Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-08-13
POLITICAL.
from The nrg,nia Literary Museum.
TIE POLICY Oh ENCOURAGING MANI
EAGlUHES.-

altogether. Virginia ~ not inlefior 10 Great
bfna't--thai II. On the one hand, steam power,
movable machinery money, aud some raw ma.
ierials may be obtnined on better terms In thai
country on the other hand. land, buildings
water power, labor, provisions. and Other raw
materials, may be obtained more eheapl, in
this stale - thai, ON comparing the respeeiiy.
advantages OF each country, II appears Thar we
ought, with equal skill, 10 manufacture cotton
fhbr'cs, an average quality. ut aslow a nrlce
n England /, those OF coarse quality, nj siifl
lower aud we0len goods, ~ a smaller increase
OF price than II would cost the English 10 i'm
port them and that our advantages over the
northern states are yet greater than thosu We
possess over Great Britain.
Hut ms Tor The purpose of confirming our
views we Ind cited The opinion Of SOM
oil onf principal uiaetures, that we could
manufacture woolens "a cheaply aS Great Brit.
AIN, II We could procure The INV material M
| Cheap, II will natural, he asked, IL the oruun.
stances OF our country are 80 favorable 10 man.
niactnros, how happened II lhal the mannlac.
lnfrrs, al that very time, petilioned Congress
| Tor further protection On woollens, when they
| MOI only had The advantage OF the British man.
uihclufer by the existing duty, hui nlso by the
expense al importation And that the same
class even require protection on cotton manu-.
| tacturcs, 10 which they have The material
cheaper than their foreign sompelnotsY TIE
following answers TO these quesiions, are iur
nished by the mauuiac iurris themselves in The
afidenee before the eommittee of Congress
Isl. As"ool Is higher nj present, ia this coun.
ny man abroad, they thought II accessory TO
encourage The raising Of sheep nj home b. a
'uf,her duty on imported wool, by which II
would become eventually cheaper. nnd us this
increase of duty would have the effect al rails
| n tHa nriga a IL, II /
accessory 10 raise the duty on imported cloth
TO n correspondent extent 2dly, That a
strong prejudice existed against cloth manu-
featured IN this country. Col Shepherd SAID
he considered The prejudice more ,hnn TWEEN
" live per cent against the domestic article.
. 3dly. That The pf'ce oil manufacturing labor
was h,gber in the first establishments, from the
, want 81 thai titlll " management which time Il
practice would gradually supply. As proof
OF this progressive change, one witness, lMr.
Marland) sialrd that he had paid three dollars
Tor weaving piece of flannel for which he
/ then paid only one dollar. Another, (Mr
Grumpy stated tina, he then pnId ten cents n
yard for weaving, but had previously pnid rs
high IA thirty cents. Another, (Mr. Schenek.
That bloa lclolbs were made nj much less ex-
pense than in 1926 by the int, oduclan of u
variety of improved and labor saving machine
/ ry,' of which part was of American invcn.
ton. 9TH, and lastly. The manufacturer
! further urged as "A reason for m increase OF
duty, fluctuations Of the domestic market,
caused by irregular aud excessive imporittious
aud producing, occasionally, great embnrras-
meni and loss 10 The domestic manufactures
whose capitals are rarely sufficient 10 enable
them To keep their manufactures out OF The
market, when they are depressed below tht ma
tural price---lhe cost reproduction. Thase dis.
| ..l.4.. Il
character, aud the manufacturers allege thai
they would be all either removed or greatly
diminished by further protection Surprising
them 10 be light, there is 40 inconsistency be-
tween the pre- sent relative dearness Of Ameri
can manufactures and their future cheapness
How far the evils complained OF are likely 10
be lessened by the protection they solicit, vii
, he hereafter considered.
Some Of the preceding considerations may
be thought to apply 10 the continuance Of the
duty on cotton fabrics. On this subject, Mr.
; Dexter of Messsc husetis, snid ] link The
; manufacture ofcoBrse coiiops in this country
is now so well established, that we could max.
, them, if the preseni minimum WAS reduced.
think, ii the present minimum was repealed
: that the foreign colions, Of this description,
would, for a time, come in, and would greatly
! finjnTe, lor n While oil our manufactures bu
! this, think would be done at "A loss 10 III,
! foreign manufacturer. Some Of our manpiaC
tureTs would be able, eventually, 10 sustain
Themselves, because think they chn afford ih,
article now about rs cheap rs II can be afforded
from England. This reduction, would, howe
YER create contest between the American
capital invested in these manufactures and III,
foreign, winch would. m nv opinion, ruin
some u our stnbIshnIenis, and compe NIL, Tor
a time, 10 sustain themselves Mt loss. Fol
these reasons, do mol tb,nk Tho present mini
mum ought TO be repealed
| Having thus examined the objection found.
ed on the supposed dearnrss of labor and wsnl
. OF caplhl IN tiis country, let us consider The
second objection founded on the d,sadudntage'
n store labor.
II IS true thai the slave has not the same IN
tprrst in practising the same course oi steady
ind asry, OF the same economy or foresight, "a
those vino are stimulated 10 provide Tor lam.
1y. and 10 bener their condition oil life. HE is
urged by the strongest impulse oil his nature to
be INDECENT aud improyideni, aud IT is the CON
slant attention 10 little savings that constitutes
the profit oil many c,opl1ymenis, II Is equal
" true that the neat income of country IN
which the labor is performed BY slaves, Is far
less than when II is performed by industrious
ireemen. The difference in the progressive
advancement Of Virginia and the CarolInas
from that of New York aud Pennss lvania, or OF
OHIO from Kentucky aud Tennessee, are too
striking TO leave room for doubt on this sab.
ject.
Blu, il the pernicioas influence Of slavery on
national wealth hss not been oyerreted The pre-
cjse ,barscter o the mi chef is often mlsta-
keo. ia slave commonly performs less work
/, Tor being slow, he sometimes performs more
. F.sr nroduces tie anne eiiec on In 40 more
generous motives on tho free man Nor is he
msen 3ible 10 other motives. lie may be sIimu
lated by rewards. He Is no, nsens'ble TO emu
, latioo. lie can feel the iorce OF habit. Al
: though, TOO he is inclined to he waslefui ant
I exirayagan, in his consumption, he IS compel
led TO practise economy. Bni II IS chiefly u
. lis effects on the free population that the mis-
chief of slavery is felt. BY les,ening the IN
ducemenis TO industry by pskmg manua
labor degrading by furnishing thu means 0
expense, and ~ many ways cherlshing tat
for ii by superinducing habits of idieness an
) | pleasure slavery diminishes the prodnctly