Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-27

1
! abandoned, ;nd our fields remain unsown.-
.fnr, under all the notifications of social in
dustry, ii yon will secure Ia tia Just reward,
the greater attraC tions of agriculture will give
To itihat proud Superiority which it has always
maintained. Ii w.. suppose no actual ABANDON
IN mt oil farming, bat, what Is most likely, IA
gradual and impcrceplibie employment OF
| pop ulItinn in the business of manufacturing
instead OF bring compelled 10 resort To ayri-
culture, the sanitary effect would he nearly
the same. Isany part of our common Gun
try likely Ia br ia ured hy a transfer OF the
theatre nf fabrication, for our own const,np-
ton, from Europe 10 America? All that those
parts, if any there be, which will not or can
not engage IN manufactures, should requirr, is,
that their consumption should be we'll sup
1'plIed and il the objects Of that CONSUMPTION
are Produced IN other parts Of The Uuion, that
can manufacture, far from having GU that ac-
count any Just cause of complaint, their patr
oitsn VIII aud ouSh; To inrnlcate a cheerful
acqurscenc" ~ what essentially contributes,
and Is Indispensably necessary 10 the prosper
ity ofthe common family.
The great desidcratum in political econo-
my,iS the same as in private pursuits that is,
Nhat - the best application of the aggregate
industry OLA nation, thai can be made honest
| ly 10 produce the largest sum of national
I =
but It is not natural iabour only. And the
iundamental error If the gentleman from Wiz
S'nia, and of the school To which he belongs,
IN d,duc!nS, from our sparse population, our
uniitntss for the introduction Of the arts, cou
ssts IN theirnot sufficiently weighing the i'm
portance VI the power of machinery. In for
mrr times, when but little comparative use
was made of machinery, manual labour, and
the price OF wages, were circumstances of the
greatest consideration. But il is far other
wise IN these latter times. Such are the inn
prorements and the perfection in machinery,
that, in analyZing the compound value of ma
ny fabrics, the element of natural labour is so
iuconsldcrable as almost to escape detection.
rms truth is demonstrated by many facts
Formerly Asia, III consequence Of the density
o. her pupulitlon and the consequent lOwness
OF wages, laid Europe under tribute for ma
ny OF her fabrics. Now Europe react, upon
AS Il, and Great Britain in pan ticular. throws
back upon her countless millions of people,
the rich treasures produced by artificial la
bour, To vast Amount, Infinitely cheaper than
they can be manufactured by the natural rx-
ertinUs of that portion of the globe But B,i-
tam Is herself the most striking illustration of
the immense power Or machinery. UEon
what other principle can you account for the
enormous wealth which she has accumulated.
and which she annually produces a statis-
cal writer otthat country, So, eral years ago,
estimated the total amount OF the artificial or
machine iabOur of the nation, Ia he equal Ia
that of one hundred millions of able bodied
lahourers. Subsequent estimates of her art
fetal labour, III the present day, carry it 10 the
enormous height of two hundred millions
But the population of the three Kingdoms is
9l,JOO,000. Surprising that to furnish able
bodied labuur To the amount of four millions,
no natu al laho will h.
OF The artificial abour. In the production Of
wealth she operates, therefore, by power fin
Guiding the whole p"pulation) of GEL 10000 :;
or IN other words, by power eleven times
greater than the total Of her natural power
II we suppose the machine labour of the u.
States to be equal Ia that of | 0, 900 900 Of able
bodied men, the Unued States will operate, in
The creation of wealth, by a power (including
all their pnpihatinn) of 2O,00O,O0O liz the
creation of wealth. therefore, the power of
Great Britain, compared To that of the United
States, IS as "lcren to one. That these view 5
are not imaginary, will be, | think, eyinced,
By contrasting the wealth, The revenue, the
power ofthe two countries. Upon what other
hypothesis can we expiain those almost in
credible exeriions which Britain made during
the late wars of Europe? Look at her i'm
mensf subsidies Behold her standing, unaId-
ed and alone, and breastins the storm of Ma
p"iroQ's colossal power, when all continental
Europe owned and yielded to IFS irresistible
sway and finally contemplate her vigorous
prosecution Of the war, with and without al
lies. To lis splendid termination, on the ever
memorable field of Waterloo The British
works which the gentleman from Virginia
has quoted, pOurtray state of the most on
derlul prosperity, in regard TO wealth and
resources, that ever was before contemplated
Let us look "A little into the semi-oiicial pam
phlrt, written with great force, clearness, and
ability, and the valuable work of Lowe, TO
both of which that gentleman has REFEREED
The revenue of the United Kingdom amount
ed, during the latter years of the war, TO Sc
venty millions Of pounds sterling aud one
year il rose TO the astonishing height of nine
ty millions sterIlnS equal to four hundred mil
lions OF dollars. This was actual revenue
made up of real contributions, from the pur-
ses of the people After the close Of the war,
ministers slowly and reluctantly reduced the
military and naval establishments, and accom-
mndated them to- state of peace. The pride
OF power, every where the same, always un
willingly surreDders any Of those circumstan-
ces, which display IFS pomp and exhibit its
greatness. COtemporaneOus with this reduc
ton, Britain was enabled to tighten some Of
the heaviest burlhens OF taxation, aud par
tIculariy that most onerOus of all, the income
tar. In this lowered state, the revenue of
peace, gradually rising from the momeniary
depression incident to a transition from war.
attained, IN 1922, the vast amount of ffty-fi,e
millions sterling, upwards Of two hundred and
forty millions of dollars, and more than eleven
times that Ofthe United States for the same
year; thus indicating the difference, which
have suggested, in the respective productive
powers of the two countries. The excise
alone COLLECTED under twenty five different