Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-03-02

more can,lor. Bat within the thirty years
which have since elapsed. how are Cir
| cun,stances changed? We were then in
| peace-our independent pace among na-
| tions Was acknowlS dgcd. a commerce
which offered thera materials in ex-
| Change for the same mat raj, after rece.-
wing the last touch of industry, was wo, thy
| the attention OF al! natICns. Ii was eXpec-
| ted, that those, especially, to whom manu-
| featuring industry was impol tant, would
cherish the friendship of such customers
by every favor, and particularly cultivate
lhtir peace by every act ofjast.Ce and
friendsh =. Under this prospect, the qu,s-
ti3n seemed legitimate, whether with such
| AN immensely OF unimproved land, Counting
the hand of husbandrv, the industry Of G.g-
r3cnitlire or that of mama )dctureS, would
add most TO the national wealth ? Aud the
doubt on the utility OF American manufac
lures, was entertained on this consideration
Chi ny, that to the labor of the husbandmau
a vast addition is made by the Spontaneous
energies OF the earth on which 1t 5 employ
ed. For ope gram OF wheat committed 10
the earth, she renders 20, so, aud even so
lo,d-whcrcaS the labor Of the manutaotu-
rer fails ia most Instances vastly below this
profit Pounds OF AJAX in hts hands yield
but penny WEIGHTS of lace. This exchange
did 1t promise for the occupation OF the o.
cean-what nursery FIR that class ut CIT
izens who were to exercise and maintain
Cur equal rights On that element? This
was the state ct things in 1855, when the
notes On Virginia were first published, when
| the ocean beng open 10 all cations, and
their common rights III 1t acknowledged &
exercised under the regulations sanctioned
| by the assent and usage ct all, it was tho't
that the doubt might claim some conSdera-
ton. But who, in 1885, could see the Ia
p.d Lepravty, viii h was to render the
Close Of that century disgrace to the
history of CIVILIZED society VINO could
hare imagined that the two most distin-
yui-hed Ia III, renk Of nations, for science
| and ci7'iki<GnoR, would have su idenly des-
| ccndcd from that honorable em.n nee, and
| setting At defiance all those moral laws es-
| tabishcd by the author of nature between
| Eation and nation, as betw en- man and
| man, would cover earth and sea with rob-
| berries and piracies, merely because strong
| enough 10 do it with temporal impunity,
| and that under tbs disSandment Of nations
from social order, we SHOULD have been
despoilcd of th"us and ships, and have
| thousands OF our citizens reduced to AlseT-
| me slavery? And ali Ia 5 has TAX IL place.
| The British interdicted to our vessels all
| harbors of the globe, without having at
! first proceedcd to one of hers, there paid
a t,i6ute pr p0rtioned to the cargo, and
Obtained her liccpCc 20 proceed to tie port
| OF d stination. The French declared them
to be lawful prize if they had touched at
| the port, or been visited by q ship of the
| enemy nation. Thus were we completely
! excluded from the ocean. Compare this
| state of things with that of IS, and say,
| he I'D ~
| stances of that day, can be fairly applied
to those of the present. We have expert
| enced what we did not then believe, that
there exists both prohgaoy and power E.
| nough to exclude US from the field Of in
| terchange with other n2tions-Ihat 10 be
| iAdefendeW for the comforts 81 life, zvc
must fdtricate them ourselves.
We mustnozv pace the manufacturer. by
the side of the agriculturist. The former
| question is suppressed, or rather assumes
a new form. The grand enquiry no,v is,
shall we make our own comforts, or go
without them at the will Of foreign ma
ton lie, MereJore, qvho is noro against
| domestic manufactures, Dlust be for re1il-
| cling as either 10 defeUdence on that nation,
or be clothed in skins, and to live ike wild
beasts in dens and caverns. am proud
| to say, am not one of these. Experience
has taught me that manufactures are now
as necessary to our independence as to our
comtort-and if those who quote me as Of
| different opinion, will keep pace with
me in purchasing nothing foreign, where
| an equivalent of domestic fabric can I've OBJ
| tanned, without regard to difference of
| price, it will not be our fault it we do not
soon have a supply at home equal to our
| demand, ami wrcst that weapon Of distress
| from the hand, which has So long wantonly
| welded it.
| Ii it shall be proposed to gobryond orr
own supply, the question OF '85 will then
| reCur. viz.-Will our suyh!us labor be then
| more benehcially employed in the culture
| OF the earth or in the fabrcati0ns of art ?
| We have time yet for consideration before
| that que stlon will press upon us and the
MAXIM to be applied, will depend On the
! circumstances which shall then exist For
III SO complicated science as political e
| economy, no one axiom can be lad down as
wise and cXpedient for all times and Cir
| cumstances. lnattention to tbs is what
has called for this explanation to answer
the cayils OF the uncandd, who use my for
mer opinion only rs a stalking horse, 10
! keep us in eternal vassalage to a foreign
and unfriendly nation.
l salute you with assurances of great
! respect and esteem.
TIL: JEFFERSON.
Benz. AuStia, Esq.
I We lay before our readers letter we have
received from our correspondent at Bor-
deauz. TIL view VIII On this gentleman
takes Ct the state oi France, and of Eu-