American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-08-19
From the United States Gazette.
GRAFTON,

Delivered BY the late Cesar A. Rodney, at Com
mencement for comforting Degrees by the Uni
versty of Pennsylvania, held at the German Re
formed Church, in Race street, on the 3Oth july
1889, ON the necessity and policy OF encouraging
American Manufactures
A Friend of american Industry
An ORArIoS IN PRAISE AMERICAN MANUFACTURES.
Among the academic exercises OF the day, 1t has
allotted to me, TO discourse on the advantages,
which will arise to ee America, from the cultiva-
lion of Arts and Manufactures; sensible OF the i'm
portance of the task, hope more will be expect
ed of by this polite audience, than such an essay
as pupil of this Seminary, not yet arrived to the
age of experience or much observation, could be
supposed 10 produce.
From the history Of mankind in all ages and
countries we find that in the early stages OF SocIe
ty, the wants Of nature few confined principal
" to necessary food and to shelter from the extrem-
tiles Of the weather: Thus the Indians OF both
hemispheres, enjoying the spontaneous productions
Of the EARTH and the animals which direct force or
simple snares bring within their power tor their
slimen and the SKINS Of beasts the bark and branch
es Of tess, in the earth for their clothing
and places of rest are Herewith content, and pass
from infancy to old age, regardless OF the eegancles
or even the conveniences OF lie which habit has
rendered almost necessary TO civilized nations.
In proportion as people emerge from this state
Of savage babafism, their wants increase and they
feel their dependence upon each other tor support.
Assocating in tribes, their numbers grow they
find that what was difficult in their divided state, be
comes easy when many hands are put to the work;
a surplus of necessaries is produced, and lei.
sure, SO essential to the opening and expanding oil
the faculties OF the mind is acquired, active ingenu
iy is excited, and variety Of novelties are invent
ed for the use, the pleasure and delight OF man.
| When our ancestors emigrated from Europe
| Arts and Manufactures bad arrived to great perlec
ton there; and bred up in the habits and manners
Of their fathers, they brought with them to this
western world, the desire Of those conveniences TO
which they had been accustomed from then infancy.
The culture OF the earth presented ilseit as at The
same time The most necessary and the most pleasing
employment. In a very few years the soil repaid
their lahots with such abundance as enabled them
to supply the inhabitants OF the old world, and the
Colonies in the Torrid Zone with the staff OF life.
| A profitable Commerce; exchanging the produce
of America for the manufactures OF foreign coun-
tries ensued which for course of years, divided
the inhabitants Of America, with very few excep-
lions, into two classes Husbandmen and Merchants
The ease with which every article made by Euro.
pean Ingenuity introduced into all parts oil the
country, by the enterprlzing merchants, and the
liberal price which rewarded the labors OF the in
dustrious Farmer, discouraged our attempts 10 man.
ufacture among ourselves until the Court oil Grea
Britain grasplng at the power OF imposing taxes
without our consent, involved US in which de
stroyed our commerce, and showed the necessity
of turning our attention to this object.
Possessing country so extensive, enjoying al
the variety OF climate, and diversity OF soil Of ths
habtable world, it was soon found that materials il
the vegetable, the mineral, and the animal kingdom
proper for manufactures of almost every kind wer,
within our reach, and that the ingenuity OF Ameri
ca, aided by succession OF foreign artists, whom
the love of Liberty, or desire to better their cir
cumstances had brought hther was adequate to ou
necessities. During the rage of vlndlctive war
spurred by the occasion, we were enabled to manu-
facture al. OF the most necessary. and some OF th
: most useful articles Of life. Habits Of frugalit
and economy were introduced, and notwithstanding
all the ravages and calamities of the war, we wer
possessed at the close Of it, OF as much gold AM
silver, the ordinary signs Of wealth, as perhaps a
any period since the first settlement OF the coun
try
Happy had it been for US had we preserved in on
practices the useful lessons which time OF adveI
sy taught US we should not now be lamentng tn
= scarcity of money, and the inability to fulfil on
. private engagements or to contribute our proper
: tons towards the public exigencies. We shout
= not have offended with perpetual clamo
against the enormty OF taxes, nor the tears Of pit
:. drawn from eyes by the distresses consequer
,. ,. upon imprudent extravaganza.
Scarce had the sword been sheashed when ever
: port in the United States was crowded with tn
Gags of Foreign Ships, bearing in their capaciou
10 holds, enormous quantities of the most expensiv
lie luxuties of the world, excite the amb
TO lion glut the appetite and crafty the vanity
s, man. Articles the far greater part of which "
as had been better without, they TO cost NJ
thing, and such of them as were in themselves u.s.
6. ful, were nevertheless for the most part hurtul
sh u.s. In an instant, by the magic force of fashio
r. the coarser but more honorable labors of the f.
m daughters of America were despised. The whe
At and the shuttle thrown by and neglected; II
m hammer and anvil ceased % snnnd In our