Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-03-27
9aiIg appeat.
LETTER FEon JOHN W. oowELL

Il. y" -
Prom ths Landau Ezsmiaer, Iauuary 81
lhe break up Of the Confederation of the
UNITED states has taken She English public bv
surprise We are speculatiag about the conse-
qnences 70 ensue from it-forning opinions
about ne character OF the motives and futen-
non o. me actors IL it---but have made scarce
any inquiry az TO the causes which have rsro
dueed it. Il stupeudaus event. and zs ffs
gooa OF evil inhusnos on England's future pros-
pelY VII eepend very much indeed upon the
Tone OF sentiment which we nav now fmue-
oiatelF ADOPT regarding It, & Is important to
ourselves mat Tie view we form Of it should
ue Just and true. IL just, we shall proceed at
once TO take course that viii urove to be for
me benefit Of all; L erroneous We shall be lei
Ah.o one tnat VIII be productive Of evil
however little weight may attach to nv opin-
aehss yer tee position ] temporarily held IN
american affairs during the years 1887, 1888,
eAa leos lustihrs me, ana indeed calls on ne
70 declare them and this all the more strongly
because tDey are Of verV decided character,
whether erroneous or not. In the interests Of
England as wei as OF the Souhern American
states rejoice without reserve hat they are
SCI arsting themselves from the Northern
states Their union with those States has
oeeh OF ne greatest possible political and
cof1meretal disadvantage to theia throughout
and scarcely OF less disadvantage to England
Ahe nature Of their produrts and Of
tneU eommeTciai waOts is such that
they have not The slightest natural
connection with the Northern States, while
toeir connection with England Is naturally
one OF me strongest mutual intsr-dependencc.
IhIee-fourthE Of their annual produce is sent
% ns, and while their crops are in process Of
GROWTH their plgntstions are upheld by sd-
Veheess Indirect Indeed, from English mer-
chants and manufacturers. The condition Of
interchange Of produce between England and
TIE South is such that their croR is almost en-
hr na~fnr M 81. -
shipment.
We took from them last vesr about ]. 500 900
bales OF cotton 10 round numbers. and re-
turned to them, chiefly in articles Of our own
manutseture. 10 the value Of sb0ut ef2 O00,-
oOl- 1his enoraloEs interchaHge bsfluesn them
drd - oHghf 10 Be efsotss directly Ga3 not cir
cuit uslg; but ewing 20 the Fedarsl Union and
2 The injurious operation Of i's tariff upon
he South, it Is sTti6cialiv and unnabrally
managed through the intrusive agency OF New
York and Of the Northern State Their inter-
Vention Is Wholly unnecessary, and It is quite
a. detrimental to us az 10 the Southern States,
although owing to the interest on our mart
being dispersed and divided among such va
rietY Of different trades and manufactures,
while the interest on their part is collected
into TIE one enormous mass Of their staple
product, cotton, we do not here perceive or
feel the magnitude Of the injury 70 ourselves,
in the clear manner 10 which IL is directly
brought home to their perceptions and feelings
there.
As the tariff lies al the root Of the disrup-
tion, ard is indeed is determining cause It is
desirable b set this point in its true light, and
for this purpose We must bear in mind that the
single object and business Of tae South is to
grow its cotton for England, and that the
natural action of England is 10 send its sbips
10 bring its cotton 70 our shores, loaded with
our own manufactures 10 pay for it. This is
the simple and natural relations oe ihe only
two parties concerned In The matter; perpetual
peace, good viii, mutual confidence, intimate
alliance, ought 10 attend it, and would Do IS
were It not for the disturbing Influence Of the
sinister northern interest. England and the
South graEitsts toward each other with the
strongest force Of commercial attraction.
Each has enormous wants, and each desires
exactly what the other has to supply They
form one system, and are bound together BY
interests completely identical. The Northern
States have tried, and thus FAR with complete
success, to keep them apart-and now that the
burden has become at last too great FOR longer
endurance, the SoutbeTn States break their
bonds ssunder and cast them of, I trust,
forever.
L is not tbe existence Of slavery in the
South which lies at the root Of this contest.
That did not become an element in the dis
pute until after We in England had abolished
slavery in our own colonies-and not vet thirty
years sgO-at which date the South had al
ready revoltsd in arms against the oppressive
MONOPOLY in tSe North, and was only pre-
vented from then seeding By a well known
eomproEiss Of the tariff. The North has agi-
tatei the slavery question since then rather
with a view of iniimdating the South, hoping
thereby to obtain continuance sf its acqgi-
escence IN the tariff, than from other motives.
The North bV Introducing this sad reprosch
has envsnomed the quarrel, and 20 US on this
side Of the Atsntie, slavery appears to oc-
cupy the foreground OF Il. Slavery, however,
has nothing % do either with its origin or con
tinusnce. The causa c1uSans from the be
ginning and throughout, has been the tariff
and this is necessary 70 make clear.
