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such a change should take place, “ and it will in
due time,” will we have free trade. Is there a
party north or south advocating such a change
or do they in any locality demand a tax in kind.
Such a revolution in the mode of raising money
to defray the expenses of the Government will
not be easily accomplished, if the change should
be either to a direct tax or tax in kind. The
sovereigns of the land have ever been opposed to
direct taxes, and we of the South will ever be op
posed to tax in kind, since our sad experience
during the late war, when those who gathered
the tax in this way, were like the locusts of
Egypt consuming everything that passed through
their hand. Admit that the present is a high
tariff, would a change in the administration and
that to a democratic one, take off nil the duties
on cotton goods, so as to accommodate Mr.
Hansen with domestics at 6£ per yard, and if so
what would the planter get for his cotton. It is
a settled principle in this government, all politi
cal parties agreeing, that the current expenses
(except in war) should be raised by a tariff and I
assert that in the future as in the past, the tariff
will be changed as to rates, from time to time, by
parties in interest, according to the influence
wielded and brought to bear by them on those
who enact laws for us. If we are to have a tariff
for revenue, it will afford protection to a greater
or less extent, varying according to the efforts
made by parties concerned, and should such be
levied on cotton goods, just to that extent or per
cent, will] ootton factories be protected north
and south. Admit the premises (as above) and
what reason can be urged against manufacturing
south that would not apply north ? A high tar
iff furnishes no good reason wh}- the south
should not engage in manufacturing and share
some of the profits, vast as the}’- are, and which,
he complains,] ‘ .absorbed by New England’s man
ufacturers. J human probabilities this tar
iff, in some lVp- and to some extent, will exist as
long as the government stands. And it is not
too late to bend our energies to secure a benefit
from such protection to manufacturers.
To be independent of other communities we
must not only grow cotton, bat raise the stock
and supplies necessary to cultivate and subsist
our plantations, to manufacture enough of our
great staple to supply our wants in fabrics, and
also our agricultural implements, our boots,
shoes, clothing, &c., so that, in case our cotton
is not wanted at remunerative prices, we can let
it remain under our shelters instead of being, as
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR.
now, forced to sell at low figures to meet Ijcns
given for mules, provisions, fertilizers, Ac., -
thereby saving commissions, storage, insurance,
and stealage, and realizing, indeed, what Mr.
Ilanscn boasts of, .independence. The idea that
a purely agricultural jx'oplc ever was, or can In*
independent, is preposteious —even in times of
peace how has it been, and will continue to be in
times of war ?
We owe posterity a duty, and now, whilst suf
sering from our recent defeat, is the most ]rropi
tious time to inaugurate that reform in our sys
tem which will bring absolute independence both
political and financial.
Talk of independence, when nine tenths of the
cotton raised in the south stands pledged, before
the seed are planted, to western men for mules-*
and bacon, to eastern men for cotton fabrics, fer
tilizers and agricultural implements—yea, fop
every thing used on the plantation except the •
seed for planting. How long will the cotton
belt last, with the pressure upon her surfaoe for
cotton to supply the increasing demands of a ,
great and independent people? and if the soil
should fail, from exhaustion, to keep pace with ..'
the demands of those who thus rudely and wick
edly cultivate it, we will then indeed have killed
the goose that lays the golden egg. Then, with
our sterile valleys and wasted hills, what will our
water powers and mineral deposits be worth .to
us? Then will we be compelled to make roonn.
for a people wise in their day, who do or will not
ignore their surroundings, but, by both brains and
muscle, work out their destiny— independence. —
The old and cherished notion that cotton is king
has certainly been exploded. We should not, how
ever, run to the opposite extreme and conclude
that its production will not pay under any circum
stances. Mr. Hansen’s assertion, that cotton man
ufactories produce paupers, is a strange theory.
I have been educated to look upon those depen
dent on charity as paupers, and not those who,
by the “sweat of their face, eat their bread.” —
Mr. Hansen, however unwilling, must confess
that things have changed and we must change
to conform, if we would draw from such chang
es the means of independence, or else become an
isolated iceberg, living to ourselves and dying to
ourselves. L. F. LIVINGSTON.
Newton County, Ga ., Oct., 1870.
jgp* Some people buy things they don’t want,
because they are great bargains; but what you
do not want, is dear at any price.
415