Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-03-26
NO. g..

Dor tfrom some cause) on the side mat
makes il; but, as general rule, ii Will turn
out that protection, in most cases, IS a mere
lallacy, certainly so when its effects are an
artificial expansion of the currency. 90
far are high wages from being the evidence
of prosperity, in such cases, Or 10 iact'
whenever caused by high protectlon' hign
taxes, or any other artificial cause II -
the evidence Of the very reverse, ana al
ways indicates something wrong, and
tendency 10 arrangement and decay.
Having arrived at this conclusion
will now hazard The assertion, that III no
country on earth is labor, taking it all IN
all, more effective than ours and especial
ly in the Northern and Eastern portions:
W hat people can excel our Northern ana
New England brethren in skill, invenlion'
activity. energy, perseverance, and enter,
prise? In what portion Of the globe Will
you fnd position more favorable to Tree
lngress and egress, and facility OF inter-
course, external and internal, through the
broad limits Of our wide spread country
region surpassed by none, taking into con
sderation extent and fertility! Where Will
you find such an abundant supply ol nat
ural capital. the gift OF kind Providence;
lands cheap, plenty aud fertile; water pow,
er unlimited; and the supply OF iuel, ana
the most useful of metals iron, almost
without stint. 1t is true, in accumulated
capital, The fruits of past labor, through a
long succession Of ages, not equal to some
others countries, but even in that, lar from
being deficient, would be more than COM
pensa,ed by the absence of all restrictions.
and the lighlness of the burden imposed on
labor, should our Government, State anu
General, wisely avail itself Of the advan-
tases Of our situation. If these views be
correct, there is no country where labor,
if left 10 itself, free from restriction, would
be more effective, and where it would
command greater abundance of every
necessary and comfort, or higher wages;
and where, Of course, protection is less
needed. Instead of an advantage, it must,
in fact, prove anTmpediment. IL is high
time, then, that the shackles should be
thrown of industry, and its burden light
ened, as far as the just wants Of the Gov
erument may possibly admit. We lave
arrived at the manhood. of our vigor. O.
pen the way-remove all res,raints-take
off the swaddIing cloths that bound the
limbs Of infancy, and let The hardy, intel
ligent and entcrprising sons of New En-
gland, march forth fearlessly 10 meet the
world in competition, and she will prove,
in a few years, The successful rival of old
England. The foreign market once COM
manded, all conflicts between the differ
enl sections aud industry of the country
would cease. 1t is heter for US, and you,
that our cotton should 60 out in yarn and
goods, than in The raw state; and when
that is done, the interets Of all the parts Of
this great Confederacy--North, East.
South and West-wilh every variety Of
its pursuits, would be harmonized; but
not till then.
If The course Of policy l advocate be
wise, as applied 10 manufactures, how
much more slrckinsly so must it be when
TO the other TWO great interests Of that Sec
tiou, commerce and navis cation? I pass
the former. and shall conclude what in
tended to say on this point. with few re-
maks applicable 10 the latter. Naviga-
ton Il mean that employed in our foreign
tra,le,) is essentially our outside interest.
exposed TO The open competition of the
lowest wages, not only without protection,
but with heavy burdens on almost every
article that enters into the outfit, the rig
ging and construction OF our noble vessels,
the timber excepted. II, with such oner-
Gus burdens, it has met in successful III
valry, the navigation Of all other coun-
tries. What an impulse it would receive
if tho load that bears down its springs
were removed and what immense addi-
tions that increased impulse would give
not only 10 our wealth, but 10 the means
OF national influence and safety, where
only we can be felt, aud in the quarter
from which only external danger is 10 be-
apprehended!
have now, Mr.. President, concluded
what I proposed 10 say, when l rose 10
address the Senate. have limited nv
remarks to the prominent conseq uences,
in a pecuaiary and fiscal view, which
would result, should the scheme orassump-
ton be adopted. There are higher, and
still more important, consequences. which
have not attempted 10 trace: mean
the effects, morally and politically, as re-
sulting from those which have traced.
and presented to the Senate. This, l
hope, may be done by some other Sena-
Tor, in the course of the discussion. But
Ihave said ennush to show that The scheme
which these resolutions are Intended to
condemn, ought to be avoided as the most
fatal poison, and the most deadly pesti-
lence. 1t is, iu reality, but scheme of
plunder. Let blood be Tapped, and the
appetite will be Unsuitable.
But the States are deeply in debt, and
it may be asked, what shall be done j.? !.
know that they are in debt-deeply in
debt. l deplore it. Yes, in debt, I am
not afraid TO assert it, in many instances.
for the most idle projects, got UP and pur-