Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-02
POLITICAL.
: o" The policy Of protecting Manufacture, IN
IUgiaa"

| d
slnia Literary Museum" published at Cha,
losfessille, under the editorial superintendent
oil the Professors of the University series
Nos under the above tille. They were 90,
orally. aud we have no doubt correctl, attri
buted TO the pen of Profess 1r Tucker. shn ba
been consequently assailed, in some instance
rather anonymously by writer's who dissent from
his opinions--among the rest, by the editor o
the Free Trade Advocate" Of Philadelnhia
The following replyto the " Advocate" winch o
riginaliy appeared in the Richmond Enquirer
is published, as an act OF justice To Mr.. Tuck
er.-Edts. Hnginianl
From The Enquirer.
The Enquirer of the l5ih inst contains m
extract from The Free Trade Advocate
which, in noticing Professor Dews's new wor,
thus contrasts lis principles With those sup.
ported IN cerlaIn essays, ION the policy OF
encouraging Manufactures IN Virginia. whtcn
were lately published IN the Literary Mn.
scum:
:" We have no hesitation in saving, thai tins
work will be baurd by the friends OF IibefaI
| principles in this country, rs II valuable pro.
uuctI ION, aud especiaity, coming as il does, from
n seminary of learning, of great rcpula ia a
State, " hich poSS sse, University, under ihr
| sanction OF whose officers has latel, app, ar
ed series of essa IN fapOr Of that sysf IN,
1Ciich IS taught 40 mhere IN am part Of The
wortd, teHhn he l0G,k n inititliioas Dedicated
10 The dissemination Of The truths Of paiiosophy. If
Before the writer OF those Essays notices
the misrepresentation respecting himself in the
prec' ding wordy exIracf, he begs leave 10 cor
rect THAI winch regards the - officer, Of the
| U Iversty.' They cannot be considered to
| ave gwen any " sanction 10 the Essays IN
| q1esnon direct or indirect. The Visitors have
| no previous knowledge of what is to appeal
| IN The Museum and some OF lis regular conlr-
butors are moi versnd IN political economy
The anthur is alone answrrable for the d &c.
trnes he has advanced, and he neither socns
nor needs any partnership IN the responsohi.
ty.
iie indeed rs we'll as Mr. Racquet and Pro
fessur Drw, belongs 10 the school OF Adam
smith and is, like them, an advocate Tor the
system of free trade. Nor did he mean 10 as
sail thd .ystem, as a general rule. His ohiec
was I, IND lie whether the indu try of Vug
MIA was not, under existing circumstances, 10
exclusively devoted IA agriculture, aud whrth-
er, in the exercise oflhal very freedom OF &C
ton hr supports we could not, and ough not
TO divert part of our labor from making thai
which we found difficulty IN selling, 10 that
which we wanted, bat found II iuc"nyeaent 10
pay for. Asw were less able than formerly
TO 6ug our manufactures OF o.! England aud
r. an re of them far ourselves. 'tfe'.
with deep concern that Virginia was ouisitip'
ped in the race o wealth and improvement,
by mos, of the Stntes North Of her, he believed
that her circumstances. physical and moral
were, with the single exception Of domestic
slavery, not more unfaynraJle tam thrlrs-ani
he was inclined To think that the disadvantages
nl slave labor did 40 present an msuperable
bar TO her success. In hese views II IS very
possible that his wishes may have BIASED ms
judgment but such being his opinions. he ielt
warranted in laying them before the public,
with the reasons on which they were founded.
Aud he farther thought that the Legislature OF
this Commonwealth, If they took the same we"
OF the altered state oil the country, might, WIFI
out violating any principle OF sound theory
stimulate ind yiduas TO promote the public
interests by promoting their own, and give en-
couraeenent TO manufactures, on the same
principle as they encourage education, ~ 'oad'
and canals, and punish gaming OF rlnkennessl
in all of which, motives of private interest are
| not relied upon, though they directly coincide
with the policy of the government. II IS true
| Thai the impediments III the two cases are h"'
] the same bat he thought there were enough, IN
| the case of manufactures, (and he enumerated
! four such) TO Justify the moderate aud Tempo
roru ptrrposirion of the Legislature. Such
was the drift of the obnoxious essays. lhey
did not denounce or combat the general pf'n-
cIples OF Adam Smith. They did not discuss
the merits of the Tariff, either as to It's cons''-
cutionahy or policy. Ihey did not even men
| ton il, except to hint dIsapprobatlon. III mus
| addressing himself 10 the good sence anu pa
triotism Of his fellow citizens, the writer eau.
tiously abstalned fl ON Irritating party feelings,
not merely because such cour would have
been inconsistent with the plan of The MnSuen',
which processes to have higher aim than e.
nhemeraI politics, but also, because lie Knew
Thai if he ruffied the feathers of the political
game.cocks, they would prepare themselves
| for Fl vht aud not to hear argument IN which
case. though he might not be deIsatpd, us
purpose certainly would.
Iflhe Editor of the Free Trade Advocate
meant to say, ia the passage marked III italics
that the system Of free trade, IN opposition 10
the mercantile system which formerly prevailed
in Europe, is now taught IN all the public IN
s,itur,ons. be is not far wrong-Nor does this
University, MS he seems to suppose. furnish ans
texcen;;on. as Say and Adam smith, are ITS lex
books in political economy bni It he mean
10 assert that the principle OF " Free trade.
admitted Of no qualifications or exceptions
s,cb a. are maintained in the 1" Essays, theI
be has vet much TO learn of that system he un
dertakes 10 deiand'
Adam Smith, the founder Of the system, ant
its ablest champion, admits Two general ehcep
ions. INCORRECTLY stated in Or. Coopers work
and Two more, under particular circumstance
And although neither Of these four grounds .
restriction strictly comprehend those d"ien1e'
in the Essays the latter are clearly ",hin u,
reason and spirit Of them all as they Jushi
the temporary diversion of labor and capnN
into new channels, solely on the ground ina
they will tUeatuatiy be more prohiahle. A
the great Object OF me work vas to p1, DOW low
the p" mercantile system" he was naturally cat
tious of conceding 100 much 10 his adversaIie
lest il should impair the beauty and original
~ of his own theory. But if this hadnot bee
The case, yet when SO many inaccuracies nav
! been discovered in the wealth OF nations, a.
:...,. nc TINT work Is ii is surely TOO niue