Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-28

perhaps less than halt million oil the whole popu-
Iation were made wretched, from the want of ge-
MUS to spend their wealth, for their own health
and comfort which had accrued to them, by the
unwise and unjust favor;isn of the government;
and had resolved TO make wise and laudsble eff
fort to relieve the nation from this destructive ar
tiiicia administrative folly, and injustice The
remedy consisted in breaking down the ,nischiev-
Gus system as far as "a toaS found practicable
an the present artificial state of things. in G.
Britain-A state of things produced by former
notions, now found to have been mistaken - But
for these great, wise, and benev client efforts the
British gov ernnent has found no favor i'm the eyes
of the President, but has subjected itself 10 the
resentful rebukes OF his two first Secretaries-- Mr.
Clay, and Mr.. Rush; Ir. Clay by way of prece-
dent forced TO lament; Mr. Rush after subsequent
advisement In Mr. Clay'sS '' yclept speech in
support of an American system for the protec-
tion of American industry he introduces such
crowd oil statistics, it is wonderful that even his
great memory not borne down by their ponde-
rous weight. But he seems to have al least been
so oppressed by the burthen, either to have mis-
taken their applications and results altogether, or
10 have left them altogether unemployed Thus
IN page IL, MIR. Clay gives the following towering
statement OF statistics. ' y statistical wrier of
that country, several years ago, estma ed the total
amount oi the artificial machine labor of the
nation, to be equal to that of one hundred millions
OF able bodied lahorers. Subsequent estimates of
hcr ar'nicai iaoor al the present. day, carry 1t to
the enormous height of two hundred millions. But
the population OF The three Kingdoms 81 500 900
Supposng that, TO furnish able bodied iaborers to
the ainount OF iour millions, the natural labor viii
be but two per cent of the artificial labor In the
production of wealth, she operates therefore, by
power (includng the whole popuation) OF 22l,
ooo,o00, or In other words, by power eleven
tiines greater than the total of natural power. III
we suppose the machine labor of the United States
10 be equal to that of 10, 900 coo of able bodied
men, the United States will operate in the creation
oil wealth, by power including all the popuia-
tion) OF 70, coo 600. In the creation of wealth.
therefore, the power of Great Britain. compared
10 that OF the United States, is eleven 10 one
What then, Mr. Clay? where is the moral to be
deuiced from all these many millions of natural :,
and artificial laborers' Does it furnish an argu-
nent Tor, or against, an unjust tariff? you have
forgotten to tell, whether 1t be pro or con.-Ihe
argument against an un Just tariff would be irresis-
t'le, ii individuals be the real inventors of al,
these labor-saving machines But Mr.. Clay seems
mere, 10 be upon the-very verge Of converting the
British King and Parliament, into inventors of
spinning Jennies, and twisers of cotton, without
any dlscernib!e object, unless it be- to pass the be-
hehcial results, from this sounding collection of
statistics, TO the credit of the British government
and to take them, from the individual inventors
and operators; or why introduce them here? There
could be no object, unless it were, 10 shew the
the condition OF the people, by the inv ealion and
employment OF labor-savmg machines Nov il
ought to have been known TO Mr.. Clay, that the
British government never did invent one of these
machines for saving labor nor even spin spool
OF cotton; nor did any other government ever in
vent labor-saving machine, nor exercise me-
chanc art Tor the Improvement of productive labor
and tor beltering the condition of the people. All
these beneficial inventions, the works OF indi-
viduais; and III this fatal misconception, viii be
found the great error OF the fashionable political
economy. Individual rights, and individual ener-
giles, are mistaken for governmental rights and 20
vernmental energies; and the fatal conclusion is
That government Is every thing, and the people
nothing; OF course the government becomes despo-
nc, aud the people inslaved; whereas, the people
IN theT fnairiduaI capacities, are the source OF
all protective labor, and legitimate government
mas any right over the products of such labor; but
to.apply The great principle OF JUSTICE in securing
TO every one the products OF MS own labor. The
moment government introduces Its Injustice into
the distribution OF the proceeds Of LABOR by aking
from one man, the proceeds of his own labor and
gives them TO anoth-r, the principle of natural JUS
tice, is set at nausht the Involvement TO indlyld al
LABOR is iessened, and all the evil n>equences fol-
low which ever nave, and will attend all VIC
iatons o! the great principle of natural iis,ice-
= Honesty Is the best policy" Nor did ever any
departure IRON 1t, produce any good.-G. Britain
$500 eiiiS fihiNlpic Ol the variation oil the
proceeds OF labor, farther han any other nation and
she IS now feeling lis deplorabe effects more deep
~, IMAM any other nation the globe These re-
suits have been produced in despite of more moral
political, and territorial adj anases, than ever per
maps has fallen TO the lot OF any other nation One
general effect has been, to produce greater en-
\remes IN the pecuniary condition OF the British no.
pulation, than CT any other nation. One million
and bali of her people in poor houses Other
millions are laborers upon bare subsistence
whilst perhaps less THAI half million are Ivine
ma State OF unequalled splcndOT. One description
L thus rendered vicious, submissive, and wretcbed
The other, pr0figaie, overbearng, and routv
when these wrelcbed extreme. OF the British no
pulation, produced by artificial variations in the
distribution OF labor by yhes and taxes by restric
1--WE corporations, privileges, and monopolies are
presented TO the view Of the fashionable economist.
they turn away rom the millions of the oppressed
ana win triumphant pauts, point TO the favored
Jews with all their glittering wesh and splendor.
Ihus, when you point To the niseres of the on
pressed, they poat TO the glitter Of the oppre sors
NO one ever pretended, that the few favored on
pressors were oppressed; but the many unfavored
Jaborers, whose labor affords the means of their
own misery, and oppressons as well as Of the lux
uries and splendor OF their oppressors Ii is this
unnatural and deplorable stale Of things ARISING
from The principle of avoritism which the British
economists have dacovered and are attenotine tn
remedy; and !, IS this effort, which seems TO have
called down the disapprohaiion of the American
administration. But the buoyant Mr. Secretarv
Rush. is not content with the extremes TO which
q. Britain has carSie1 her system of favoriiism
aud which Mr.. Clay calls " an American system
for the protection of American Industry" sin
gular example,amongst many Others of his disregard
oil candor & sincerity; he claims capacities s. pow,
ers for the American government, which the Bri-
iish statesmen never thought Of He thinks il a.
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