Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-16

| .'e co"'ih'Dt. lne irupie oi England then,
htlng emancipated fiom fruda bondage, par
tlcpating by their Reprrse natives in the con-
stitu,ion and government, secure in their per-
sons and property, having their minds freed
from the letters of p"p,sh superstition, new,
and, compared with the rest of Europe, an
unexamplcd degree of elasticity was COM
mnnicated To the spring of their industry and
enterprise Operated upon by these impellng
moral and political causes, and aided by the
gIil of Nature with all The local and physical
advantages which have described, il is not
surprising that they Should, as they did, engage
IN the most extensive foreign commerce, and
acquire the largest mercantile marine in the
world. They carried their colonies To the
four quarters of the globe--to Europe, Asia,
Africa, and America sumo for defence, some
tor commercial gain The productions OF many
oil these colonies, offering new equivalents for
| the productions oflabor at home, created new
stimulants ; these new products, both Of the
parent state and colonies, enriched her, not
only by themselves, but by the transportation
of them respectively. Thus, sir, it was the
rich and extensive foreign commerce of Eng
land, produced by the causes which have
mentioned, which contributed essentially To
The increase OF her wealth. IT, Mr.. Chairman,
we look inio the page of history we shall lind
that foreign commerce has been fruitful
source of wealth. in ancient. as well as modern
times. Look, al Sidon and Tyre at Vencr,
Genoa, and Pisa at Lubec, Hamburg, and
the other Hanse towns. See TO what a pitch
ofopulence these towns were each carried by
its aid. Look sir. at the Northern States Of
this Union. 1t operates as cause of wealth,
by giving increased productivenrss 10 the
agricultural and other labor of the coun
try WHICH possess II, by means of the bound
less market which II opens for It's surplus pro-
duce. Where IFS own country, either from
the poverty or smallncss fits territory, has no
such surplus product il IL actively engaged in
effrcing an exchange ofthe produce of foreign
countries, and thus reciprocaly mparting
value To that which each wanted, and which
each had To spare. When, by these means,
capital is accumulated, and the population
| fall then come manufactures; which, as they
cannot exist without capital. necessarily pre-
suppose its previous accumulation. But it, in
the tide OftimP, and the vicissitudrs of human
affairs, any circumstances turn this commerce
into new channel, the capital which flowed
] from il, takes the same direction, and the
manufactures which depended for their exis-
trnce on that capital, follow in its train, and
associate themselves anew with il, in its new
habitation. Accordingly, Mr.. Chairman, in
The Italian cities, and flanse towns, whilst
! the capital from foreign commerce remained
| with them, so did manufactures but since
| IFS departure, nothing is left Of them but the
sad mementO and melancholy remembrance
Of their former opuence and grandeur! This
is the inevitable course OF things, and You
might AS well attempt to arrest she progress of
the earth, by the stamp of the foot, as to at
tempt to alter II. Nothing, then, remains, af-
ter these solourners have taken their flight,
but the solid agricultural wealth Of the cOun-
| try which possesses il. In this respect, sir,
the United States enjoy frlicious position in
the scale of nations: possessed ola territory
vast in extent and Of great fertility, we have
the deep foundations of our wealth laid upon
the Fixed and permanent basis Of agricultural
labor possessed ofan extensive foreign com
inerce, which lays open the world to us,
as a market for the surplus produce of that
labor, and stimulates its productions by the
value ofaIl the diversified commodities, wbe-
thsr Of comfort or ofIuxury. which i, offers us
in exchange; our lot is cast in pleasant places
and, if we wait with patience, and enjoy The
blessings which we have, time and cireum-
stances will raise up manufactures amongst u.s.
when the condition of the country shall re-
quirr il.
And let il not I've supposed, air, that, without
great extension of manufactures, we shall be
without wealth. Compare Great Britain and
the United States in the ranidy of their pro-
gress in prosperity; in this comparison, the
question is Which Of the two countries has i'm,
proved most rapidly, in proportion 10 its
capital? for, as in each the whole annual pro
duce amounting, in Great Britain and Ire
land, 70 ESQ, 100000 sterling.) is used either
as revenue for actual consumption, or for The
purpose Embarrassing the productive industry
of the country III subsequent years; the in
crease of wealth Is to he measured by the
proportion which that improvement bears to
the capital ofthe c0uniry. Has Great Britain
made as great relative progress as the United
States ? The question is answered, c0nclu-
sivey, in our favor, by looking ut the upex
ampled increase Of otir population, by their
comforts and independence, by the continued
extension ofnnr settlements, the CLEARING ofnew
lands the consequent enlargement of the area
Of cultivation, and in fine by every cirentn-
stance which marks the rapid growth Of
country. GU back forty years, and take the
ground which each then occupied. No man
viii say, that we have not moved further from
our then position, than she has from hers
| | do not mean 10 say, sir, that manufactures
do not contribute to the wealth 0f England
! My proposition is, that, though they are the
cause, they were first themselves an efiect.-
! English capital was first accumulated that
gave rise tn manufactures and they, in their
turn, now add TO the publ c wealth. But, to
say mat lnPy were ne primary cause of that
wealth, would be as improper as If n Boston
I merchant, who had accumulated million Of
dollars Ivy commerce, and then invested il in
manufactures, from which he received profit,
were 10 say that manufactures were the cause
of his wealth. But, in whatever way, or 10
whatever extent. manufactures may have con-
tribuied tn the wealth of England, it is not by
protecting duties, ms has been commended, that
they have been sustained in her cnmpeIiinn
with EdFnp". No. cir, the causes nf her
manufacturing prosperity hate ninth deep.r