Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-04-27


OF the current service of the years 1929, 1928.
ana 1871, exceeds, each year, nine millions.
The LAPSE OF revolutionary pensions, and iudici-
Gus retrenchmcnts which might be made, with
out detrmcnt to any of the essential establish.
| inehts OF the country, would probably reduce
them below nine millions.
Let us assume tina; sum to ,vi,icl, add about
Jour millions and a half for the iuteres; of the
Puoi;c debt, ana the wants of government
would requirca revenue of fourteen and a half
millions, leaving surplus FREY enue ofhaf anil
on5eyond 1.-THE expenditure. Thus, byapostponc-
mcnt the payment ofthc principal OF the public
debt III wichthc public creditors would GLADLY ac-
quiesce, &conGding, rthe means ofredee,ninrit
IN unnecessary increase ofour revenue from the
natural augmentation of our population and
consumption, we may safely adopt the proposed
measure, even if it should be attended (which
is confidently deuied) with the supposed dininu-
ton otrcyenue. We shall not then have occa-
SION to vary the existing system of taxation; we
shall be under no necessity to resort either to
direct taxes, or TO an excise. But, suppose the
alternative were really forced upon us of con-
tinulng the foreign system, with It's inevitable
impoverishment Of the country, but with the
advantage ofttc present mode of collecting the
taxes, or of adopting the American system, with
ITS increase OF the national wealth, but with the
disadvantage OF an excise, could any one hcs;-
tate between them? Customs and an excise
agree IN the essential particulars, that they are
both taxes upon consumption, and both are yo-
Iuntary. They ,litfc, only in the mode, of col
lection. The Office for the collection of one.
Is located on the frontier, and that for the other
within the interior. believe it was Mr. Jeffer-
son, who III reply to the boast of a citizen OF
New York, of the amount ofthe public revenue
paid By that city, asked who would pay it if the
collectors Office were removed TO Pauius' Hook
on the New Jersey shoree National wealth is
The source OF ell taxation. And my word for
Ii, the people are too intelligent to be deceived
by mere names, and DC: 20 give decided pre
ference TO that system which is based upon their
wealth and prosperity, rather than TO that which
is founded upon their inpovcrishmcnt and ruin.
{. But, according to the opponents Of the do
nesiic polcy, the proposed system will force
capital and labor into new and reluctant employ.
ments; we are not prepared, in consequence of
the high price OF wages, for the successful esta-
blishrlent OF manufactures, and we must fail in
The experiment. We have seen that the exist
ing occupations OF our society, those of anricu-
ture, commerce, navigation, and the learned
professions, are Overlooking with competitors.
and that the want of employment is seyere)r
ielt. Now what does this bill propose, To
open new and extensive field of business, in
which all that choose may enter. There is no
H..
option only is given to industry, TO continue in
the present improbable pursuits, or TO embark
In new and promising one. The effect viii be
to lessen the competition in the old branches of
| business and TO multiply our resources for in
creasihg our comforts and augmenting the na-
tonal wealth. The allcdged fact of the high
price OF wages is not admitted. The fruit: that
no class OF society suffers more, i'm the PRESENT
stagnation Of business, than the laboring class.
IS = q orx-a t,,r AZ
agriculture the principal business of the com
munity The wages of able-bodied men vary
IRON i've to eight dollars per month"; and such
has been the want OF employment, in sor,c parts
OF the Union that INSTANCES have not been ,lnfrc-
quent, ofmen working merely for the means Of
present subsistence. Ifthe wages for labo: here
and IN England are compared they will be
lonnd not 10 be essentially different. | agree
with the honorable gentleman from Virginia
mat high wages are proof of national prosperi-
ty; we differ only In the means by which that de-
sirable end shall be atained-But, if the fact
were true, that the wages of labor are high. 7
deny the correctness of the argument founded
upon IT. The argument assumes, that natural
labor Is the principal element in the business
of manufacture. That was the ancient theory.
But the valuable inventions and vast improve
ments in machinery, which have been made
within few years past have produced a now
era IN the arts. Tie effect OF this change in thc
| power OF production may be estimated from
what have already stated, in relation 10 Eng.
land, and TO the triumpbs of European artificial
labor over the natural labor of Asia In consid-
-ering the fitness of nation for the establish
| inent OF manufactures VIC must 10 longer limit
our views to the state otits population, and the
p!ice OF wages. All circumstances must be re-
saried, of which that is, perhaps, the least i'm
Portant. Capital, ingenuity inthe construction,
and adroitncss in the use of machinery, and tho
possession of the raw materials, are those which
deserve the greatest consideration. All these
circumstances, Except that of capital, of which
there is no deiciency,) exist in Our country in
IN eminent degree, and more than connterba-
lance the disadvantage, if it really existed of
the lower wages Of labor in Great Britain The
dependence upon foreign nations for the raw
material OF any great manufacture, has been
ever considered as a discouraging fact. The
state OF orr population is peculiarly favorable TO
the most extensive Introduction of machinery
We have no prejsdccs to combat no persons
10 drive ont of employment. The parpohlct 10
winch we have bad occasion SO often TO refer
IN eDumerating the causes which have brought
in England their manufactures to such \ state
of perfection, and which now enable than, in
the opinion oithe wrger, to defy all competition,
docs moi specify, as one Of them, low wages II
assigns three-ls, capital; 2dly, extent and
co5tlincss OF machinery; and, 3Jiy. steady and
pcrscvcrng industry. Notwithstanding the CON
currcrce Of so many favorable causes, IN our
country, for the introduction of the arts, VIC are
earnestly dissuaded from making The expert
mcot, and our ultimate failure is confidently pro-
dIctcJ. Why should we fall Nations, Ike
mon, fail in nothing which they boldly attempt,
when sustained by ertuous purPosc and firm
resolution. am NOT willing To admit this de-
probation Of American skIl and cnfernriec.