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North America — Volume 2 by Anthony Trollope
page 63 of 434 (14%)
can that of the Havana to the men of Cuba, or of Calcutta to the
natives of India. It has been a repetition of the old story, told
over and over again through every century since commerce has
flourished in the world; the tropics can produce, but the men from
the North shall sow and reap, and garner and enjoy. As the
Creator's work has progressed, this privilege has extended itself to
regions farther removed and still farther from southern influences.
If we look to Europe, we see that this has been so in Greece, Italy,
Spain, France, and the Netherlands; in England and Scotland; in
Prussia and in Russia; and the Western World shows us the same
story. Where is now the glory of the Antilles? where the riches of
Mexico and the power of Peru? They still produce sugar, guano,
gold, cotton, coffee--almost whatever we may ask them--and will
continue to do so while held to labor under sufficient restraint;
but where are their men, where are their books, where is their
learning, their art, their enterprise? I say it with sad regret at
the decadence of so vast a population; but I do say that the
Southern States of America have not been able to keep pace with
their Northern brethren; that they have fallen behind in the race,
and, feeling that the struggle is too much for them, have therefore
resolved to part.

The reasons put forward by the South for secession have been
trifling almost beyond conception. Northern tariffs have been the
first, and perhaps foremost. Then there has been a plea that the
national exchequer has paid certain bounties to New England
fishermen, of which the South has paid its share, getting no part of
such bounty in return. There is also a complaint as to the
navigation laws--meaning, I believe, that the laws of the States
increase the cost of coast traffic by forbidding foreign vessels to
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