Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-17

ly, BY the folly Of some of our dealers,
made Ito use vulgarism) over the lett
shoulder.
What then, it will be asked, is want
ell to change this unfortunate state OF
things and to give new life and vigor to
our dormant energies. answer-a d.
rect, regular, and judiciously extended
foreiso commerce, the export OF larger
proportion of our own productions, the
import Of such foreign commodities as the
growers OF these productions require in
exchange Tor them, aud the avoiding, en-
tirely, Of shipments cOastwise, or the
purchase of merchandise in other cities
furnishing the eastern capitalists with our
produce when and to what extent they
may require, 4 receive in payment their
money and nothing else-ihe encourage.
ment and support of men engaged in, and
attracting to the port, foreign trade, en-
conragins and fostering by every means
in our power, honesty, industry aud en-
terprize in merchants and mechanics To-
caled among us-T particularly those VINO
have no paramount interest to that OF the
town:in which they live, to subserve the
using OF proper vigilance and activity to
eounteract the efforts made to divert from
our market the produce to which we arc
entitled, by turnpike roads and all other
proper means-and above all, union
and concert in every measure proposed
for the general welfare.-I shall, know,
be told, that the few transient efforts Of
enterprise amongst US, have been almost
uniformly unsuccessful and in many in.
stances disastrous-It has been because
they were irregular, often ill-timeG, and
always unsupported--and if any branch
of trade is found partially successful with
an individual, it is soon overdonc by the
number and bad management of blind and
ignorant initators. | shall be told, that
the foreign merchandise, particularly dry
goods, which are already imported here,
remain on the shelves. Tor the want OF
purchasers. 1t is because the assortment
is small and Incomplete, and prices gene
rallv high, and few instances OF cheap
good. at retail cannot be expected to at
lect the general reputation OF the market,
or to divert the attention of western pur-
chasers from Baltimore and Philadelphia.
And the enormous sacrifices which have
contributed so much to draw purchasers
to these markets, furnish no general al
gument against the practicability OF
fair competition, nor against the lair
chance of profit to the regular and judi.
cious importer: the sudden release from
the shackles and restraints of twenty five
years of war and restriction, induced the
manufacturers and capitalists OF Europe
to deluge every market with their manu-
features. The most ruinous sacriilces
were the inevitable, and in the case oil
England, the toreseen and desired result;
aud the i'll advised easerness OF our own
merchants for importations added not a
little to produce it. Whenever we again
witness the same train and combination
Of causes, we may expect to see the same
eliects-and / think l may venture to
saw, NOT until then in the same degree
l have never, during residence of
MANY years here, seen the time when any
thing like a tolerable assortment Of Eu-
ropean and India goods, by the package,
could be found here and although few
individuals may determine to dispose Of
their mportations on moderate terms, yet
any thing shnrt of general and united
effart Of the whole mercantile community
to stock the market, and for ere or two
seasons at least, equal In cheapness if
not undersell Baltimore and Philadel-
phia. will be Intellectual.
If this sacrifice is deemed too great to
be sustained by individual capital, let the
whole community. joinei with the capital
and enterprise Of the adjacent counties
whose interest is closely connected with
ours, contribute towards the establish
ment OF company, for the purpose OF
exporting the productions Of the country
aud Of importing such articles as our
market is worst supplied with, say Eu
ropean and India goods-ior Of hardy are
and china we have never been deficient,
and Of West India produce We should
have abundance, without risk of loss to
ourselves, if we duly encourage the ex-
ertions of those who endeavor to attract
that trade TO our port. Where is the
grocer, the mechanic, the inn-keeper, the
property holder, who would not find, in
the influx of western customers, ample
for the sum he might invest,
even il the entire amount were absorbed
in the effort; and even the dry good mer-
chant. whose business might be par tally
and temporarily arrested, would ulti-
~, C. :. ..,o,hIod Tho sh;ne no