The Daily Dispatch: June 28, 1862., [Electronic resource]

New England and the War tax.

‘ The silly talk of the New England manufacturers, that the agricultural interest paid but a small proportion of the tax, was unworthy of the Senate. The fact is, this who has been a godsend to the people of New England. Protected by an outrageous tariff from all foreign competition, they have had a rich harvest since the war commenced. There is not a manufacturing company in all New England that will not realize from ten to thirty per cent on its capital for the year ending the 1st of June. This is not confined to any one branch of industry, but includes all branches of manufacture. In the sale of cotton fabrics they have now a monopoly, and for twenty years there has not been such an amount of work done as has been done during the year just closed. The advantages reaped by New England from the war are not confined to the mere profits in dollars and cents upon the vast supplies it has sold, but it has enjoyed the more than equal advantage of having had full employment in its factories for all its population. New England with her factories closed, and New England will her factories in operation, even it not making profits, are very different. It is hard to impeach the patriotism or loyalty of any people; but, judging of the present by the past, it may not be extravagant to suppose that, if this war had the effect of closing all the factories and stopping all the mills in New England, there would come up a cry from that section in favor of peace.

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