Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-11-29

ton, which ~ peculiarly the product OF South
ern industry. the enormous increase of our exports
will be placed in yet more striking light This arti-
Gle not even cultivated IN tho United States I'M
I'll about the year 1890 hut in years afterwards
the crop estimated nj - millions of pounds in
1910 at rs millions. in lseo, AT 100 millions, in
1870 AT $50 millions, and the present dav II may
be taifly computed 10 exceed 500 millions ofpounds
In the year 1880, after supplying the large domestic
demand, the exports OF cotton to foreign countries
amounts TO near 30 millions OF dollars aud in the
year 1884 to the astonishing sum OF so millions .
Thus is exhibited the singular anomaly of a roun.
Il, losing the command of IT'S import trade IA il re
ally improves ~ lis capacity To control H. rhr cx-
tent Of this decline, the Committee now p,oposr To
consider. Ii is well known fact. that before the
establishment OF the present government oihc United
States. the imports OF Virginia largely exceeded
those ofnny other State, being At Que period nearly
five times greater than those OF New York and ,ycn
more dian the aggregate OF the whole New England
States. The address OF the second Commercial
Convention At Augusta. quoting from writer in the
Richmond Wing, states the value OF the imports of
Virginia in 200 nj Gs5l ii 10 sterlinr-New ENGLAND
States SOL ,00o-N. York, $50 OOO-Pcnns,lyapia.
400 600. and 5. Carolina, 555, 900
The Committee deem It unnecessary 10 exhibit,
the successive stages oi dcteriotaton IN the imports
OF Virginia and tho other southern States | -, il
suffice, to invite attention 10 tho contrast now pre-
scented, IN the condition oil our impolt trade n, the
last named period when its val nc was near five times
greater dian that of New York and is p,cscn,
state ofcomparai,e nothingncss, when Ills 90 times
less.
II is due TO candour, and TO the character of the
Southern people Tor energy and intelligence, to
STATE thai the decline of considerable portion of
our foreign import trade, may be accounted Tor IN
the fact, that we now derive from the Northern
States. many of those articles. that formerly i'm
ported from abroad At no very remote period, we
were dependent upon Great Britain for even such
wares aud fabrics now often manufactured in
our own honsehotds and il not unliequently hap
pencd that orders were sent abroad Tor bucks and
other rails for constructing our very dwellings,
While we vet stood in the relation Of colonies To
Great Britain tho hard policy OF the mother country
represscd all our cndeavors To establish mhnuaoto-
RES of even the simplest articles, aud III some cases
visited with severe penalties ihosc who embarked IN
Certain prohibned emplo,menis. II is known that
this rigorous system OF colonial oppression was
fruitful source Of those dssentions. which resulted
in the establishment of onr national lndcpendsnce.-
hat some idea may be formed Of the extent oi the
imroualions into Virginia OF those articles thai are
now chiefly produced by the domestic industry OF
the country, the Committee present the following
statements, compiled bv well known writer several
wears before the American Revolution. " The poo
ole Ict virginia. may amount 10 about five hun
dred thousand, which may reasonably he supposedto
bring no small advantage In Their mother county
as from hence they a,c all supplied WITH ALL riiI
NrcrssARIEs or tlfE, such MS hnen silks, India
goods wine and other foreign manufactures, and OF
our home ones, cloths, seaes, suis, bays, bats aud
all sorts ohabcrdashtry ware, hoes, bills axes nas'
ADDE'S, and other non tools, clothes ready made,
knives, biscuit four, stockings, shoes, caps for ser
wants and inaced almost crerY hing that IS made
IN England 10 The amount 81 near 200. 0uOf stcr
hng which is repaid mostly IN tobacco, ol winch IT
is supposed by the incest caloua,o,s that near one
hundred thousand hopsheads are in time OF peace,
imported yearly. employing befueen Mfee d"d lou
hHndrcd sliips uavigaIed by upwards of iouI thou
sand sailors - ~ yndham BedrcS.-FIom the de
tails gwen by the same Authority, of the trade OF
the New England States, II viii be seen that they
were themselves dependent upon the mother eoun-
try at that that me, FOR those wares, Which hey ucw
supply in considerable quantities to others. lie
saws 'Nley take from hrnce all lands oil mercery
goods lHn, stockings, shoes, sail cloth, coldagc
haberdashtA ware, and vast many other things
The loss m.a portion Of our foreign imports IS
thus sufficiently iotln hesnhsttntion oi
nearer and moie convenient source Of supply such
a diversion Of our trade is $40 proper subject al re-
efet On the contrary, II furnishes, both to the
manufacturing aud TO the staple States, occasion Tor
mutual rejoicing. 1t is therefore, IN no spnt o
complaint, that refer 10 II as one OF tie causes
OF the dininutlon Of our leieisn impotts: hut
merely To show that IL has not been overlook
ed By the COMMITTEE, aud that due allowance
has been made for It's operalion IN producing the de-
cline Of our foreign trade. Did we receive from me
Northern States onl such merchandise as is Tie
product of their own industry, we should be con
strained 10 admit that the evils which we complain
Of our foreign imports was but the evidence OF the su
perior advantages OF The domestic trade But when II
is rccollected that tie large imporiaions made mt
then norris are designed supply not merely ihen
own consumption, but that OF The Southern people
also it can scarcely lie contcnded, that the present
f oor commerce arises only from the cause
alluded to.
AS to The causes which have had the most power
Incorporation in producing the injurious results
whchthe CommiItetekave noticed, much difference
,iuUS
of the Unired States the Tariff, have been attacked
and defended turn by then respective opponents
aud advocates, as the agents of mischief or The fruit
full source Of good. Unfortunately, these measures
fhr last two al least) afe nearly connected with
the party preferences oflhe present day, TO receive
that tlispassionate examination which would be ne
cessary to determine how far their agency had ope-
rated for good or for evil, upon the if9rsAs Of
Southern commerce. 1t is the less neaifQ eNdeed
10 enter upon such inquiry, as IT'S successful re-
suit however might CRAFTY IN enlightened curiosity
could lead to few consequences OF practical IA
ture The Bank no longer exists, and The protec-
live uollcy IS believed TO have becn abandonei.A
Whatever may have been their effects, they \atc
now ceased to operate on if they still felt they
can be neither checked promoted by solution
of the question whether the decline OF our iofeiSn
trade was in anywise attributable 10 them.
There is however, cause oil tins decline, which
the Committee, cannot omit TO notice. believing that
knowledge Of lis operation may be useiul'n seisug-
oes,inr It's appropriate remedy They aliude 10 the
withdrawal of British Capital invested IN commerce
in This and the other Southern States anterior to
tie Revolution. The business oil the colonies was
conducted for the most part. by the agents OF Brit
ish Capitalists; and even the resident merchants
were chiefly foreigners. whose means were supplied
eptlp 10 rpy a n inn