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


is regarded, by many of our citizens, as
an insurmopntsble objection TO protecting
or prohibitory duties.
This will be found to disappear like
the rest, when fairly subjected to exami-
nation. For suppose it were necessary to
raise the duties on woolIens and high
lpriced cottons to 35, 40, AS, or even so
lper cent. we appeal TO the candour Of
your honourable houses, whether the OBJ
lection 10 any of these duties on cambrics,
musIins and broadcloths, Oh the ground
OF the danger Of smuggling, can be admit
ted for moment, when it is considered
that gin is subjected 10 duty of one hun
dred and twenty -four per cent. rum to
eighty-six brandy TO ninety-siy; cheese,
to seventy /; souchong tea, TO from seventy
TO one hundred and twenty manufactured
tobacco, TO fifty; and wines, to fifty and
sixty. We shall only add, that ii is in
3ubitably as easy to smuggle pipe OF
wine, chest of tea, c.isk Of run OF
tobacco, as trunk of muslins or cam
brics, or bale of broadcloth.
Another objection is against the i.jus-
tice of taxing the many, for the benefit Of
the few. This assumes the groundless
position, that permanent protection oil
manufactures would necessarily produce
permanent high prices, which is refuted
by the luminous maxim quoted above
FROM Alexander Hamilton. But even
admitting this maxim to be incorrect, the
objection may be answered fully in
another mode. If one part of the com.
munity is not to be taxed for the benefit
of another, why, we respectfully ask, is
Gin dutied at one hundred aid twenty
four per cent. for the protection of the
peach brandy and whiskey of the farmer,
and cheese at seventy per cent. /? Why is
the coastiug trade secured to eur a,er
chants, by which foreign competition is
wholly excluded (? And why, we ask, are
6 the many taxed for the benefit Of The
tew," by the enormous expenses Of ma
IVY, foreign embassies, &c. for the protec-
ton of commerce.
The protection of manufactures is
strongly objected to, on account Of its
interference with commerce. But omit
ting all considerations arising from the
general distress produced by the existing
system, we ask, have We at present, or
are we likely TO have any commerce, to
which ii is right or proper to offer up as
sacrifice the welfare and happiness Of
the useful and productive body Of men
engaged in manufactures Such is the
PROSTATE state Of our commerce, which
unfortunately depends in great measure
for its success on European wars and
famines, that there are few articles that
can be imported, and as few that can be
exported, without loss.
But even admitting for moment that
our commerce was SO highly disadvan-
tageous as it is, and that the encourage
ment of manufactures would somewhat
interfere with it, we cannot thence infer.
that it would not be amply Unidentified.
In fact, far from suffering, it would gain
by the arrangement; for the diminution of
the number OF merchants, by portion Of
them Withdrawing to manufactures, would
render the profession profitable to those
who remained. 1t is obvious, even to a
superficial observer, that the mercantile
profession in this country has almost al
ways been greatly overdone-and that an
inevitable consequence of the superfIuous
number of merchants, has been to raise
the markets for our produce at home, and
depress them abroad, not only to the iniu-
ry and frequent ruin of the merchants, but
to the injury of the nation. Hence it is
more than probable, that our commerce, in
which for twenty years more than half of
those who pursued il have been ruined.
would have insured independence and
happiness to two thirds of the number.
had the residue transferred their talents.
their Industry, and their capital to man.
ufactures.
Another consideration deserves atten-
ton, The encouragement Of manufac-
lures would open new channels of COM
merce, by the importation Of raw ma
terials from abroad, and by the increase
of the coasting trade, in transporting the
manufactures Of the middle and eastern
states to the southern, and the cotton and
other raw materials Of the latter to the
workshops oftheir citizens. Even
of late years, the tonnage employed in the
transportation of raw materials to the Port
of Philadelphia, has exceeded that en-
ployed in the transportation Of piece
goods.
To foster and cherish national indus.
try, the paramount duty, and the charac
teristic feature Of good government, most
Of the nations of Europe either wholly
prohibit, or impose high duties on, the
expectation of raw materials. We are
probably the only civilized people. who
possessing TO an immense extent. one Of
the most valuable raw materials in the
world. not only send il abroad to distant