Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-03-14
AN EXPORT DUTY.

l AN G@AEOh4
For some years past the propriety OF
establishing duty on certain articles OF
export has been discussed among CONNER
cial circles but the difficulties surround
ing any amendment of the Constitution OF
the United States, which strictly prohibits
such duty. has prevented any movement
in that direction. The Constitution of
the United States has always been a
great bugbear, and any animation about
amending it has been greeted with shrek
ofhorror. We have never been Of those
who believed that the founders of this
republic" were the only men that ever
lived capable of forming Constitution.
They were excellent men for the times in
which they lived; but if they could be re-
suscitated to-day, they would cut but a
poor figure in attempting to govern the
United States or any other modern nation.
The lamented John Phoenix, commenting
upon the baroarous ignorance of General
Washington, instanced the fact that the
Father of His Country "never. saw a
steamboat in his life, and never heard of
such thing as lucifer match" There
have been many changes since the days Of
Washington, in other sciences than nav
igation and the match-manufacture, and
among these sciences is that of government.
The United States Of to-day is different
nation from the United States of 1890;
and many measures which were very well
adapted to that new and experimental
nation, are no more fitted for the powerful
nation Of to-day than George Washing
toms knee-breeches would make panta-
looms for Abraham Lincoln. 1t was the
protection which the Constitution ex-
tended over slavery that rendered that
instrument too fragile to be touched and
handled during so many long years. That
terror has now passed away, and there is
no more hesitation in the minds Of modern
statesmen in advocating an amendment Of
the Constitution than there is in adopting
any other needed reform. The slavery
clause was the first step, and now the
eyes of statesmen are glancing critically
over the Constitution to see if there be
other particulars in which it could be i'm
proved while the nation is in the vein.
Among other defects is now discovered
this prohibition of an export duty. Gov.
Andrew. of Massachusetts,, in his recent
address to the Legislature refers to this
subject as follows:
venture also to suggest the proposition
of an amendment to the Federal Constitu-
ton, repeating its inhibition of duties on
exports. 4 moderate tax on the exporta-
ton of cotton, and perhaps of some other
articles, might be levied by Congress,
which would materially increase the ma
tional revenue. without diminishing the
production or sale of those articles: while,
at the same time. indirectly promoting
their manufacture at home. and thus
Strengthening the country in its COMPETE
ton against other nations in the markets
of the world.
Had the rebellion been successful, the
Southern policy would have been to OPP
pose a light revenue duty on exports
(which would have affected the Northern
as well Us the European buyers), and also
to impose greatly reduced duty on Euro
pean manufactures. Thus on introduction
of foreign manufactured goods into the
South, they hoped by discriminating
against our manufactures, and by control
ing seven-eighths of the navigable rivers
Of, the continent, and of their reach into
the interior, to smuggle foreign goods into
the West and the Northwest. despite the
laws of the United States-with the in
tent to disintegrate the free States. to break
down American manufactures, discourage
skilled, intelligent labor, and reduce the
laboring classes, by measures alike au-
dacious and insidious, to the dependence
held by the slave power appropriate for
tine masses of men.
desire to see not only slavery extirpat-
ed but its policy reversed, and an American
policy inaagurated which will secure at
once the freedom Of the people, the
strength Of the government, and the indie
pendence of American industry.