Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-08-25

Coarse cotton fabSics. Tie circumstances in favor
OF tis manufacture, that the raw material il one
OF the staple products Oft the country and can OF course
be mad somewhat cheaper here than in the northern
sttes' In TINS manufacture too machinery is pccu-
marry eicicnt and water power is no where cheaper
I .ii"n III Virginia. I'm the only three experiments
Aowh 70 us the underwriters have viii success
one at PETERSBURG, one in Favanna and one at Rich
mona. In the last, Cunningham & Anterson's man
actory thick coarse cotton fabric is made at four
teen cents the yard which once better and cles-
per IMAM German oZDaburgs for saycs and must we
tlink, supcrscde the use Of that article ;lto0a,ber
| EHtFy i'on Gstycs. Whenever the ex,ni:c of
transportation adds materially to IKE cost OF the ma
hniuct!rrd article, Il but tuerab decree Of manual
ski! Is required the manufacture NAV 6e carried ~, in
NOSE places, where iron be Obtained on reasope
Die terms Nails, ploughs, spades, hoes axes scythe
duties saws auges and similar tools are OF this de-
ScrpsioI' nearly all ow which procured abroad
OF III other states. Some of these articles are now
!hahuacturcd near Rlchinond OF superior Gna!itv5
IN inanntactory owned by General IIarve, end It
deserves 10 he toned, i'll confirmation OF some OF
our previous speculaons that the sbour is here car
/ RCD on almost entirely bv slaves.
Coarse 'SooNenS. Whenever our citizens shall turn
tcif attention to the raissg of sheep, as 10 furnish
an adequate supply ofwool on reasonable terms Ia
OFics oi TINS material may be made in any will orc
possessing water power. and sufficiently large to at
.otd accommodations for the requisite worklnen -
ne supply OF the raw material aud its manufacture
Wi! go hand IN hand. As as IL ready market is
FURNISHED at hone for WOOL, it vii! probably he afford
Is ceaiy N tne western parts Of this state in
Almost any part of the Union.
oupposing 1t practicable (as we really believe il 20
oe'J TO manufacture these articles for ourselves in
no ioHg tn'e, what must be the effect the wealth
pha prosperity OF tile state? Without .ndurino in
fAhy golden Visions OF the utmost possible opurnce
we may confidently say that the prosperity of the
state would be greater and would rest upon a more
so!ia oundation than at any former narod We will
ofiey notice the consequences that may nationally be
| expected.
| /. The labor withdrawn from q rrculture To man
ufhctures would lessen the prescn, Redundancy of r
he Tho ND
ny winch the p'lce would necessarily he improved
| We know the effect OF shot crnp of tobacco on
the price OF that commodity, and Withdrawal! Of
q part OF the iahour expended in It's culture would
nave the same effect on the price We might then
not make more Indian than could find rood
market for IN such Of the West indies as will re-
ceve II, and IN Madeira; and perhaps. not moro -four
than would supply, without giuttjng the markets of
Cuba, Spanish America, and the West Indies
SHOULD the states south Of be able to engage in
manufactures to the limited extent have been con-
s!dering, then the salutary cheek would take
place IN the cultivation of cotton; and the same .enc-
ncla rcslt III the advancement OF its pricc: some
persons looking only TO the number Operatives en-
lioyed IN the manufactures, cannot conceive that
the amount of agricultural products could be mater
al diminished by the manufacturing policy. Bot
those who are immediately employed in the fabrica
ton OF the commodity constitute but u small part o
the number to whom manufactures give employment
IL comprehends also those who the buildings
who make the machinery and tools; who TRANSPORT
hrst the raw material to the manutactorv and thcl
destinations and lastly those who furnish these sever
al classes with provisions In this way con,modit,
employing hundred persons iii munuiactorv,ma,
4 employ 1--we hundred, or even Thousand, out of it.
MOT can we estimate the amount of labour with
draw" from the cultivation OF our staple products b,
merely reckoning the number of abourcrs
10 manufacturing occupations. since bese formerly fur
nlSad themselves with provisions md thew rniIsi now
be furnished by the andcr of agricultural class
~ nus, suppose the number transferred TO be ten
Thousand, and that, besides raising their own Prov
slons, they produced for market five thousand hoes
| hca DIS OF tobaccu SO these Thousand labomrcrs
must now be supplied with provisions by Others
there must he ayet farther withdrawal OF the aboar
previously assigned TO tie cultivation of tobacco in
addition 10 that employed III producing the FIVE hois-
and hogsheads.
Besides, the difference between the quantity Of an
article which is sufficient to glu market, and that
which VIII afford it adequate supply is far less
than might at first be supposed. reduction Of the
supply by one tenth, would sometimes be sufficient
Tor that purpose. reduction, by one fifth, wonld
commonly, be so; and we have seen that any given
reduction in the supply of our staple products re-
cures yet smaller reduction in the number of la
oourers transferred from agriculture 10 other en-
Payments
2. After the attention Of our people was once fair
! ~ turned TO manufactures our skill in the mcchau
cal arts would be progressive and would be extend
CD to many other operations which now little
thought OF, or regarded as beyond our reach
There parts the United States in which super.
hne broadcloth is now made, in which. twenty years
ago, the various processes by which that beautiful
fabric is perfected were considered almost rs imprac
tlcable TO us conjuration IT is impossible TO fore
see what degree Of skill, what extent of improvement
what useful discovery what activity and enterprise,
+ the introduction OF manufactures among us NAV
evolve; but be they what they may, every addition
TO any one otthese Is so much added to wealth
and resources. Without referring TO the inventions
of Whitney and Fulton, the effects of which cn the
wealth ofhe nation beyond all calculation, we
may venture assert that hundred slful workmpn
IN Sheffield or Birmingham, III Manchester
or Leeds earn for their country more than many
thousand of our Jabourer5 employed in tiug the
earth, and that we pay every ycai Great Brit
ain more for the one, than can obtain for the
other.
9. As soon as VIC have ascertaincd BIZ actual ey-
pertinent what manufactures we carry to adj.
vantage competition at home will produce the nat
H.,