Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-19

more for What he wants by PxcluuIDs
or raising the price OF foreign commodi
hes: take away, or diminish simullane.
ous.y, his chance for selling what h,
makes, al the best prices he can: aud ".
shall, by forcing agricultural capital Il
seek other channels, not ouly, very sOOu
reduce The quantity OF agricultural pro.
ducts within such limits, as no longpr &c
exciie the sympathles Of our manufac.
lurers tor our difficulties IN getting rid
at The excess ; but brIng about a state
~ things, after the lapse OF a iew wars,
nneO our SURPRISES OF all sorts will be-
converted INTO deficits, and We may all
nave the consolation, II II be ANY, OF
ia,viug together.
II Is by the productive labor alone, OF
any cnuuity, iSiat capital - augmented /;
any thing therefore watch sets Tins labor
m motion, AMI continues its activity, ne
cessarily increases rational capital. Blu.
the most powerful by tar, oi all these Sill
null, Is ire, trade and the more ex-
tensive II becomes, the greater will &c the
quantity OF productive labor employ e.!
and ilie more rapid The augmentation OF
permanent wealth. Commerce beng
nothing more than an exchange Of equl-
valeUls = there can be no greater absur-
dity, than TO suppose, ihai the importation
OF foreign commodities has tendency
10 impoyerish d country. For whaiece,
IRE purchase, must be Obtaincd mih tie pro-
dsce, either Of our iand, capital, or tabor =
The commodities bought, are of course
equivalents for such portions of the
product either OF he labor, the capital,
or the land OF the country, as have been
employed III obtainin. them. Ii those
10 whom We sell, should happen TO make
d greater ptUtii from their. industry, than
we do from ours, TINS circumstance does
not affect the truth of the general prin-
ciple; for SO long as the sellers ln both
cases, find ready market tor what they
make, ST. long Gusi national Industry be
promoted III both and so long will nas
iional capital. which depends upon the
constant cxeiuon of this industry, con
tinue 10 he Augmented. The ralio OF in
crease may be greater in one country,
Than IN ihr other: but still, 1t as gain in
each nor can We perceive even the slla-
dow o. piauslbihly in lie sophism, that
would make u ANY thing else. 10
whatever extent we may purchase OF 9th
erna'lnns. they must Inevitably be COM
PEELED, directly or iudtrtc,ls 10 purchase
corresponding quantity from us; and
vice versa, the less we buy Of them, the
less they IAN buy of us Bun II The per-
manent prosperity OF all countries, so
tar as II results from wealth, depeuds up
n the continual increase of productions,
and the-ready sale OF the surplus, can we
nationally expect the mere exchange Of a
foreign, Tor a domestic market, such as
ours, that is, market liz expectancy, to
produce this effect? Suppose the sub
siliution made, and imagine that TO gra-
niy our manufacturers, the strong arm of
power shall check, or annihilste our TO
reign market 10 the sXteBt they wish, and
leave us 10 take our chance for one at
home Will the same arm, at the same
time, legally compel these manufacture
erS III buy all our produce at fair prices,
since we shall he virtually compel. d to
purchase theirs, al what prices they
please Ii not, what is 10 become OF
that saluiary principle of competition,
which is our only security against exac-
tlous OH The on hand, and Tor fair profit
on The other? But say they, il is high
time 10 turn our eyes lIOmeward Tor
markets, when we can see nothing for
our produce abroad. but losing prices, or
total exclusion (; yet The whole basis of
their application 10 your honorable body
Is, The assumption, that foreign cOmmo
dlties abound so much IN our country,
a. 10 prevent them from living Nv the
manufacture of domestic ones How
these goods get here, without some equi-
valent being ,aken III exchange for them,
aud nj course som market. pretty eX
tensive one too, beng open for IFS recep-
ton, is mystery which we shall leave TO
them to explain. Certain ii 10, that both
parts OF their dilemma cannot he true.
II we iIav vent abroad tor our pro-
ducts, TO complain of wanting one, cOn
iradiciS plain matter of fact. On the
contrary, II We have lutte or no foreign
market, we can receive but few, or no
foreign commodities, and of course the
manufacturers need not fear a cOmpeii-
ton winch does not exist. But we do
not deny that our foreign markets hare
decreased and we will add, from causes
beyond our contrOul: yet surely, this
can furnish no reason for decreasing the N
still more by oar own acts. Ii would be
The old project in new form, of cutting
OFT mems leet TO save shoes. " The end
OF all commerce is certainly TO increase
production, and tho partial loss may pos
slbly accrue from this increase, YET the
general happiness must be augmented
As we'll might we endeavour TO arrest al
improvements in agriculture aud manu-
features, aud all Inventions Of machinery
for though these contribute TO general
abundance, and therefore TO the general
happiness, they never fail at the momeHt
OF their Introduction, TO deteriorate Oh
annlrlIate a part of the existing capital Of
farmers and manufacturers" These are
nearly the words OF one Of the abIest
political economists Of the present age
as quoted in late public journal o.
established reputation; and in our iudg-
ment amount 10 a demonstration of iht
impolicy and injustice of any legal exclu.
sion OF foreign competition from Our
markets. II would indeed be an act oil