Showing that the violation of all the es-
tablished principles of the Constitution, the
evils which would result from their violation
would be far greater than the evils which
would result from their recognition—and
justly go.
But it is said that the slaveholding States
of the South have not contributed as much
to the wealth and prosperity of the country
as the other States have done; that they have
kept down this glorious Government; that
great as has been our fame, high as has been
our position as a nation, in comparison with
other nations of the earth, it would have
been infinitely greater if we had only
abolished slavery in the South and adopted
the policy of the North. Now, there are some
statistical facts which must be referred to to
settle this question, statistics compiled under
the supervision of a thorough, out-and-out,
sympathizer with the abolition of slavery.
What do these statistics show? I take this
from a newspaper, but I have compared it
with the original, and find it to be correct,
It is as follows:
"Return from the Treasury Department at
Washington, showing the value of the Ex-
ports for forty years, from 1821 to 1861 :
Total United States Exports for Forty Years :
Cotton...........$2,574,834,991
Tobacco........ 425,118,067
Rice.............. 87,854,511
Naval Stores... 110,981,296
Food............ 1,006,951,335
Gold............. 458,588,615
Crude Articles,
Manufactures,
&c............... 892,010,457
——$5,656,339272
Exports from the South exclusively for Forty
Years:
Cotton...........$2,674,834,991
Tobacco......... 425,118,067
Rice............. 87,864,511
Naval Sores... 110,981,296
0ne-third of
Food.......... 335,650,411
40 per cent. of
Gold.......... 183,588,615
—-—$3,718,027,891
Exports from the North......... 1,838,311,381
Amount of duties received on
Imports for forty years :
Total.........................$1,191,874,443
Of which the South's propor-
tion was......................... $799,608,378
And the North's proportion
was............................... $392,366,065
From the above table it will be seen that
Southern products have contributed to, the
support of the Government nearly $800,000,000
in the shape of customs duties, while |
those derived from the exchange of Northern
products have contributed less than half that
sum."
Mr. PUGH. Will the gentleman inform me
from where he got that extract?
Mr. MARBURY. I got it from some news-
paper; I do not recollect what one now. But
I have compared it with the official statistics
of the United States Government, and find it
to have been correctly taken from them. So
that for forty years, from 1821 to 1861, the
Southern States have contributed more than
double what the North has to the wealth and
prosperity of the nation. Aye, sir, they have
done all this; they have made this contribu-
tion freely and ungrudgingly, and all that
they have asked in return for it was to be let
alone in the enjoyment of their domestic insti-
tutions. They have said to the free States of
the North, you shall have every guarantee
you may require for your property, you shall
have our armies and our navies, and our
property to protect you in your rights of per-
son and property, and we will cheerfully aid
you to bear the flag of conquest Over the
whole Western continent. They have said
that they would cheerfully enable the North
to maintain the honor, the dignity, and the
prosperity of the whole country, and they
have never asked one solitary favor from the
North. On the contrary, they have given
oceans of money for the purpose of building
up the codfish aristocracy of New England.
But I will say in passing, in regard to what
is called the slave aristocracy of the South, I
leave it for history to compare it with the cod-
fish aristocracy of New England.
And while I am on this subject of what the
South has done for the North, and the com-
parative merits of the two sections, I hope I
may be pardoned for reading another short
extract, which every member of this Conven-
tion will see bears the stamp of truth upon
its face. Says a celebrated writer:
"Let it be remembered: 1. That by reason
of the selfish, mercenary greed of New Eng-
land in keeping open the slave trade, we are
now suffering fully one-third the infliction
caused by our negro population. 2, That by
reason of the protection afforded by discrim-
inating duties to her shipping and her manu-
factures, she has had the comparative mo-
nopoly of the richest, most bountiful market
in the world, until she has grown insolently
rich, even to repletion. 3. That by her dex-
terity she obtained and many long years has
enjoyed a bounty paid by the Federal Gov-
ernment on her codfish, and still continues to
enjoy that bounty, whilst buying the salt
with which she cures her fish in the British
Provinces, without paying any duty therefor
to our Government. 4. That by her gross
disloyalty during the last war with England,
and by recklessly driving forward with pre-
cipitate greed her selfish policy of a protec-
tive tariff, she brought the nation to the verge |
