Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-12-11

uoo00oll0
t,-r 6ase> - which % establish his dseissosss
Pm What he beea easd, ths psrisans Of IN uu-
limited freeSOm 81 comgerce Gill not fail t0 draw the
essclssoa, that restrictive duties should DO sbolish
pinon; and in order eeatrovsrt it, il is only necss
safy TO examae the results which must now from
such . measure
Were thess duties to cease to exist, we should
soon behold The destruction Of those numerous ostab
lshments which annually prepsre for consumption
iron TO the amount Of more than forty millions oi
francs; Cor these fabrics now barely compete with
those Of the north Of Europe, Notwithstanding the
high duty imposed the products OF the latter on
their entrance into territory; should see closed
those fourishiug establishments for spinning, woa
wing, and printing cotton, which. having grown up
in our time. have not yet acquired suf mt strength
and adequate amount ut disp0sabe capital to enable
them to compete with foreign manufactures; should
witness tho decay Of thvse valuable manufactures
Of iron ware which have sprung INTO existence under
the protection Of those duties and prohibitions to
which foreign articles Of the same description have
been subjected; and we should reduce to misery mil
lions of active Industrious citizens, whose very
istence rests solely these kinds Of industry,
| at the same time that We should annhilate On i'm
quists buildings. which would be productive.
BY the cessation Of the labor in which they were en-
ployed.
II will M doubt DO ssd that this part Of the labor
ing population would be restored 20 agriculture; but
single spot be shown upon the surface of France
where the amount Of agricultural labor il not ade-
9uate the cultivation Of the soil? On the contrary.
do not see, annually many provinces surchsrged
with population and pouring out the into other
countries. Besides, caR i be believed that men,
born in Cities and educated in manufactures, would
be fitted to till the so Agriculture 10 an occupation
which, like all others, has its apprenticeship, demands
practice, md requires strength and other qua!i6ca
tioRs which can hardly be expected from workmen
grown old in manufactures.
That portion Of the population which is reduced to
manual labor for support, is naturally divided be-
tween tho fields and the manufacturing establish
nlents the Cities in the proportion of the demand
for each species Of labor. To change this Condition
Of things would be to destroy the equilibrium, and
occasion Guc'uation productive Of misery and all
its consequent crimes
1t will be urged, further, that the consumers-thai
is to sly, the whole Dation-wOuld derive advan ge
from the free admission of the products of industry
which other nations furnish at lower price;
but would ask how other nations be paid for
products of this description to the amount of
than mlliard,* which are now supplied BY our man
ufactorics. Would they be id with the productions
Of our soil! We know that the measure of the for
egn consumption Of these productions has been long
ascertained, and that the amount falls short of an
hundred millions annually. II may be said that il
would increase. think it would NOT; but even ii |
it should increase, then that portion referred for do
nestle consumption would rise in pride, and the con-
would lose thereby what he thought to gain;
while the nation would sacrifice the immense sdvan-
tages derived from the application of its industry 10
The creation of those products which employ their
fabrication great part of the productions of the soil
Would l. be with specie that we would nav the in
creased amount of imports, Where are our mines,
Whence should we obtain il, now that are depri-
we'd, by the revolution South America of fifty mil
hons annually, which procured formerly from
Spain through our commerce!
Would II be with fine cloths and our Lyonesc
silks the chief product Of industry, which we can OK
port with advantages. Should We double our exports
Of these articles (which is not very probsbIe) they
would not reach the value Of an hundred and ffty
millions France therefore, could not pay to forepn
countries the value of the half of what she now con
sumes Of her own manufactures and she would more
over deprive herself Of an advantageous employment
of labor and skill, representing a real value of at
least six seven hundred millions.
Instead then Of beviIderiDg ourselves in the
Of metaphysical distractions, let up eserve the sys
tenn which is established and endeavor to advance it
TO perfection.
A judcious regulation and graduation of duties
form the true safeguard Of agricultural and manusc
turing industry. lmposts are raised or lowered at
the frontiers according to crcums and exigen-
ces: The disadvantage is thereby compensated,
which might be encountered by our fabrics in the
low price Of the manufactured article compa red with
the cost Of the labor and of the material. Infant
arts fostercd by prohibitions which protect them
from foreign competition until they have attained the
highest degree Of perfection. In word The system
tends to confirm the independence Of the industy of
Drance and to enrich her with manual skill. which is |
the principal source Of wealth.
This system Of legislation comprises all the inter-
it should those to preponderate which the most
specially require it's aid. On this graduated scale
Of interest, manufacturing industry occupies the first
rank: In like manner with the agriculturst and the
merchant the manufacturer has capital embarked in
bis enterprises; but the fund in which his capital is
invested, not disposablc and is productive only in
proportion to the prosperity of his establishment.
An unwse regulation of the customs, parayses this
capital in the hands Of the manufacturer, since it
consists for the most part in buildings and machine
~. loss, such as this, would be most serious
one for France, because it would diminish both pro
duction and skill. The merchant and the agricu!-
:urst may be foled in their operation, yet their CAP
ital remains and they may change its direction whlo
for the manufacturer, all is lost.
Like the agriculturst and the merchant, the
manufacturer employs manual labor b". the guam
THY Of labor necessary for bis operations far exceeds
that employed by other Of tho others in many
ufactories we see FIVE hundred operatives engaged
in producing one million Of value; whilst some of
the operations Of commerce may produce equal
smount by the employment Of few clerks.
The merchant adds no value to the merchn ndise
which passes through his hunds; tho manufacturer