of vast profits to
themselves and of ruin to us, any sacrifice will be made. It is urged
that direct taxation will not prove sufficiently profitable to enable
the South to dispense with a revenue tariff; but those who urge this, do
not know the South. They do not know the infinite depths of hatred to
the North and to everything Northern--the venom and vindictiveness with
which they would pursue us. They forget that as a _military_ nation
whatever the rulers will, must and shall be done. The great
planters--and Southern policy of capital tends to develop none save
great planters and their adherents--will undoubtedly be taxed, but then
they will on the other hand be directly interested in sustaining the
government, and share in its power and patronage. Let the reader
remember that after all, there are only _at present_ in the South some
two hundred thousand slaveholders, or men holding slaves sufficient to
fairly rank among those whose interests are seriously allied to 'the
institution.' Possibly the chances of war have still further diminished
this number; it would be strange indeed, if between runaways and the
sacrifices which adversity brings, and which fall most heavily on men of
moderate means, the number of slaveholders has not been reduced. In such
times negroes are sold at _any_ price. This small number of slaveholders
will understand their own political interests sufficiently well to admit
foreign goods duty free, and to use every effort to smuggle them into
the North.

We, on the other hand, who have no negroes to plant for us, who must pay
our farmers far more than the wretched black earns, have no 'mud-sill'
whereon to rest. We are manufacturers, and can not form a permanent
military nation. We hold in horror the idea of a standing army, and of
having our young men who might grow up wealthy and learned--and what
Northern youth is there who has not his 'chances'?--become
garrison-soldiers for life. We love learning, culture, independence,
progress. Year by year sees noble schools rising among us--schools in
which every man's son may obtain an excellent free education, and
qualify himself for any position in any society. Year by year sees our
manufacturers demanding fresh labor, more talent, more youth, more
energy, and with them sees the condition of the mechanic becoming more
and more ameliorated. Year by year finds the public lecture and library
more used by the workman, and the masses rising little by little