Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-06
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.

"N EN2GlkEH
TO The .9gricuiturisfS in he United States.
GENTLEMEN You will pardon the pre-
sumption of Il fellow citizen for calling your
attention to subject of vital importance To
your interests. The subject To " hicb | ,lude
IS the proposed tariff of duties, to be charged
ON foreign merchandise imported. This is 10
operate as tax on the consumers, who are
principally the agricuitursts. IF we tam.lv
submit, 1t may go on increasing until foreign
manufactures are totally, or nearly excluded
This question, so deeply interesting to our
selves, has not met with that profound at!en-
tim to which it is entitled Amos, every
thing seems tn be merged in the great pl.c
pioneering campaign, for the presidency For
my own part regard the crisis as Taught
with the most alarming consequences 10 the.
best interests of these hitherto prosperous
Unit"d States
have never heard it urged, that n com,
munIfy of manufacturers WAS mere nanny
more honest, or more intelligent than one of
the hgrlcuiturisis. Why then pursue policy
5" UNJUST and oppr eSsNe, for the purpuse1 of
forcing tins country to become essentially
manufacturing That the policy is unjust ard
unequal aud impoiiiic, | trus will not he diff
cut TO prove. In government of equal laws
ana rights, the burthens ofguvernment should
ne made equal upon all the cilizrns; buI when
you TAX one part OF the community, iadcrd
we may say one section of the country. 90 80.
and as the friends of domestic manufacture
would have il 80 per cent. for the benefit of
those manufacturers, what shadow of right os
equity rs there IN the measure But say thr
advocates of increased duties, many of the
manufacturers cannot get on without further
encouragements, and it is our duty TO protect
Them but pray, sirs, do not you discover that
without any addition 10 the existing duties.
new manufactures spring up like mushrooms
without skill or capital in many instances
can say ii you were 10 double aud treble,
your duties, and give all your army and navy
contracts al ever so great an expense TO The
nation, still your manufacturers " ould say "beIp
or we perish" Is the situation of our agricuI-
turaI sections of country so prosperous, that
you can heap your burthens on them without
measure to rear up your infant and growing
Hercules Are there no failures. M hank
ruptcies among the planters and farmers of
this country and have not your high duties
tended to produce them? Should you succeed
IN driving foreign commerce. from our ports
ny substituting domestic for foreign fabrics
ana you lay direct iaX on DIR lands &c for
the l6 or l 8 millions now derived from dhiirs
on foreign goods, how then can we stand. ar
rather how soon shall we be Frustrated in the
dust where shall we then fnd a market for
orr breadslufEs, tobacco and cotton For de.
ptnu upon " Wnen we cease TO piuChagp
abroad, we shall find but bad market for orr
produce. Unless trade be reciprocal, IL viii
never be- prosperous. True, when no other
nation can supply what is wanted, we may
still be the only producers. But even IL we
could hope {" escape retaIiaiory restrictions,
our shipping must always return To nur porls
without freight, which would increase The
outward shipment and consequently lessen
the value of our products. When the friends
ct domestic manufactures have accomplished
alI that they aim AZ, what have they z lned
This inquiry leads us tu examine the pulley
ut the measure. In national rs 10 domestic
communities, that policy is hest which secures
most virtue aud consequently most happi-
ness think il needs but few word to prote
That agriculture promotes those ends much
more than manufactures. five want an *
ample on this subject, let us turn our ate ~
Ton to Great Britain We there find the ma
nuiacturcrs ever an unruly and turbulent go
pie, frequently engaged in mobs and conCu-
sion, while the cultivdtors of the soil have,
ever been quiet and praceable people. Our
soil and political Institutions make peace and
concord with ali nations, our interest and onr
glory but what IS the interest Of our MANN
lecturers War Is their element. IN pos-
sessio" of all thc raw materials Gov fhcir ral,.