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

. having suffered most, 10 cOnpel Tie ma
nuiacturers TO purchase bread stutis, cot
ton and tobacco exclusively from that
one? The glaring injustice of such n
proposition would be denounced and We
nv properly too, by every manufacturing
establishment in the United States. Yei
where is the difference in effect, between
one states asking such an advantage over
the resi-, and one ciass--a minor one too,
prayiuy for similar privilege over the
other classes, by seeking To compel ihrui
10 buy what they wau,, Onfy gf WsM ?
Neither the investment nor direction al
individual capital, nor the adjustment OF
those losses aud gains resulting eiihe
from it's good or bad management, nave
ever appeared 10 HS, 10 be matters with
which government could legiiInatriy
concern. Ii this position be true, and to
us ii seems dem0nslrab!e, the following
inference must he most obvious that The
claim Ol our manufacturers 10 Congress
sional interference IN thrir behalf, 10y
tax-no part of which they are 10 pay,
ca9not be sustained upon any principles,
either OF equity or constitutional law. l.
they have chosen TO conjecture that they
were TO he kept up by the nation, cost
what Il might (; HAT they alone, were with
IMMUNITY 10 erect palaces, instead OF
simple manufacturing buildings, and To
spend IN Tile structure and equipment OF
these such enormous sums, as to leave
little else, besides the dciusive hopes oi
exnrDllant prohts 10 carry on tlleIr bu
sineSs iiat agriculture was 10 be taxed,
al libitum. either through foreign i'm
ports, ar IN some either way, To compcn-
safe them for every failure ,hr Whole
error IN these unreasonable calculations,
beng their own, so shout be the total
loss. No speculation originally bad, from
violating the true principles of national
policy, can ever be made good, merely
by governments undertaking 10 reimburse
the losers. This only transfers the loss
from those who ought 10 bear it, being
their own contrlvance, 10 those who are
innocent OF all participation in the blum
der. Should these sentiments subject us
70 Tie imputaiiun Of disregarding the
msfOrIunes OF our fellow ciIizpng, We
may safely urge IN our defence, tia, had
we been originally def, lent in our due
share OF humanity, whi h we " 10 mean
admit, the pressure of the times has borne
sufficiently hard upon us also, 10 inspire
abundant sympathy for all their suffer
ings. But individual and voluntary be
nehceuce, we contend, is the source
a!one, from whence these should be re-
lievcd, when beyond the exeriions of the
sufferers themselves; not from the Golfers
ct the government and still less, by the
imposition Of partial taxes, either direct,
or indirect. La the body polite, az in
The body natural, there are certain dis
eases so complicated and inscrutabIe,
that II is safest 10 leave them 10 work their
own cure. The Wis medca,rix uaiurae,
is the best physician in all such emer-
gencies (; 'or II The government under
takes TO play the doctor, the patients are
much Ofiener killed than cured by the pre-
scriplions.
Blu, there is another ground on which
you are importuned 10 grant the prayer
at the petitioners, that we cannot omit
10 notice. You are confidently tOli, that
such measure will promote national
industry" and upon this plausible pre-
text you are ask d TO impose a tax to be
paid by agriculture for the benefit of her
friend and aIly-manufaciures. This, it
IS true, has not been said in so many
words by the petitioners; but we confess
our Incapaclty To see their object in any
other light. That the temporary inter
ests of our manufacturers would, for
lime, be promoted by such tax, we, have
no doubt whatever; but we have vet TO
learn that they constitute the nation. II
they do not iii they compose but a
small part of it ;-if very large majors
~ oi the whole people have any superior
claim TO be called The nation and
II this majority in our country, he the
aglculturaiisis: are We prepared
TO show, that national Industry, so far
from being promoted BY II, will b. most
lnJuriOusly checked, lit not III great
measure destroyed.-At this advanced
stage of political knowledge, we had
hoped, that there never could be an oc
casIon,-ln our country, al least, tor the
Tecapliulalion OF certain first principles
IN political economy, which from The
universally OF their adoption by all the
aDlest writer's on this science, NAV almost
be pronounced axioms. Yet this seems
TO be rendered necessary in self defence,
by The recent justification of d departure
from the so long acknowledged maxim,
that the many should not he taxed for
the benefit of The few :" and hy The at
tempt TO shew The inpolicy of purchas
ing where We can purchase cheapest :"
both OF which VIC perceive in some of the
Iate addresses on behalf of our manufac
tuTers. National Industry can only be
promoted, by finding ready and exien-
siVe markets tor that which il produces !;
and lie continued exerIioD OF this indus
try depends upon the extent and con.
sidncy Of those maTls, where national SUI.
perhnIies may be exchanged for each
other on the best a!tanable terms. Every
limitation therefore, of these markets,
whether created by our own, or by a
Foreign government, must inevitably have
Tue ehect OF discOuraging in proper.
uOnaie degree, the national industry; be
cause The stimulus which impaired and
continued lis motion, is diminished or
destroyed. How ridiculous then. TO AT
tempt to increase this industry, by hav-
L.. u.