The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-03

ever, is the course they are pursuing, is unwise-
first, because is hopeless attempt, and secondly
because, if successful, it must starve and dwal
their commerce.
That the attempt was hopeless, glance at th
map, one would fancy, was enough to show.
custom house Gordon, round a frontier like theirs
is sheer impossibility. To effect their object the
| must guard the whole Canadian frontier, forme
by the st. Lawrence and the Lakes-that is, b,
/ Natures very highway of commerce-and extend
ing thousand miles. Next, they must guard tn
whole Southern frontier, from the Chesapeake tt
st. Louis, over twelve degrees of longitude. Last
! ly, they must guard the Western boundary, where
in many parts they have neither officers nor popu
laton; and, more than all, they must exercise The
most ceaseless severity of vigilance over the Ohio
the Missouri and the Mississippi, and in doing sc
they aust Interfere with navig ation and with thai
unchecked individual liberty which has become the
| lngrained habit of every American. In short, no
| staff OF Douaniers could do the work, and no Anglo
Saxon race would tolerate the restrictions by meaus
| OF which only it could be done.
In the second place, even if it could be DONE it
would nave to be done at the cost of the entire
customs revenue-which has hitherto defrayed
nearly the whole expenses of the Federal Govern
ment. For not only would the duties fall off Just
| In pro portion the scheme succeeded till the
slxty-four millions of dollars dwinded away to less
than twenty, but the whole of this would be alb
sorbed by Keeping up the vast army of coast-guard
othcias which would be needed to enforce so un-
natural and unpopular an enactment. The inevit-
able consequence of the attempt will certainly be
that nearly the same amount of British projections
VIII. after while find lis way into America, but
u VIII not pass through the custom houses of the
northern Union. Instead of paying a. moderate
duty at Boston and New York. it will filter in by the
ST. Lawrence, the lakes, the Mississippi, the Ohio,
paying no duty at ALL and the baffled and foolish
democratic economists will have to raise their ne
cessary revenue by direct taxation.
In the third place-supposing the scheme to be
successful, what would become of the commerce
and shipping of New York and Boston? When
tue tWenty-three millions of European imports
were reduced three or to three times three-where
would the thousand vessels now employed in bring
ing these goods, and in carrying back the produce
now exchanged for them, find occupation? For we
muStremember that if the Protectionists succeed in
keeping out twenty millions of foreign articles they
Will also keep in nearly as large a value of Ameri-
can produce. How can they expect us to 20 on
buying their cOrn if they will not not let us pav
t5 teem IN, IN hosiery and calico, and hardware? i'll
they kill their imports they will kill their exnorts
likewise; and kill at the same time the vast mer-
cantlle marine now occupied in exchanging the one
against the other. A more notable contriyance
Tor lmpoverishing at the revenue and the |
cluzen, could not have been devised BY the wit |
of man.
But, in the fourth place, how in the name of won |
der do these sagacious democratic politicians con-
celve that what remains of the Union can be held
together, 1t such tariff this is to be enforced
The separation of the South has brought home to |
every mind, as we showed last week. that the bond |
between the several States is purely voluntary and
therefore precarGus Is it likely that the North
western States, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin Iudi- |
ana, and Illinois, with all their splended soil and
their rapidly increasing power, will remain in the
Union one year ifthey to be sacrificed to the |
manufacturers of Massachusetts and Peunsylva- |
MIA VIII they be content to have their enormous
and profitable grain trade with Europe interfered
with, merely in order that they may be clothed |
with dear New England woollens, and NAV clear |
their forests with bad Pennsylvania axes? Will
they bear to see the Canadians cut them out of the
tha no,ya
a LIBERAL, and they are tramped on by protective,
tariff?
Ii this law continues we may look for a third or
Northwestern Federation, within year.-Or it |
may be junction with British North America
But speculation may go even further than this ana
yet In no way trench en- the improbable Will |
New ork remain in a Federation whose first act is
70 strike fatal blow at her prosperity And if New
ork STATE would submit to this, what will New |
ork CITY do? How long will her merchants be will |
ling to have their profits curtailed their expenses
increased their taxes doubled, and their CONNER
cial enterprises hampered, dwarfed, distauced in
the race, without one single equivalent advantage
being offered them in compensation? Finally what
will the Border States say or do-those States
whom it is so peculiarly desirable for the North to
retain in the Union, and whose allepiance at the
present moment is so precarious? The decision of
kentucky and Virginia is just trembling in the bal
ance: are they likely to be concated BY propo-
sal that the cost of clothing their slaves shall be in
creased and impediments thrown in the way of the
paid for their tobacco?
