Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-09-27
No IL.


tysai al large eavy iopyo,ect oar commerce,
land stree uade is highly desirab'c, and
edispensibi2 necessary lothe r.an'e's and
Farmers, it,s proper TO devise system o!
projection for ii; and tins is an obi=Gi
demanding tire temperate inves,igauon
and careful! reflection of every description
OF orr citizens.
The following questions may help to
J. al Us 10 the true grpnud;
/. Should The United States have any
navy, and how strong or numerous should
it be?
What should he the commercial pur-
suns of the y. ST
3. BY what means, other than navy
can the u S. promote and protect their
cnnimerce
To The first question, requiring muck
calm Investigations, j, is conceived shat
ihe following IDEAS may serve rs IN imper.
fr6l answer. L. is not by .forcc that we
can protect our trade from The grea; ma
yies Of the primary maritime pc ers FOR
il is conceived that sue cln9ot a. fresent
ard ought MOTTO establish naSa, f"rce e.
quail 10 theirs, or account OF the mon
stiiutions, and tor the ether reasons before
assigned against the estsb'ishment o! a
great naval power III the y y. Bat we
may pro;eG our trade by force from the
petty ana i,regular states, whose com
merce with US affords no means Of aching
upon hem; such, Tor example, a. the Sc
Yeral sta ca OF Batbary. A iieei commen-
sura,e wish such objects and no more sp
pears 10 be ina, limited io'ce, which we
may establish without any oe The objecti
Ops 10 great navy, which have been suy
scs,ed. II ire are TO gro further IL, Mia
dshgcrous and costly o5,erution. il rs sesf,rc.
.jn5dt recommended. thai the sHbj,ct BE- yfrst
thoroughly examined ard gucN considered
The second question proposal is, wha,
ahonld be The commercial pursuits Of the
United States? To this /, may be gene
rally replied. that no trade whatever, in
sernal or ex' erna', (which injurc8 agrictk.
1ure or bcaejfts the ne, chanta only, az a great
c,atense 10 fhe resi- Of Tie community, should
be pursued.
1t is our interest 10 import implements
s materials Tor manufactures. and manu-
iscturers them elves, which will employ
many vessels. rather than &c import ma
npieetGred goods, which viii employ very
few.
|, is our interest to promote and esta
blisi Underestimate, Of " Inch msnufa Cures
ale most valuable part, rather than *
teruai Wade; because the raw materials
ard family supplies of the American ma
nuf> cturers. fishermen and coasters, are
drawn from ourselves, or from our carry
ing trade, which last is very little pro-
NOTED by the importation OF compact TO-
reign manufactures.
Every act Of unlawful impeachment, in
justice, embarrassment, or Iniary 10 our
foreign trade ard navigation and TO our
navy ought be strong and aninating IN
ceniye 10 our domestic trade and manu-
features, because they are less subject to
those foreigp injuries, and because the
cultivation of internal trade and mapufac-
lures silently operates as fine or henahy
upon The foreign invaders ofour mariume
rights. and The foreign violators of our
commercial interests, We shoOld yender
il perfectly manifest, and absolutely Ger
tain to Europe, that so far as me 4nterican
commercial Shirt is checked or injured az
sea, j, viii be INCREASINGLY turned 10 and
promoted on the shore. Oar cities, towns
and villages, must be scenes of commerce
or ofmanuia6tures If foreign nations IN
terrupt us IN icgimirote course and /oir
share of lhe business of supplying our
selves from he chespest aud most conve-
MEN; sources abroad, we shall, Indepen
DENLY and of necessity, supply ourselves
from existing or new sources at home.
We reasonably desire 10 secure 10 our
selves a share Of the carriage Of our own
unwrovght goods to the lore,gn manufac-
turers, and of their manufactures to orr
markets; and it is our wish 10 promote
the foreign consumption four products
So far as we prevent the American con
sumption OF fore'gn manufactures NOT made
from our ozcn froduee. we promote our
carriage OF our own raw materials, our
carriage Of foreign manufactures, AID the
fabrication oisoor raw ma etias by foreign
JBsnufs eturtrs. Thus, for example, The
recent aet Of Congress on MIR. NiCboison's
resolutions, by prohibiting cerisfn articles
nf wool linen, silk and leather, (~b,cb
are made abroad entirely from foreign
materials tha, We neither grow nor csrryJ
occasions co0on gloves, hose, sbriing
shet. jnp, tOge ling, tabIiug and fur0iture