[DiogenesLamp]

The fact of the matter is that there wouldn't have been any reason to send goods destined for Northern consumers to New Orleans,

There wouldn't have been nearly so many "Northern consumers" but for the 60% vigorish siphoned off of the Southern export trade. Secession severs that money stream to "northern consumers."

You can only buy so much in exchange for 28% of the export value.

[DoodleDawg]

There wouldn't have been nearly so many "Northern consumers" but for the 60% vigorish siphoned off of the Southern export trade. Secession severs that money stream to "northern consumers."

And yet for some reason during the rebellion and in the years afterwards U.S. imports and tariff revenue increased without all those southern exports. Go figure.