The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-08 00:00:00

cupidity of the monopolists, is plain. They must, with
undeviating perseverance, exhibit to the benevolent sym-
pathies of the electoral bodies, in order to rouse them to
the necessary exertions in the approaching contest, the
baneful effects of the system which will be perpe-
tuated, or overthrown by them, as the majority. iii the
new Parliament shall be found to consist of the friends
or enemies of monopoly. What, then, is the scene
which presents itself to the eye of the spectator as he
traverses the map of England, and rests his eye on the
chief seats of our staple manufactures, or actually visits
them in person, for the purpose of ascertaining whether
the tales of woe which have been narrated are fabulous
or real ? We beg attention to our statement. If
the advocates of monopoly can impugn that state-
ment, either in whole or in part, let them do
so. If they cannot,—if the statement, instead of
being overcharged, falls below the actual condition of
the masses of the population to which it relates,—then,
we ask, what is the obvious duty of every man who has
a head to think and a heart to feel, when he is called
upon to say, by his vote at the hustings, whether such
a calamitous state of society shall continue,—shall widen
and deepen—and be perpetuated, beyond the power of
being reversed at a future period ; or whether a check
shall be put at once upon its progress—a healthful reac-
tion be produced—and a gradual, but certain, restoration
of former contentment and prosperity be eventually se-
cured ? What, then, is the condition of our manufacturing
population ? The restrictions upon our trade with fo-
reign countries have alike affected the woollens of Wilt-
shire and York, the hardwares of Birmingham and
Sheffield, the stockings of Nottingham and Leicester, the
carpeting of Kidderminster, the cottons of Manchester
and Glasgow, and the silk goods of Coventry and Spi-
talfields ; and, voaohing even to the remote shores of
Inverness, have swept off in their course the coarser ma-
nufactures of Fife, Forfar, and Kincardine. The range
of the evil through all classes of society in those districts
has not proved less fatal than oomprehensive ; and,
though the chief 104,4 and excess of misery has fallen,
as might be expected, upon the operative manufaetinws,
whose emaciated countenances and naked and unfed
children, shock the eye of the traveller through what
used to be the busiest and most cheerful districts of the
country-yet the oapitalist, the merchant, the master ma-
n ufacterer,rancl-the 'shipowner, each share ill the
c a 14m; ty,

dOJR,IER,—The doctrine of free trade, like other
abstractions, may be exceedingly plausible in prin-
ciple and yet so impossible in practice, that not one simple
precedent can be found in ancient or modern history,
where, in any state of society advanced or approxi-
mating to civilization; the free trade principle has been
in pure and visible existence. The nearest approach
to so blessed a consummation may only be sought in
the scanty annals of savage life, of which, so far
true to their antecedents, the Red Indians of South
ponchoseitlier taxed e
ex-
ported, and North America are the unadulterated repro-
to this
ay,
ported, and that they carried their notions of free trade
rseuin%t4tnifT fire-arms d o rlt te
d is, ntorurefutrhseyorn
rather to an excess, as in the Pampas yet, by occa-
sional forays into their neighbours' lands and free appro-
priation of what might be there encouilterttd
troubling themselves glout r.ctatlw in kind, bat other-
,Y4:o th:freti tirade practice was undoubtedly of the most
consistent, for custom-hOuses or officers, monopoly abo-
minations as they are, there were none. 'Whether it be
desirable, upon free trade principles, to effect a social
retrogradation or reduction of mankind to the fiv,qt
menu of eN stqW,9 11.1 U haft eV-J.l4u
4‘, animal
9., 0-ts.(4ll,lkg ee itadiltg economists ( f the
dhy Their principle is utterly worthless, if, con-
tending for it so arbitrarily, unconditionally, unreservedly,
they are not prepared to contend also for the
riority of the savage state, whew. 00tt,4 rxc*Oky
in full operation, over the state
,slhqe
strictiou op pritpfltion is the rule 4n.d free trA they.,
ttc4htl fxceptigll, TlAPgreticaliY Offv,furi:
is pist as concet,. and at the same it-ue just as
practical an absurdity,' as _.the gimiiarly sage and un-
qualified proposition .of liberalism, " that all men arc
equal ;" the practical illustration of WhiPh. PcTA*-;
sto"thdle)Otallielirl
c.,12n 4p4Varat,liiiwoh,
eatthldertlilnatsitlaotit:
riches, physical capacity, or mental endowments.