The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-11-23

diciously applied The sense and experience
OF men had gone far to correct the erroneous
legislation offorner times, and 10 develop ana
multiply the true sources Of national wealth.
But the modern theery is MT content VITA The
attainment ofpracticai benefits merely II socks
by an unquS.Ihed application oi certain 2enerh
principles, 10 produce thorough rsV"i"tml :"
tho business 81 men and tie relations 81 VA
tons II is against these extremes Of vis'oha'
~ good and practical mischief that we ocs'Ie
Il 1 men ct reflection and sober JnosnieM !"
make a stand. Wa ask them 10 look al Tue
present condition Of our country and L" e1a" |
Inc tho opcralien OF the present sysed: upon
ell its great interests Above ALL Ne ask tnefh
10 look TO tho practise Of all tnreiEn naiie"s
rather than the spocnlations OF their wfts's
They will than find that those who have
TAUGHT ne This theory of free trade, are to"
wise to practice il; that they continue to ac'
and 10 lepislaie upoa the system oil protecting
their own industry though some OF Their VII
tiers and orators recommend 10 all DINER ia
tions 10 abandon It.
r.e.r.rrs 10 our own experience is, however,
the hest criterion. by which to test the correct |
ness of the system which we support. IL Is not
new; the principle was applied, as We ha.s al
ready stated, to navigation, from me establish
ment of the Federal constitution. pfonioning isr-
eiVn shipping from the coasiing trade altogether,
and Imposing high discriminating duty on Tor
e;gn tonnage. If this Discrimination has been
abandoned, in respect to those nations, who would
consent to = system Of reciprocity, II involves no
surrender az the principle. Trade can only he
carried on between nations by mutual agreement
aad mutual protection 'e ads to reciprocity the
Only equitable arrangement. The mechanic arts
have alse been the subject Of protection from the
establishment Of the government and it c,nnet
be doubted that to this circumstance they owe, in
agreat measure, their success a success, which
has alA fla mechanics nf the Initial
of the main pillars Of our national strength. Agri
culture has likewise had full share of the benefit
of this protection; and IN truth II may be said,
that as cur government commenced its career with
the establishment of the germs of the protective
system, SO it has continued ever since, gradually
nuriuring and iHvigorating them uatil they have
reached their present growth Some Interrupt
tons hare occurred in the march Of this policy
but these interruptions owe their origin to acci-
dental circumstances which dictated the necessity
Of relaxing the system for the benet of other inter-
eSts that were more Immediately concerned in avail
ing themselves Of the advantages of foreign trade
These, however are to be regarded not as proofs
the uselessness Of the SYSTEM but as exceptions
growing out of the pressure Of temporary acct
dents. The events that followed the French rev.
clution gave = new and unexpected direction To
the enterprise Of our citizens. The disturbed
state of the continent of Europe, and the prcya-
lence of universal wars throughout the nations Of
that quarter of the globe placed the United States
in the position of the only neutral amongst many
hclligerents and SO obviously opened the way tc
C mmercial wealth TO our citizens, that all othci
interests sunk into insignifcaacc compared witt
those which were concerned in pushing foreign
commerce into every region where the strife o.
the contending parties excluded the competition oi
the bellgerents themselves, and len TO the United
States the undisputed monopoly of trade. T'o
this fortunate conjuncture of circumstances is to
be ascribed the most rapid growth that has ever
been traced in the history of empire. The u.
States not only became the medium of tha CON-
merce of the world but their peaceful position at
tTacted the emigration of all those who had the
means and the wish TO escape from European
troubles.
Amongst the advantages which have resulted to
US from this state of things We have suffered one
evil the effect Of which is not obliterateo even at
this day. Accustomed for twelve or fourteen
years to commercial specalations of unparalleled
activity and success, were taught TO think that
our national prosperity was nseparabiy con
Iected with the prosecution Of that kind OF trade
in which our citizens had been engaged, and We
were thus insensibly educated in the opinion that
the great interests of our Commonwealth would
be always concerned with foreign commerce ex-
clusively employed in tran sporting abroad the pro-
ducts of our agriculture and receiving returns in
The manufactured commodities of other nations.
There was another Circumstance that gave great
authority to this deiusion. The cotton manpfac-
ture OF Great Britain was rapidly arising into tile
greatest activity and vigor. 1t was in process of
time discovered that the material for this
manufacture could be produced in the United
States under favorable circumst ances than in
any other part Of the world. At first, bat two or
ihrec OF our States were employed in the cultiva-
ton, and the demand from England was even
greater than tho supply. The profits of this cult
yation, therefore, were almost unlimited. Tie
portions of Territory employed in the growing of
cotton were smaii and the common opinion was
that but lev districts, in comparison with the great
eaNrfac -
culture. In the mean time, tho cotton fabrics
were dIfused over Europe and took the place of
large quantities Of those manufactured from wool,
SILK, and iax. Every year demonstrated the in
creasing importance of this manufacture both in
Europe and America, and the demand still con-
tinued to eutruR the supply. These circumstances
had their influence imPressng upon our citizens
an exaggerated idea Of The permanence and value
oi THIS source Of agricultural wealth, and along
with 1t, The value OF the trade which was concerned
IN the transportation oft Il persuaded our plant
ers to believe that they possessed an almost inex
haustIble source OF riches it untitled them for
sober calculations upon the effects that would fol-
low the extension of the culture of cotton over
ahe fertile regions that yet lay in wilderness be.
hind them and It equally disinclined them to
foresee the possibility Of tho manufacture itself
reaching term at which il might become station
AIRY and which was, therefore, eventually to set a
limit upon the demand, al the very period when
The supply would be increased in an almost inf
mite ratio by the spread Of population over other
States Of our Union, even more propitious than
their own to the production of the plant tmsy
therefore, be considered misfortune, consequent
upon their former prosperity that citizens were
almost rresstably led by il into delusiye estimates
of the true and permanent sources Of national
wealth. 1t was one result Of this state OF things
that. whilst our countrymen were intent unon
githering the harvest which the distracted condi-
I On Of the world had strewn before them, they
W unmindful Of the future, and neglected to
treasure up the elements Of strength and prosper,
ty which lay hidden in the bosom of the nation :;
and which, as they were independent Of fore ign
lie .slation external accidents were most likely
to furnish the means Of stable and enduring hao
piness.
Troubles soon afterwards broke out at kome-
war threatened, and our citizens were suddenly
called to meet a tremendous emergency. Our
commerce pat in letters by non-importation
acts and embargoes; and the crisis that succeeded
found us without the most ordinary resources of
an independent people. Our armies went to the
frontier clothed in the fabrics Of the enemy
our munitions Of war were gathered as chance
supplied Them from the four quarters OF the earth
and the whole struggle was marked by the prodi-
gality, waste and priyation OF a thrifiess nation
taken at unawares and challenged to a contest
without the necessary armor OF combatant.
When it pleased Heaven to rescue us from the |
imminent hazards of this doubtful and iispropor- |
toned conflict, we saw around US nation Of eight |
millions Of people possessed OF a territory nearly
equal to the continertof Europe rich 10 the ungsth-
cred resources Of every kind of weal,h,--.jus
emerging from war Of two years and half with
an enemy who had never assembled an army of
more than thirty thousand men--and yet deraneed
~ all It's channels OF industry, exhausted, and en-