The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-08-09

The new situation in whichwe are placed, ,
in relation to the rest ofthe world, naturally |
requires enquiry and deliberalion, on te
means by which the purposes of society Can
he hest insured to us. Deriving SO much of
our habits, both of acting and thinking, from
the various nations whence our people have
sprung; those habits kept alive by the inter
course which subsists between those nations
and our own the very necessities which our
infant state as a nation subjected us to on
the close ofthe revolution and the prejudi-
ccs which arose out of the ease and indcpen-
dcnce which our vast country a ford. and the
facility with which landed property can be
acquired, have all contributed in some mea-
sure to render us not so we'll prepared for
the critical situation of the world, as perhaps
we may require.
Every rejecting mind must perceive at
single glance, the imperious call upon Ame
RIGA at this moment to provide for the main
tainance of independence, and of a strict "a
vodance if possible, of every the most remote
concern in the troubles of the European WORLD.
bare consideration of our own principles
OF national association, will place the sub
l. ject in a proper point of vicw-and by con-
trasting our condition with that Of Europe at
this moment, we see i'll u stronger light the
policy which we have to pursue.-The an
cient world now struggles between two pow
ers-one of when claims the dominion of the
ocean, and the other actually dominates over
all the continent of Europe. Their contenti-
on has virtually excluded us from intercourse
with theta OH either element; and q serious
reflection arises from this solemn fact-had
! 7ce made hroher use Of or internal re-
sources, Soe should nor no7v be afr cted6 the
sccrS VI nations, three thousand miles dis
LnNt.-
But this was not so much the fault of our
minds as the effect of our habits-our ven
abundant comforts and superfiuities have COZ
triouted to our present privations and cnti-
Cal situation; but there is enough of wisdom
and OF means to remedy all our evils real and
unprecedented, if we are only guided by that
| reason which has hitherto distinguished us
as nation above all our contemporaries -
our first concern is to overcome the most for
mldable OF all our enemies, that is, hrejudice
| and much has been already accomplished
| IN that way. We have heard of a legislator
who entertained the sentiment that no dwell
| ling house shotld be SO near to another, as
that the barking of neighbours doy should
be heard; others have entertained the opini-
| on that there was no rational existence but
| in vast and populous cities.
In like manner it has been held as an uni
versal principle, that manufactures were not
necessary to public prosperity, nav, that thew
were the bane of society: that agriculture a.
!oie was i! that was requisite to: : nation
| hese are the extremes Of hrejudice. The
truth, as is usual in all human affairs, occupies
a middle place.
The circumstances of nations are so dissi-
milar, that few principles of political econo-
my will be perfectly applicable to any two
he most fertile agricultural country of Eu-
rope, the Netherlands, was at one period the
most manufacturIng-it was also the theatre
nf fh.2t 1 I
The narrow territory, and accidental origin
of Holland, made it mercantile and maritime
the little territory of Geneva was for ages
a prodigy of virtue and wisdom, wholly sup
ported by manufacture. 1t would be ridicu-
lous to talk of agricuture at Malta or the vim
tage In Great-Britain, of planting cotton and
the sugar cane in Canada, or establishing the
;nS2qlen manufacture in Jamaica or the Phil
Tie Islands.
means of sup ptb snd rational wants, ,,S anu 10
the only critera of men them, mus %@ays De
economy. 1t would be dessaia veI.,, a,1sara
to propose to the people of Ameli9a 70 i'm
port wheat from Sicily, or maize from Ben
gal, although both those products may be
had cheaper in those countries than we can
raise them ourselves. 1t would be equally
ridiculous to import ploughs and harrows
from England, or raw cotton from Surat,
while we can make the one, and produce
enough of the other to supply all the world
Let us then perscvere more and more,
for many triumphs have been already OBJ
tanned over frejudice-was any public i'm
pr0vement ever more opposed thar that of
public roads, the all important advantages
OF which are now universally acknowledged
In the colonial period, when the hats ma
nufactursd i'll Pennsylvania were prohibited
from sale to New York or Virginia, Mas
sachusetts or Carolina, the evil was per-
ceptible only by those who manufactured
yet 1T operated as a tax on every man who
wore hat; twenty years ago, our saddles
and brides, to the amount of million of
dollars annually, were imported from Eu-
rope, to which We sent the raw hides which
were returned in that shape, and at difIe-
renee OF 20 dollars for one in value we
now make sufficient of those articles for
home consumption, and can afford to ex-
port double the amoant that we imported
twenty years ago.
The manufacture OF shoes was exactly
so CiTCumstanccd.
From the single port of Phladelphia twoor
more vessels were constantly employed in
importing hollow iron wares from Bristol in
England that import has ceased--because
NC make them ourselves.
How has this change of circumstances ia
ken place What has been the effect!
These are the considerations to which we
have endeavoured to lead--fhe chance has
been erected by the sagacity ofindiUiduaks,