The Real Cause of the U.S. Civil War



Fifth Annual Report of the American Institute


Page 264 of the Annual Report




October 16, 1846




The address of the founders begins toward the bottom of the page, after Thaddeus Wakeman's comments on the "non-political" nature of the organization."






Wakeman commented on the "stress laid upon protection by the Institute." He cautioned the members to be "guarded in expressing their views." It was a warning in the nature of, "Don't spook the game and spoil the hunt."


The founders were drawn from both political parties. Tallmadge himself was a Democrat. Many others were Federalists. Wakeman was right. The members told each other that the organization was non-political. In their minds, it was a bi-partisan patriotic effort for the good of the whole country. It was in their financial interest to believe it and they did.

Their real political enemies were not a part of the organization. Those included local men were concerned with the import-export trade and had no interest in promoting tariffs. Many of those would in later years be Democratic supporters of New York Mayor Fernando Wood, who proposed in 1861 that New York City also secede from the Union because of the tariff. Their southern political enemies were geographically distant.

Because each measure of "protection" caused the South to lose at least triple that measure, political strife was inevitable.


Page 264, Am. Inst. Annual Report