1t is impossible to believe that absurd and mis- |
chievous measure, even if it has not been vetoed
by the outgoing President, can remain long on the
statute book or be suffered to come into general |
operation. When the new President and the new |
Cabinet are made aware that this mad tariff cannot
really ever be enforced; that the mere endeavor to
enforce it will empty their exchequer, will disgust
and drive away the grain States and Border States,
and will divert Commerce from New York to Cana. |
la; and that if it could BY any possibility be en-
Orced and maintained, it would cramp their trade,
their customers, and reduce their ship.
ping to inacti0n and decay-it will surely be |
repealed by common acclamation.
MR.. LINCOLN'S SPEECHES.
From the London Times, 18th
Strange to say, the President has as
yet given no signs Of his future policy. In this
country we not accustomed to such reticence-
An English Prime Minister is obliged to declare his
like any other On the hustings of
some little borough before audience of rough
country fellows, or at meeting OF his supporters
in his own dining room, he declares openly what
are his opinions, and how he will apply them in tbe
government of the country. The institutions of
the United States, though Democratic, do not de-
mand this publicity. In many things the President
is an elected despot for four years. When once
chosen he may at least leave undone what he peases
and no one can force him to move. In legisla-
ton only can he be controlled; the executive is
left entirely in his hands. So now, though Mr..
Lincoln was just about to enter the White House
and assume the charge of the truncated Union, no
one could really penetrate his counsels Men could
only Judge of his future acts by the Ministers whom
he had appointed; and even the construction of his
Cabinet was more suited to raise than to satisfy
curiosity.
In Mr.. Seward, the President has chosen man
whom the convusions of the country have terrified
into moderation. He has been overcome by the
complete tuitllment of his own prophecy. He spoke
of the irrepressible conflict between North and
South which was to take place, and it has come,
not in his chidrens time, not in his own old age,
but within few months of the prediction being
uttered. Hence Mr. Seward is now supposed to
represent the party of concession. He has made
speeches so conciatory, so cringing towards the
South, that the ultra-Repubcan party have de-
nounced him as political coward and time
server. To oppose him there is, however, more
than one member of Mr.. Lincon's Cabinet, and it
cannot be doubted that the opinions of the Aboli-
tionists will be fully represented in the new Gov
Which party is to prevail must depend on the
personal Judgment of the politician who has been
raised to the highest position in the Republic
Mr. Lincoln of Illinois is President Lincoln of
the United States. Although responsibility sobers
men, it cannot change them. Still less can it i'm
part to them knowledge and experience. Mr..
Lincoln is still the local politician, the honest man
of a farming Western State, with all the simplicity
which belongs to the pioneers of civilization. That
such man should enter on office at the crisis of
nations destiny is no small matter. One false step
may plunge the two Unions into civil war, if it |
may be called so when one of the combatant States |
osentatiousy speaks of the citizens of the other
foreigners. At such time it is interesting to ex-
anime the speeches of the President and his subOr.
dinate the Vice-President, with view to discOv- |
er any indications of the policy that will find favor
with the Republican party.
Mr.. Lincoln was in Washington on the 26th of |
February, only four days before his Inauguration, |
and delivered yyhat was probably his last speech as
a private citizen. At such time it would seem |
that further concealment of intentions must be |
useless. A week would disclose any secrets which |
might be locked up in the Presidential bosom. The |
shock would come Immediately after his assump- |
tion of power and with the batteries of Charleston
harbor ready shotted to open fire on Fort Sumter
it would be folly to dissemble as to the future
Yet Mr.. Lincoln has hothing but generalities for
his audience. The ill-feelng which exists between
North and South arises, according to MIR. Lincoln,
merely from misunderstanding. He wishes to
convince the Southerners that eve regard you as
In all things our equas in all things entitled to the
same respect and tue same treatment that We claim
for ourselves" and "are determined to give you,
far lies in hands, all your rights under the
Constitution, not grudgingly, but fully and fairly
These are, no doubt, very estimabe remarks, |
but they are certainly somewhat vague when com
ing from magistrate who has the credit of firm
ness and energy. Mr.. Hamn, the new Vice Presi-
dent, in high flown speech, says: 81 do believe |
that it is only necessary for to understand each
other better to remove all the clouds that lower in
the political horizon" This may be shrewdness |
it may indicate deep-laid schemes of policy which
are in due time to be made known. But we are
unable to see the usefulness of further reserve
The people of the United States are listening every
moment for the beginning of civil war; the first
shot fired against Fort Sumter NAV possibly be the
of bloody contest. At such a |
juncture smooth words avail nothing, and will |
only serve to convince the South that its opponents
doubt the justice of their or despair of its
success.
RUSSELL AND THE INDIAN BoNDs.-Wm. II. Russell
has come out with n lonu eynlano tion and aynusa