Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-11-09

reasonable to export our wheat to have it
ground and purchase it again III the form
of flour, than TO sell raw cotton aud re-
lceiye it back manufactured; as the adj
vance on the flour would hardly ever
Iamonnt to third part Of the advance on
lcambrics and muslins.
| We respectfully state to your honoura-
Bile houses, that such is fhe wonderful in-
crease 10 the value Of csmDrics and mus
Inns, beyond the price Of the raw materi.
al, that the lsbour OF 100000 cotton man
uiacturers, aided by machinery, would
!! pay for the amount OF the greatest export
OF the productions Of The United States,
in any one year since The declaration OF
Independence. This fact, which, if yon
require it, shall be proved at the bars oil
your houses, by The most unexceptional
Testimony, is the more extraordinary and
lamentable, as the high rate Of wages
here, has been, as we have said, among
the objections raised TO manufactures ];
whereas it appears, that We exchange the
lproduce OF the labour OF ten, twenty, OF
thirty OF our citizens Tor that OF one for
|eign manufacturer.
Another objection arises from the sup
lposed danger Of impairiug the revenue.
We respectfully represent 10 you, that IL
he scale Of reason and justice, this OBJ
Election does not appear entitled to as
much Importance as is attached 10 il.
The expenses OF the government mus, be
Iborne-the interest Of the debl be paid
and the debt itself gradually exlinguished.
But these objects can be effectuaiy ac-
complished without any sacrifice of the
national industry. torif FLOW priced cot
tons and woolens, such as We Can our.
selves abundantly supply, were wholly
prohibited, and the duties increased OIL
those OF greater value, The revenue would
probably be indemnifed, by the gain in
1.-THE one case for the loss 10 the other.
The same observation applies TO most
other articles which require protection.
But we beg leave further to represent
to your honorable houses, that tile poll
cy pursued, SO highly injurious TO the ma
ltional resources aud industry, has MOI
been ads antageous to, but must ultimately
IiDjure, the revenue for the general dis
Itress aud the decay al trade and com
Imerce, resulting IRON she draii oil specie,
TO pay for the extravagant aud ruinous
importaIions oil foreign goods, have pro
dUced such a disability OF purchase at
present, that the importations OF the en-
suing twelve or eighteen months, ana
consequently the duties, will fall very
far short Of those of former years. And
thus the future deficit will probably more
than countervail the past excess.
But should the system Of protection i'm
pair the revenue, il would be only in
slight degree, and merely affect the ques
tion OF the period of the ultimate re-
Idemption OF the public debt, which may
in consequence be somewhat protracted
When the alternative is, between this IF
feet on the one hand, and continuance
OF the existing state Of things on the other,
we trust there can, in an enlightened
body, be no difficulty in the decision. Ii
would be uDsound policy in merchant,
to anticipate the payment Of his debts SO
rapidly as to deprive himself oil the means
of carrying on his commerce; and it is
equally unsound, for nation unnecessary
y to press forward the payment OF its
debts, with such rapidly as TO exhaust IFS
resources.
Among the reasons that alienated the
affections of America, in its colooial
state, from the parent country, very
powerful one was the restraints imposed
on its manufacturing industry. These
were the subjects OF loud and increasing
complaints. And we respectfully ask
you, whether the consequences 10 the IA,
ton and to individuals are not as fatal,
when our industry is torn up by the roots,
through the means Of tariff, fatally in.
adequate to protect it, as by an arbitrary
edict Does it administer any comfort to
the hundreds of useful citizens who in-
vested large capitals 10 those valuable
manufacturing establishments, spread
throughout the country, whose ruins bear
the strongest testimony against the policy
we pursue--or to the tens of thousands of
workmen reduced TO mendicity, many of
them with large families, that their suffer
Jugs have not proceeded from the man.
dates of privy council, but from the
erroneous policy of their fellow-citizens I?
The policy Of this country has been in
a great degree predicated on the specious
idea Of Adam Smith, I" to buy goods
,phere they can be had the cheapest" III
has had fair trial, and its pernicious
tendency has been clearly demonstrated.