Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-01-21

lititi "a tuSIt Is uIits "Cu.o p'CtnOtC iOt
Only tic general harmony, bu, alto the
national frength.
The removal Of the duty, il was OBJ
ferved, would in the proportion Of IS to
100, increafe the ability Of the Rates 10
eurcl,aie auns, for which this was lea-
ION The mott anfpicious, and which ought
therefore TO he Immediately ieizcd. An
immenie MATS of arms had been employed
during tie late European wat and on
the retforation Of peace, which now per-
vaded Europe, a large portion Of ;hem,
becoming unneceAary, were carried into
the market; The confsauence Of which
was the Reduction of their price mpehbe-
low the war price. This then was the
fssion for purcha!e, which ought to be
improved without delay, as there was 70
for,feeihg the hour at which new hot'ili.
les might BURT out in that quarter,
and as il was afcertained, from experience,
thar during fate Of war the expectation
Of arms was prohibited which mightbe
that period when they would be acit
wanted by this country.
The militia were, it was remarked,
IN mott of the lates but m;lerably fupplied
with arms; and this was more particular
ly the cafe in the fouthern fatcs. Should
the nation, contrary to their wines, be
ngaged in war, il was thefe f'ates tllst
you'd experience the fire. attack of an in
Yading enemy and in fuch event, assthe
climate defence mua ref upon the nation
Al government, il would then Re perceived
that even the revenue would in effect be
sided in cafe the facilisylhereby given the
aates TO procure armsthould have, by the
ssmoval of this duty, rendered unnecehary
The interpehsion of the federal govern
ment. BY limiting it two years, finn
lus would be given 10 the fares, az well
as an intimation of the ienie Of the ge-
aeral government of The importance of
Immediately attending TO this lntereiting
,tjra.
/ Il was akad, whether i, was proper to
FAX the militia that the revenue might be
aided Ii wotld be better even to tax the
bread of lie. than The arms of the militia,
tscau!e thofe arms were ncceliafy TO en-
shlc our citizens to eat that bread in
peace.
With regard to the fecond Objection.
made 70 the reGolution, that il would de-
prcfs, if NOT dcitroy, the dometflc manu-
failure Of arms, it was replied that even
if fuch fhould be the effect, in cafe Of
iech infinite Importance, the leHer evil
ihculd be fn5mit,ed TO rather than ioie
The greater benefit. Ii was acknowledged
thar the protection of d1me!tic aanutac-
:ures vas a great opjsti, ard efpeciaiiy
he manufacture OF aims bur ii was de-
clared 10 be the refult Of al experience IN
Europe that The private manufacture of
arms mua be abandoned ;n time Of peace.
Government, mindful CT this necefsIy
efF.a, had caabliihed nafional ARMIES.
Such oveh, TO be the policy Of the United
States, as veil IS The giving A bounty,
in time Of peace, onshe dune.t'c rnanufac-
sere, even If that bounty exceeded the
marker price one hundred Pr cent. The
eifees, however, a.stibed to he removal o.
this duty, was denied acd It WIS a!ledg-
ed tllat tie prefsnt price Of imported arms
was 20 low, Notwithstanding the exiting
duty, that the domeitic manufacturer could
rot enter into competition with the i'm
porter.
With regard to protecting duties, they
had in many cafes been LAID, and correctly
laid, on articles, fuch as hais, boots and
fhoes, where the ability Of the manufac-
furers was equal to the demand but in
The article of arms this was msnifeltly not
.hc fact nor was it believed, conidering
our increahng population, that it would
be the cafe for twenty years.
On the ofber banG fbe obp9aenfs q The
Erlalafion remarked, tia, il piefented fim-