Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-12-12

-, ,,orn.,t To sneak with precision. IL Is
son,.;n ,h., The whole mercantile shipping OF
the Union. including that employed IN 'ne
co.s,;,o trade. as well as all that IS embarked
IN FOREIGN commerce and The fisheries, exceeds,
a, This lime. fifteen hundred thousand tons
That Of no other nation is probably as large,
Enpland excepted In 1918, the tonnage OF the
Union was but little more than twelve hundred
thousand. Its greatest crease since tha' Year,
was in ono o. the years under examination, VIZ.
in 1926. The profits Of freight upon this large
amour, Of tonnagr, The ships Of the U. States
being almost exclusively the carriers OF the
commerce If the nation, GENRE at nome, " make
a large addition to the sto k OF capital al nome
The fore going statements indicate steaGy
advance in the national pr 'sperity he rear
ity of this ,dvance Is only to be measured ny
aeprevar- results. ascertained a, proper inter-
walls OF time. 1t is useful tn present SUCH re-
suIts.- They show the general condition Of Inc
country, viewed not in parts, but under one
undivided whole. They at est the positive
growth Of its riches, and the rapidly oil the
growth by comparison. ley moro res''ng
point, for doub ful opinions, when all desire 10
arrive at those that may appear best supported
by results. No single eye can take them all
in, unassisted by the authentic returns which
i, is the province Of the Government, and
chiefly of the Department Of the Treasury,
to watch over and promulgate, endesvour>
ing also to trace them TO their causes.
STATE whose natural resources and territory
are abundant, whose institutions areafree,
and whose interests are diversified, may wit
ness occasional and temporary pressure upon
some Of those Interests, whilst all the great
branches Of is industry are in course Of sure
deyeopment. But transen, inconvenience
is lost in the aggregate prosperity, and must
in the end, participate in that prosperity. II
is thus tina. great States, under successful legls
la,ion. 60 onw ard in their career OF riches
and power. No, only has :heir been marked
increase of importations and revenue in The
United States during the last lour wears, and
Of expectation of domestic commo ditles, but
like diminution in re-exp"rta'i"ns. ne
lat err is very striking, and justices III. inference
not merely OF an increased desire to import for
the purpose Of meeting the contingencies OF
trade or speculation, but OF an increased abil-
ity Of in this country 10 purchase and use Tor
eipn fabrics. The increased consumption Of
the latter, and the increase in revenue have ex.
ceeded the ratio Of the increase Of duties uoder
the tariff Of 1924. and the presumed increase
OF population also. The exports OF domestic
products have increased more han four f'ld
faster than the increase Of population, as 81" n
by the census at periods the most favourable
These facts cannot mislead. They point to AL
unequivocal increase, so for, in the prosperity
of the nation. S ati>tical Testimonials, tor
single year, or for more than one, may rise or
fall in amount, from causes that postpone all
perm anent conclusions; but where they are seen
to go on an increasing train throughout
succession Of years, il is rational to ascribe
them to causes beginning 10 assume fixed
character II VIC review the last four years as
period of time in commercial history. we find
Ii, tie in the circumstances Of the world, either
from general war or otherwise. to affect foreign
markets beyond the ordinary fluctuations Incl
dent to trade at all times. The extraordinary
oper atoms in the cotton market that fell upon
the firstof these years viz 1925, are not con-
ceived to impair the applicable y ofthe remark,
because there has be, n 'ime enough for dimin-
ished expectations, as a consequence OF the
large exportations Of that year. No term in
deed, Of eight years, since the establishment OF
| the Government, has been so e1emp from the
influence Of external events that disturb the
regular operations of national Industry and
commerce, as he last eight. None therefore,
| could be so fairly taken for the comparative
| statements tba: have been made.
| II does not escape recollection tina, from 1871
to 1915, there were epoehs when the foreign
commerce Of the country advanced with even
more rapidity than is here stated; when it was
greater, absolutely, and therefore greater in
proportion to the population Of the country
Blu, during that long interval, there prevailed
in Europe, with scarcely percep,ible inerup-
ton, desolating wars which created an unpa-
ralleed demand for our staple productions, and
brought them up to exIravagsn' prices. This,
with our neutral attitude, which gave to our
earrying,rade scope almost unbounded. rails
ed explorations and importations TO an ar'if>
ciai pitch, that can never be required ID as a
standard of comparison for commerce under
circumstances more ordinary and regular. /,
is known that during portions Of that interval,
our trade in foreign produce far exceeded that
in domestic. 1t is wholly otherwise now. The
mere profits on our Tonnage al that earlier day
Of the Republic, by The capital which il intro
duced, gave, Of itself, The capacity for an enlarg
ed consumption of foreign articles on a COM
para,ively smaller basis Of popula' ion.
The increased consumption Of foreign arti-
| r. in , he I1pited States duriuu the last four