Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-03-17

100, In The reliance 10 be placed in their respective
stsismeit,, (~tthouti Intending To impesch he character
of any Of the partiss.) The blicksml,hs,i in pointing
out the In quality Of The existing duties upon raw aud
manufactured iron, speak from thrir personal expert
encs snI a thorough prac zeal knowledge OF tho subject
while the metpofialists have candidly acknowledged
" that they are not snhbeis nifty convsrsapt with the
H. tails oil the sutJ.c CT 10 judge wbeib. or not there ex-
lists a inst ~ opo' hou bet~esn tho duties uion bar iron
ard 'hoss upon b. riwsre."
The allU ions TO " English puiudices," &c. sc
which run through MS memorial. canuo be mtsunder.
stood. They are he aP, calls too of,so and 90 success.
tu''y mode to the very prejudice which tbs memorial
,s's sH.Ntto %cOnd.u2 "Americsu industry" /. the
i.ius,ve P' rase atttuiiy I'm, los ed b. ,hoss ~ no che. Se
to consider their own.indvsty as rxc lusivs " IA, rio IN,
aud who a''emp, TO concral, Uui 7 The tn TX Of patriot.
I'm, au exclusive devo'ion 10 their own ~pscn'i.r in-
res.s. The I nc American ,ystem, IN the Estimation
Of 'he COMMITTEE, consist. ia free trad, and unrestrict-
oil 'niu''ry; aud they cauno, bring 'h.mNel-es for one
moment to oetevo that the ca. i,ai ani Industry ea>
ploysd In the fabrication Ct cotton aud woollen cloths,
or in digging iron ore from the mines, are more strict
W American u an that employed in raising cotton or
WOO. IN buildiHg ship+. carrying on comm .rce, or o.
ven 'oTver ing iron into la DWARF. Nor can they
bring themselves to believe that either OF thss, inter
ess u more entitled 10 protection than he others, or
mat any ut Them can have the smallest claim upon the
county. Except that their labor aud capital should be
let free to seek their own smploy wept, and to secure
'aeir own reward, without being burdened wi h IN
necessary taxes.
The complaint made against the repeated applications
to Congress TO reduce The DIT az, " as one OF the de.
vices employed TO impede the progress and .x'en,ion Of
me manu- ,cture OF iron in lhis eounIy,' is go mani
te>t'y uuiouDded and unjIst tina, the committee are
only induced 10 notice Ia as a manifestation Of &c the
temper and spirit' which animate the petitioners on
'hi' orcA'ion. It's altogether ioconcejvatle that the
mechanics and workers in on could have the lea,t
detire. much less " employ dc wees" Of any kind, to
prevent The Production OF cheap iron in this country,
since their own interest, as well as tbs Welfare OF their
country. 10 alike TO be promoted by obtaining tho lar.
g-ss eupI lss OF this material, and at the che apest rates.
l may be true that these repeated applications 'create
a arm IN those already concerned in the iron mines:'
and !! would no doubt be extensively gratifying to them
to be allowed 10 consider "the faith of the Governmenr'
as so lar pledged" TO this system. of protection as not
70 sufier ITS stability ever 10 be questioned. But the
petitioners may be assured, that, so long a, this system
Is ieu by a large and respectable portion Of their fellow
C'uLeh'' as a burden unjustly imposed upon them for
tue beneht OF the manufacturers of iron, 70 long will
'ne applications for its modification continue to be urged
WIN unuring energy and zeal. 1t may be worthy of
nelr consideration, therefore, whether il would not be
: advantage to obtain that security and pcrma-
hence Tor their establishments, which they consider
rs essential 10 their success" by consenting. at once.
" such a reasonable reduction OF the duty as would re-
moVe oil Just grounds Tor future complaint; and il may
NC also worthy oil their consideration, as patriotic citi-
IONS, whether they ought not even TO make some sacri
nces .o mat spirit OF discomfort which so extensively
prevails throughout the U. States in reference to this
sysisin. The appeal which the memoriali.ts have
made IN order to enlist other interests in their cause
oy suggesting that the mechanics petition "bos been
9' up Tor the purpose OF destroying the whole system
tN'Ny anu tIdi u lays tnC M tO The
ROOT oil the entire system" contains a clear develop-
ment oil the plan by which this system is maintained.
~hieh all admit to be extremely imperfect, and, in ma.
ny OF Its parts, grossly oppressive and unjust. II is a
system maintained by a combination, founded ON tho
mutual support OF what is called an "entire svstem -
o"' "hat Is In TACT a mere collection of e~xorbitant du-
ues' unfortunately imposed on raw materials and
manufactured articles, without any method or system
whatever-a combination which resists all modification
OF Improvement, which seeks TO shut out inquiry. and
would even stifle complaint. As tho memorialisis have
Iuoteu N opinion oil the President of tho IIo;,oJ
states ON one branch OF this subject, we will ouote Tor
.heir instruction, his opinion on the very point now I'M
uer confederation In his opening message 10 Con-
gress, the President specially warns us ag,;ns, ,h,t IL
sire 10 sustain a general system,' by "purcbasine tho
support or different INTERESTS and strongly denonnceo
"ose acts ot maJorities, founded not in an identify of
convection. but in a combination of small minorities. en-
Tered INTO for the purpose of mutual assistance in moa-
u'v w"'ch' resting only on their own merits, could
never DC carried The committee are inspired with
fresh confidence in the correctness of the view ,bom
nave taken on this subject. from the fact that the me.
noflais's nave not attempted 10 contradict any Of the
material facts stated by the blacksmiths. and that viii,
regard TO such as they have contradicted thew L.vo y,
succeeded In maintaining their positions. Take, for ex.
mp Vheir estimate OF the quantity Of iron now an
nu'"y produced In the United States. BY a coniectu
RAJ es''ma'e, founded on the satisfactory data. thew
nave assumed that 12o 900 tons of iron are now annn.
WI p.o""ceu uis country; but when the COMMITTEES
~ manufactures OF the House OF Representatives
"due a personal examination" of this subject in 1928
ed'nnS before them experienced iron masters. thew
nor OBTAIN information OF more than 30, 900 tons:
nv Ut oafchet Informs MS that a gentleman who not
iohs since travelled through the United States, for the
express purpose OF ascertaining the truth on the sub
Ject, estimated the whole production AT only 35 OOo tons.
ana yet me memorialists have not hssitated to put down
at a venture the quantity Of iron made in the United
states at 10000 tons. The committee will not pre-
lenu 10 decide the question:, but certainly the weight of
auuhori'y IS against the memorialists. The committee
are sensible that they have already consumed too much
tine on this subject, and they will therefore conclude
WIZ me expression OF a decided opinion that the iron
matters, ana others concerned in these petitions, have
presented no new facts, and urged no arguments, thai
snake the positions assumed by the bl6cksmiths. or
which go 10 show that a reduction OF the duty on raw
iron ought not to take place.