Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-01-25

The foreign manufacturers; but hold th's I" ce
impossible. for surely two or three per CENT -
the utmost reduction that can be made from tue
profits OF the merchant, aud not much more cou'u
be taken off from those of the manufacturer. IN
deed, how could il be expected that the Aher'-
can demand for British manufactures would mate
rally affect their price, when not more. ProoaD'y'
than twentieth part of the whole hnds market
in this country. Il is on the American pr0du-
Ger, therefore, that this tax must chiefly TALL
Sir, the duties upon imports are either paid oy
the consumer or they are not 1t they are paid
by him, have shown that the far greater portion
of the duties on the goods received IN exchange
for our cotton falls upon the planter, ard thai Tor
this he receives no remuneration whatever. IL
the duties are not paid by the consumer-that Is 10
say, if they are Nat added to the pricethen II Is
manifest that the whole amount OF duties tails up
on US without the possibility OF relieving our
selves from any part OF the burden. AS 10 the
popular notion that all consumers must pay equal
iy, will ask any gentleman to tell me how 1t IS
with those who consume the tar? Here is tax
Of sixteen millions imposed directly or indirectly
upon southern production. Fourteen millions OF
this amount are transferred to the north, aud there
consumed Are the consumers of these fourteen
millions taxed on their consumption paid as highly
as those who have paid the whole amount.
Sir. have done with this branch OF the subject.
Great as are the present evils of this system to
the south, there are greater still-in prospect
/ We are seriously threatened with the entire loss
of the foreign markets for our productions. All
trade is but an exchange Of equivalents, and is
| founded on the maxim OF "gve and take" Ii
YOU exclude British goods from our markets.
you, in effect, exclude our cotton from their mar.
kets. It's vain to tell US that England must
have our cotton. You may force her to do with.
out it. Even now she supplies herself, toa great
extent, from other countries; from her East India
possessions, Egypt, Brazil, and elsewhere; and
YOU will make It her interest, III the end, tQ give
up the American trade entirely. Even now she
is looking to this as possible event. You lind
her encouraging the production of cotton IN the
East Indies, by discriminating duty to which
you have forced her, and stimulating the produc-
ton of the article in South America, where she is
furnished with 6ohrket for her manufactures. al
most duty free. Can we, then, be blind to the
fate that awaits US when the American System
shall be consunmated, and we shall be cut off
from market for seven hundred thousand bales
of our cotton; an event that, it is hardly neccssa.
nv for me to say, would involve the whole south
in irretrievabe ruin. 1t is idle Err gentlemen to
pretend that the north can ever furnish home
market for all the cotton of the south. Two or
three hundred thousand bales Is the utmost extent
| TO which we could find a market in that quarter
The catalogue of the evils of this system, howev-
err. is not vet completed. 1t Is not merely the
mischief 1t has done, and the still greater evils
which il threatens, but it has arrested our march
to greatness, and prevented US from fulfilling our
high destines. What would nave been the con-
ditiun of this country now, If we had never been
deprived of the blessings of free trade? Why Is
il that our tonnage and our exports have not
grown with our growth, and strengthened with our
strength? 1t is because our prosperity has been
blasted by the restrictive system. Look, Sir, at
this picture.
In 1910, with population of seven millions,
we had tonnage of one million four hundred
thousand. In 1881, with population OF thir
teen millions, our tonnage is reduced to one mil.
lion two hundred thousand; and, going still fur.
Their back, IN the year 1900. our exports amount
ed to eighty -one millions, while now. with po-
pulation Of thirteen millions, our exports are re-
duced to seventy-two millions. Thus, while our
population has increased nearly three-foId, our
foreign commerce has not advanced at all. Sir,
if Washiugton's free trade system had continued
unto this day, (for, be it remembered, that Alex
ander Hamiton's protecting system was essen
tally system Of free trade, imposing duties on
lv of from five to seven and an half per cent. y
can it be doubted that we should now have
had tonnage OF two millions and half, and
that our exports would have amounted to one
hundred and fifty millions. am told that one
of the ablest finaneie,s in this country, has re-
Gently declared that he should consider an ave-
RAGE duty of twelve or fifteen per centum al Ca-
loren. as abundanty sufficient for all the purpos-
es OF revenue; and that, under such system,
our imports and exports would, in his opinion.
exceed an hundred millions of dollars the very
first year. know, Mr. President, that it has
sometimes been said, that the evils under which
the south is suffering arise from the over produc-
ton of cotton; but this is not SO. Cotton is an
article, the production Of which cannot be over.
done. 1t is the cheapest of all known raw mate
rails. 1t is fast superseding silk. wool, hemp,
and flax, all over the world. As proof Of this,
will advert to the fact. that, during period, in
England, when her woollen manufactures ad-
vanced from 6Se millions Of pounds sterling to
six, the cotton manufactures progressed from one
million to more than thirty. Ii you would take
of YOUR duties, and throw open to us the mar.