The Sun.
London, England, 1802-08-19 00:00:00

MANCHESTER, AUG. 16.

MANUFACTURERS OP ROUEN.

MEMORIAL Oi TITE ENGRAVERS AND PRINTERS
EMPLOYED AT THE MANUFACTORIES . .OF
PRINTED COTTONS. IN THE CITY OF ROUEN,

TO THE FIRST CONSIJI. OF THE FRENCH RE-
PUBLIC.

r.LNLR4L FCRST CONSUL,

" If there be a principle at present generally
agreed upon, it is, that the power and true great-
ness of EMpirea are the :patrimony, of the:. indus-.
tricots and Commercial Nations. England more
than any-other Nation presents a model worthy ofo,
imitation. This Etnpire, consisting of a Territory-.
of but small eiteot, and containing scarcely mcCre,
than ten millions of individuals, possesses, not-
withstanding, a marked preponderance in the
Commercial System :of the whole world. .'Far from
the War having proved disaitrous to this Power,
amidst the calamities of the Nations of the Con-
tinent, she has established a Domination of such
colossal magnitude,. that for a" long period no Na-
tion can enter into competition with-her.. .
" France, more than any other Power, seemed
destined, by the genius of her inhabitants and her
position, to excite that• competition, to balance* the
value of the prodnds'of industry, and to. maintain
the contest in every thing- which relates to the per-
feCtion of any produaion ; and this merit is al-
lowed to her by the unequivocal suffrages of oh
Nations. But the cause which paralyzes our in.
dustry and ourincoonneree, originates .in circum-
stances of, perhaps, 4, more powerful operation
than any which.have been hitherto alledged.
" The French Government, almost incessantly
occupied, during six years, with its own Political
dissentions, and having. to carry on a War at home
and abroad, could but little employ itself in exa.
mining these circumstances, and in preventing
their effeas. The epoch of a general Peace in_
duced a hope of less disastrous consequences. We
make bold to inform you, Citizen General, that
it is of extreme urgence that you should fix yotir
attention upon the city of Rouen and ,the deprto
meat. Our manufatturing industry is on the verge
of ruin, if speedy. measures do not stop the decay
produced by false theories; and the spirit of the
Commercial System.
41 Some haveventured to assert, that French in,
dustry can be carried to the highest perfeaion, only
by the stimulus of a rival industry. Where them
is this rivalship to be fauns! ? 'ls it- in the execu-
tion of the- processes for completing . the products
of our industry,• or in the want of the raw mate-
rials necessary' to this perfection. ? Is it in tho.chan.
nels of consumption for a'oemmerce es yet but of
very small extent, from the want of confidence ? or,
in a word, is it, from a more fatal conseqoeoce, in
the little national spirit possessed by :Frenchmen ?
" Foreign Industry, and particularly that of.
our powerful rival, enjoys a degree of protection
too little regarded by the French Merchant, and
Which, though hitherto overlooked, has reedered
it predominant. Ours, on the contrary, com-
pelled to trust to its own efforts, exhibits only
decay and complete depression. On the one side
there is an abundance of raw materials,, and at
moderate prices : and immense capitals, and re-
sources al way 3 presented by the public banks,.
enable the manufadurer to attempt and to. sup-
port every speculation. On the other, ,those
materials are scarce and very dear ; capital is not
advanced for the promotion of our manufadures,•
but at a ruinous interest ; in a word, an exchange
destrudive of commerce and confidence dries up
every source of National Prosperity ; every thing
makes in favour of the rivals of our manufaduring
industry, and we must speedily be involved in
total ruin !—Yet there are persons who can main-
tain that France must have the advantage in a
competition where the means are so unequal !
c, We hold the same opinion as to the perfeCtion
of the objects of industry ; but what signifies the
value of things, if the sale is not certain, and
• if the Nation gives greater advantages to Foreign
Produas ? Our refledions are fixed on the present
state of affairs. Scarcely haS Maritime Peace been
proclaimed, when the introdudion of merchandise
commences, the French warehouses are over stocked,
our manufaetures languish, and forebode general ruin.
The French soil has not rejected the Foreign Corn-
modities ; avarice and extortion have favoured their
cireulation. See what is the result; The prattle-
lions of industry. incumber the warehouses of our
'manufaCtures ; labour is repressed ; workshops are
shut up ;' thousands, of workmen are thrown (Aloof
employment, without even a prospea of being able
to gain wherewith to support. their numerous
families.
" -This is hut an imperfei view of the pttlure.
Let us consider the future. Bye. and bye, if such'
a system does not cease, if French commerce prefer
the products of foreign Nations, if our manufac-
tories and workliops receive no encouragement,.
all is over. All the shops are shut, manufacturing
industry abandoned, talents paralyzed, and thOu-
sands of Citizens, with their families, reduced to
the most frightful poverty . While we are repre-
senting to you our fears and alarms, there is not a
fourth part of us in a stateaofitliVitta. Every
day witnesses many unfortunate men swelling the
list Of victims. Those who are yet retained, are
retained only in consideration of old services, and
they are threatened soon to share those calamities
with which that class ate, afflided, if the Govern-
ment does not speedily remedy the evil.
" This is not all. Our hands once become idle,
a thousand other States participate our misfortunes
by a necessary consequence ; our inaction, stops
their labours ; every thing is linked together in a
State ; if you dam up a brook at the source, the kr.:
the plains it watered are struck with barrenness.
" We are exposing; General Consul, great and
'touching truths. Oh !, that you could hear the,
cries of want, the sighs, and the despair of the fami-
lies of—our nnfortuoate companions ! . They are
absolutely naked, and can see nothing before them
but more profound distress. •
" General Consul, we expect, from your :solici-
tude, a period to those miseries which weigh upon
us in so terrible a manner. A few moments more,
and our important City will possess no more wurk-