The war terminated in 1915. In that year
our statesmsnship led us 10 attack New Or
Jeans. and we sfterward proceeded to
strengthen our own selfsh protective system
~ making laws against food and foreign tim
Der. At that time we were consFicu0uslF tie
richest among nations, They attributed our
grandeur to our protective legislation, aRd
they all proceeded to folicW our balefI eX-
ample. Foremost were the United States.
They constructed their tariff and made other
arrangements, which were 10 make them
manufacturing nation, and secure to them the
command Of the carrying trade OF the South
The SOUTH nislsd ty our example, and irrita-
ted BY cur recent attack on New Orleans, gave
fls assent to this policy. They were not long
in onening their eyes 10 its injurious effects
on their prosperity. They soon discovered
that thereost OF the materials requisite fer The
aiimentation of their plantations was double
what it need have been, without their getting
higher prices for their produce in consequence
and that they had to pay higher freights, oa'
and home, to the northern shipoEneFs an
they need 20 have paid 20 the EEgiish, Dutch,
Danes or Scandiusvisns. E-Fss no compen-
sstion to them for theFs( immense disadvsn-
tages, to hear that certain people, twelve bun
drsi miles Of. Vsre spinning and weaving for
r-1NI Ira~TH
6onEf Lbe cotton they grew, ana mat lhese
Strangers were building ships 70 carry t to
their great customer, England. at a higher
freight than, without the tarih, would have
been paid.
They soon found that the whole advantage
Of the restrictive system, which the tarin bad
established, was reaped exclusively BY the
Nortk: thst the whole disadvantage fell ex-
elusiveiv on them. The detrimental elect and
It's unraistskable cause were both equally clear.
There was 20 variety Of indus ~ in the South
to create confusion Of opinion. Tie cotton
growers constituted one grest pro oiuetng inter
sst sprssd over one particular portion OF ter
ritorT, and they discovered, when 100 lata,
mat bv their own blind folly, they had sold
fbe1ssives into bondage to The North. Such
4 condition o. rslstianship was not likely N
fFs nature Of things 70 last very long, and,
accordingly. fndiug that fhe North would not
relax its hold upon them, they bad recourse 10
arms, aud revoited ander ekson's presiaeh-
~ a compromise then took place, and ne
fsriF vas lowered But the South has Ia
bores ever since urder the moTtifying sense OF
hsvIng been overrsaehed, and hence its bitter
snimosity to ths North.
Az the couproalse left them siill under great
sisasvsutageE. wholly uneompeDsated, tney
came unaninonsly to the resolution OF seed
doe from the Union at no distant time N1en
T1ss N the United States in 1881, 1888. and
$50 7 uas. owing to tie businsEs that took
nsrhers. neessssrily brought into contact WIN
fbe leading public and commercial men or the
a. had abundant opp Irtuniaes OF com
nsriuv and sitting their different opinions. I
teid in nv bands the signatures OF seVeIai
E,,,grsss n the chief sectors 10 the productive
l..--ssi ~ r,onsiarv trausa ction8 Of The
si11s. and the whole working Or the couuieI-
c5sI machine. internally and eTteTnAiyi w.
-, ~ nv observation. Long before lelt
~. safe. in 1ss9. had come to the concur
sion that the tariff, In the exclusive -. I.
~ Norfh and 10 the eEcluslVe deiiiilen- ~ -
South.coud not fail to break W u.o S---l-,-.-
-tfo- Ultimately: and 1 reeoliect Eel.di h'Ah
80 occasion 10 Hr. Daniel MeosS-Is
-, --ss eneaking rather siighdngly of pohl-
- .,,o-,v fhat opposition to fs maNims
49, 80 ~ real eanse Of B0Daparte over,
fbyovr bv rousing Germany sgsinst hlnl: 80
fbsf II persisted IN BY the h9t.ueiI 49,, rI-4.
.-.,5 .suss he break Up Of the Federal Obt2n.
s--,.--,, VIM rast enlightened ne on tiA
-.sstfr was Mr. Calhoun. hs heHl w. w.
mastery and eoBrshs9siss; .i 1qq a55sr s2 nv own
eehLlL.ta ~ vas the lea Ter Of the south
= 2, @ snstrsng Intellect ,5s pierce BTsssn s
- a rs6ase6 ara 1ssoninlons and feelings o. nc
.,esfinr OF The tariff and the
.or sireuiEs- ~ yshich the Sou'h bad IN
An ------oerasioHallT expressed himset
ace and Cor ssrnestnsss Of Telling tna' was
.,.s..e-ibs-s have siVe- ,,. a-soV
osss. 10 uEl heners@ be WoalS 80 - ffsss
"a Frsut roE, 0ht gish to know Doihll 49,
.,-aT SfOraqte hack of ny naha Irs.--
- FoTacGrdtss9 ~ the Norm !.
=. vel adsp sd tofcatioD, in habits, 70 ~
~ of Produos and a,h to learn ihe truth;
a --d eonfederstes, not
" - si-theY de-
"a us With
- - politically ;
ossibe.n
5ward the
ih -NN ince that
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