Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-06-20


United States, sufficient TO give employ
ment to nearly all the Industrious poor
of the country, and at the same time
adequate to produce most OF the manu-
features that we should consume, which
could be made at home. But, instead OF
holding out encouragement and protec-
ton to our home industry, against the
destruction of British competition, as
we'll as the competition of all Europe,
our doors are thrown wide open, and this
destructive system of buying all and
selling nothing" is to be continued, to
say the least, for one year longer. Such
system, however, cannot continue long /;
indeed it could not have continued as
long as it has, without bringing still
greater distress upon us, than it has, had
it not have been for the mushroom capital
TO which the various Banks gave birth.
But the Banks are now down, as low as
every branch of national industry, and
the country must be beggared, unless
that industry be protected.
To leave our markets open to foreign
manufacturers, who can procure labor
for the naked subsistence of the laborer,
without affording any protection to the
industry of our own country, SO as to
give it a fair competition, is, in fact,
leaving our poor and laboring classes
almost wholly without employment; and
more especially, when we take into con-
sideration the rigorous policy which has
been adopted in relation to the public
lands. They can't purchase land where
on to raise their bread, unless they have
money--they can't get employment in
any branch Of industry, because there is
no market for the surplus produce Of
the earth, and because certain ruin stares
every man in the face, who will, without
some protection from government, at
tempt to engage in manufacturing :
They must, as they were doing in al
most all Europe at the close of their
wars few years ago, resort to all those
immoral and even criminal devices,
which want occasions, to procure sub
sistence-By beggary, thefts, and all
other corrupt and humiliating means.
1t is true this measure will not operate
very oppressively, at this moment, upon
the people of Illinois. The emigration
to that state will afford for some time, a
tolerable market for our surplus pro-
duce. But when we look to the older
and more densely settled states, where
every branch of industry is prostrate--
when, from the present unexampled
M ro lvze &C ~, thot ;rJuotrv ,ya bo,r &c az
many as sixty persons being under con-
domination of death, in the United States,
"a case without paralleD mostly for
crimes committed in the pursuit of the
means of support say, when these
things are taken into consideration, it is
truly distressing to see session of Con-
gress, of more than five months, pass
away and have nothing done for the pub
lie relief.
But to the western country generally,
taking it all together, it is misfortune
of a most serious character. We have
nothing, that will bear expectation, that
will bring money. We have our lands
to pay for-we have our merchandise of
every description to purchase, and but
for the money put in circulation by our
emigrants, what should we have to pay
with Nothing. But if manufactures
were protected and encouraged, the
capital of the east and the north, which
the destruction of our trade has left idle,
would, at least, to an amount commensu-
rate to our wants, be brought here and
employed in manufactures.-The price
of living is cheap in the west, and raw
materials can be abundantly and cheaply
procured. The price of transportation,
| which is heavy tax to the consumer,
would be saved-all these strong induce
ments would bring to our country both
capital and industry. But alas these
hopes which the House of Representa-
tives so much cherished, are blasted in
the Senate. IT,.
| Superadded to allthese considerations,
it seems to me that a love of national in
dependence ought to have carried this
measure through. That we shall look
to England for our supplies, seems too
degrading to our character. During the
war we were not even able to provide
within ourselves the necessary blankets
and clothing for our soldiers and it is
said, and believed to be true, that our
government was driven to the degrading
necessity Of conniving at breach of the
non-intercouse laws, in order to get them
from our enemies. How degrading
Yet all this has but little effect upon the
councils of the country. This is SUBJ
ject in which the people are interested,
and deeply Interested; and it is one on
which. / hone. they will make their