The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-01-10

ior the purpose Of further protection, will in
vte further competition excessive competi-
ton will again prevent profit; and the effect
thus Produced will be urged as reason for
repetition Of the same remedy. So that the
occasion for legislative assistance will always
be IN proportion to the assistance actually al
forded.
Whenever the period shall arrive, at which
1t will be for the interest of this nation to en-
gage largely in manufactures, such difficulties
as are now complained of may he overcome
oy patience and perseverance. They cannot
be lasting in the present case, if the pursuit
VIII promote the prosperity Of the county
II 1t be otherwise, it is not to be maintained
oy expensive auxiliaries, merely because it
has been begun. 1t is incidental to all kinds
| Of business to meet occasionally with temporary
losses and embarra ssments; but there seems
to beno good reason why one branch OF indus
try Should be helped out of trouble and diff
Guilty suy more than another.
IT IS somewhat amusing to observe with
what over strained zeal the manufacturers re-
commend the e1pediencY of legislative meas
ures Tor the advancement of their particular
interests. Among other arguments put forth
10 sundry grave resolutions, passed in meet
ing 81 manufacturers at Boston, it is said that
the protection Of Increased duties, on foreign
woolIen fabrics, will essentially promote the
general interests of the nation by the eEcour-
| agehent which will be thereby afforded to
commerce, inasmuch as the raw materials,
imported from foreign countries, require a
greater amount of tonnage than manufactured
goods.
This argument, in its essential features,
bears strong resemblance TO the one drawn,
from whit has been rather technically called
the balance Of trade" or the difference be-
tween the amount of exports and imports
The same irainof reasoning undoubtedly FIRST
suggested the danger of the country being
drained of itsspecie, if the people should be
permitted to pay their money for foreign
goods-arguhents which, believe, have long
since been tepudiated as being treacherous
and unfaitHHl to the cause in whose service
they werepressed.
Can it be supposed that any particular bust
ness is ppftable to the nation merely because
il furnishes employment for many hands p
viii be seriously contended that the more
Tabor it requires to manufacture piece Of
woollen cloth in this country, the more impor-
tant it is that the labor of the people should
be devoted to that object? Is if for the inter
est of this nation, under existing circumstanc
les, that the raw materials should be imported
from other countries to be wrought up into
cloths by our own citizens?
If it needs be that we should become man
ufaciurers of woollen cloths. it is at least wor-
thy consideration, whether, instead of procur-
ling wool from abroad. it would not be more
wise TO increase our hocks. 1t does appear
to me that the labor which it is proposed
to employ in transporting raw materials, the
fruits of agriculture, from foreign coun-
tries, to be manufactured here, might be much
more proftably employed in producing those
materials.
| E there be nation on the globe whose sit
uation is favorable TO agricultural pursuits, and
whose natural advantages clearly and une-
quivocally point out those pursuits as their
chiefemployment, we are that nation. Moth
| ing can be more evident than the impolcy OF
| such regulations as will lead the people to
| abandon an employment which so peculiarly
belongs 10 them, and to resort to those which
can be pursued by other nations more adyan.
| tageously than by US.
/ As to those manufactures which recpire
much manual labor, they can be the most adj
vantageously conducted in those countries
where that labor is the cheapest. II is cheap.
] erin Great Britain than here, for the reason
that it can be more profitably employed here
than there; and this difference is to be a!trib.
uttd 10 the circumstance that all NAV fiod
employment here in the cultivation of the
| soil.
| There is no do9bt that we can manufacture
wooller cloths, for our own consumption, and
produce for ourselves all the necessaries and
conveniences, if not all the luxuries of life
fall intercourse with other nations should be
entirely interdicted, we should not suffer from
the want of any of these things, although ma.
ny of them would cost US more labor than 4
procured abroad. Notwithstanding our exer
tons would prove less effective if directed t.
unsuitable objects, as they would he, in nv
opinion, by the system of high protective du.
ties; yet, the spirit of industry and enterprise
in this country is such as will overcome these
unnstura restraints, and we shall continue tc
thrive and prosper in spite of them. So long
as this spirit prevails, this country will III.
crease in wealth, even under political regula.
tons, which shall give an unnatural direction
to the industry OF the people.
Nevertheless, it is unqUestionabiy for the in.
| teTest OF all nations 20 maintain a system q
commercial intercourse, and exchange upor
the principle OF equal and reciprocal benefits
No nation should undertake to produce those
commodities which can be produced cheaper
by another nation, and which can be bought
il wanted, with other products OF labor. The
policy OF manufacturing for ourselves those ar.
ttcles which we can buy OF other nations al
less expense than we can manu- acture them
may operate iujuriously to those nations a:
well as to ourselves; yet, il will prove bat a
miserable indemnity for our loss, that we have
succeeded, by our policy, in subjec,ing anoth-
er nation to as great loss. PUBLIUS.
Errata.-ln the advertisement signed .4us-
tin Flint, on the outside of our paper, at the
conclusion read as follows IN. B. Said Farm i.