF Government property, the appropriation
of Government funds in the Mint the expected state
of confusion, anarchy and civil war; have seriously
affected the minds of foreign manufacturers and cot
fFNo hrol- 10 he l.
supply from America in future. In consequence,
they are straining every to future sup
plies from elsewhere. In doing this they have in
January and FEBRUARY, withdrawn fifteen millions
of dollars or thereabouts Of the capital usually in
vested in the stock cotton and have RENTED to
India, in gold, for the purchase of cotton there
whether successfully or not is no longer the aues-
ton. 1t has diminished their means for holding
stocks of cotton in Great Britain as is shown by the
scarcity of purchasers for that which is there for
SALE
King Cotton bids fair to follow in the course ofhis
brother King of Naples.
In January the shipping in New Orleans was 40
per cent. less than in the same month of 1861 It
will fall off more and more
Then how natural it will be that enormous present
taxation, with prospect Of heavier in future and
diminished means to meetit will make the merchant
and the planter, the poor man and the rich, look
back with regret to the good old times of the glor
ious Union, for which their fathers fought bled and
died, but for which the sons have refused to live
Then will they See, or their wives and their chill
dren will make them see that the hackenyed cry of
Southern rights, was only the war-cry of disap-
pointed politicians. That partners in the Union,
they should have claimed and insisted their rights
in the Union, and not like Esau, have traded away
their birth-right for mess of pottage
Perhaps even now the leaven is working Per-
haps even now the Union majority of five hundred
in Louisiana is swelling into thousands. But come
it soon or come it late the reaction must come and
the six Southern States again live and prosper under
the banner of the grand old Union-that child of
Liberty Graded In the arms of patriots and cher
shed into vigorous youth at the cost of the blood
and lives of the heroes of 1776 Will the children
of these fathers cast their heritage aside because not