The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-22
RICHMOND TUESDAY MORNING, April %, 1906.

rectnefs of this reafoning irl its fueft extent,
applied to the natural and uiihl trade of A couu
try, to the foreign and domdtic trade of con-
iumPtion, am very far from being prepared
to admit it as applied to tie carrying trade.
II Is believed that however copfidentjy mercan-
tile men pronounce upon this hubieet, however
well they may fucceed in convincing each other,
by train of reafoning whic b takes the circuit
OF the world before il draws to concluiion,
YET upon minds uuipterefed in the iifne they
ran TO produce conviction. Por myfelf very
muchdoubt whether the diveriion of our riaviga.
tion and capital into an unnatural and fictitious
channel, does not, by diminiihing the compe-
titlon IN our own markets, niure the fale aud
reduce the price of the produce of the country.
ms idea, iir, is advanced with diffidence, a.
indeed are thofe which ! may at any time adj
vance upon the probable operation of CONNER,
cial arrangements. But, MIR. Chairman, do
not gentlemen ak too much when they REQUIRE
OF us toJeopardiZe the whole agricultural in.s-I
relt OF the nation for the fake of that which in
our opinion produces no benefit TO that intereft !?
isit rot expecting TOO much of ns tsr fappofe
that we will content to furrender the certainty
OF good markets and high prices for our pro-
auce, and brave the danger of total fagnati-
on tor the purpofe of embarking in hazard
Gus CONTEXT with Great Britain for the carving
trade SIR, it's too much |; gentlemen ought
not, cannot expect it. They who are 70 eagle
eyed, TO fen6bly alive to whatever concerns
themieves, mutt expect that we will not fhut
our eyes upon matters 70 important to ourfelves,
ana to thoie Whole trufs are confded to our f.
deity.
We are alto afked to leave out of view e.o-
graphical dftinetions. In this, MIR. Chairman,
gentlemen expect impoffbties they REQUIRE
us 10 iurrender the principles of lelf-preferyati-
on; to "trip ourlelves of the leading ftimulus
TO human action. To this requifition we can
leis accede than to the former. Look to the
document from the treafury which lies before
us. 1t will there be found that the whole a.
mount OF domeitic produce exported to Great
Britain and her dependencies for the year 1902,
was 1s,727,ooo, that of this amount, the arti
cleS or cotton, tobacco, rice, tar, pitch and ro-
rh' winch are exelnfz'eLr the product of the
iouthern fiction of the union, gave the fun of
s,45o,ooo dolls. For the year 1908, the whole
amount exported to the fameplaces, was o.
100000 dollars of which L 200, 900, aroie
rom the articles above enumerated For the wear
1904, the respective amounts were l9, 600. 600
ooilars, and 9,4oO,OOo dollars. The average
OF the whole amount for the three years, was
2o'2oo,ooo dollars f; the average of the amount
upon the enumerated articles for the fame time
was 100000 dollars, of which lat amount.
the lum of s,soo,ooo aroie from the articles of
| cotton and tobacco alone.
thus, fir, ftands the relative amount of the
exports to G.. B. and her dependencies of the
products of the fouthern fiction of the u. S.
and thoie of the whole union |; and in this re,a-
tive proportion of courfe mutt their different
interetts be affected by the adoption of the re-
folution.
Mr.. Chairman, there is another view OF the
| operation of the refoiution, which we cannot
avoid to prefS upon the attention of the COM
| mittee. From the fame document it appears
| that the average amount OF tobacco for the three
years, 1902, 5 and 4, exported from the u. S.
was 6,lio,ooo dollars,-that of this amount,
the proportion of 3,22o, 900 was exported to c.
| Britain. That of the article of cotton, the a.
verage amount exported for the fame three
years, was 700 dollars, of which 5,6ac,ooo
dollars was exported to G, Britain.
| Do not gentlemen exped too much when
| they ak us to hut our eyes upon thefe facts
Do they not require of us to abandon the beft
intereits of thofe we repreftnt And ihould
we not mott financially betray the facred truft
rePoied in us, by an acquieicencc on our part
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gregg
who moved the refoution, ought leaft of all to
expect this funender at our bands, when it is
recoectcd how little tacri6ce will be mpofed
upon the agricultural intereft Of his own fate,
by the adoption of the propofed meaflre. The
articles of EVbeat andRow are not fubie6ts of ex-
port to G. Britain, unlefs in times of famine or
| extreme fcarcity.
But the refoution, we are told, only prohi-
bits importation from Great Britain, leaving
the expectations from this country to that as
they now itand. Very true, fir; this is the o.
peration of the refolution itfelf, and if it were
to produce no reaction, all might end well.
But will Great Britain not retaliate9 Is f,e
that tame, fn6milive animal, which would
crouch to any hand that might infi6t blow
No, this is not urged but it feems her manu-
facturers arc 70 dependent upon us as confum-
ers, asd the manufacturing interea in that coun-
try 10 numerous and 70 powerful, that the Bri-
tiih minifry could not perfft in any fyfem of
retaliation. The cafe of the American revolu-
ton has been cited, and extracts from an au-
thor of credit read to thew the early relifance
made blythe manufacturers of that country againft
"a profecution of the war. This citation, as
well as the whole hiitory of the war, are unfor-
tunate arguments for thofe who ufe them.
What, fir, was the faa did the manufac-
tuners prevail in their oppoiition? They did
not. The war confused feven years in fpite OF
them. Yes, fir, notwithstanding their mott
iPirited reiltance, an unpopular war, conduct
ed by weak administration againlt fpirited
and powerful oppolition in parliament, lated