Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-11-30
MISCELLANY


MI~sCELLaan4SIcL cagsnl
(Prom le PahadePsp EsoLasD, OR FREE
THE UNITED SrATtsAta late public meeting IN
TRADE AND MoSoroLakers, just then returned iron,
Liverpool, one osth:scsented a graphic description OF
the United Stately in the two countries, SO ir as
the states OF athem. He told his hearers that IN
he had obssean who could do nothing but dig conio
the Wesia.r and a half per day, and obtain board ana
earn . for two dollurs and a half per week. Inc
lodsy; profit, six dollars and a half, must have APP
cred quite liberal to some OF his suffering hearers
Who are compelled to maintain families upon twenty
five cents daily. After contrasting the price OF Hour
10 New Orleans, l6 shilliDgs, or 81, with The price IN
Liverpool, 80 s%h,llings, or 80 -, he introduces ms
hearers to the manufactures OF Lowell mere ne
found n city of -, 600 Inhabitants, not IN existence NJ
.een vears since. Here he saw capital invested IN
mills, amounting TO Sl0,000,O00 Here he saw Tue
female Operatives" turn out, and could not Distinguish
Them from ssyoung ladies" in England; Tor among 'ne,,
other personal arrangements, "t5ey carried Paraso's.
He found their wages TO be from s? 30 to 81 Oh per
week. clear of board and lodging. He arrived IN LII.
verpooi on the twelfth day after leaving Boston; ana
the FIRST sight which he saw in Liverpool "was d wo'
man picking up dong IN the streets.
uosed TO investigate, and to trace effects TO causes, u
speaks volumes. .3mericaa women who labor WIN
tbeir hands for subsistence, ssdress like young ladies'
and English women, who labor with Their hands lot
subsistence, ''pich up dung IN the streets: iaa s,s
traveller talked with any Of these American "opera-
lives" O. addresses, he would have found that they no'
only dressed like syoung ladies. but had the OPINIONS,
principles, sentiments, feelings, and accomplishments
nj uyounr ladies'" lie would have found that IN the
virtues which dignity the human character, and the de-
ncacies and reGnemenis which adorn the female char
acter. they were superior to the wives and Daughters
of half The ~"nohili,y and gentry OF his own country
And did he find an .lmertcan woman, a nattrs Amer.
can. upickinr M dung in the streets in any part OF
the United States Mo- Such 4 sight lag never
been seen. He may travel over the Whole country Tor
wears, wi,hou, finding 4 single American wniie wo-
man engaged in any employment, which, Tor It's Sc
verify or other unpleasant characteristics, IS more aP'
uropr;ate to the r0uGh6r sex. We admit that IN the
Slave S.a,es he will find African women engaged
in field lators i, and in the free States he will some
times fad foreign women engaged IN lahnrs which
American women would rcpudia,e. But, while tho-
roughly opposed 10 slavery in principle and details,
we may say, in mere justice to Shareholders, that JUS.
tice which we will deny 10 none, that these very Held
working female slaves are better fed, better clothed and
hetter lodged, than muititudes of stree operatives IN
ENGLISH manufactures, or "lree cultivators on irish
estates. And Of the foreign women occasionally seen
among us in the emHloymcn!s OF men, We may cay that
.hey have not get rel,aluisled the habits ofthelr native
countries, and that their foreign husbands aud fathers
have not yet learned that respect i"T iroman which IS a
distinguishing, 4 noble, a beautiful trait ct American
character, aud which is displayed, among other modes,
In shielding them from labors inappropriate 10 their
scx. But W, lie one English traveller found no womaa
in our country engaged IN "pickiag up dung IN the
.,reets," we are equally confident that he found no !e-
male Operatives" IN the English mills or Oh tile irisl
estates, "dresscd like young ladies' Ihne ne c'uia
find nothing but toll and privation and suffering IN 'h'
Cooperative" and overgto~n wealth and as'at'e luxury
in the employer.
Such is the difference. What are its cunses' High
tariffs for protection, paper money, and enormous
taxo,ion; the very evils which English brokers and their
American agents would impose upon this county,
The wealthy propr,et"rs OF manufacturing corporations
insist that high tariffs project labor. Then why IS Ia
Dor 80 badly rewarded in England, where tariffs are
higher than in any other country, and where The OBJ
,ect of government for centuries has been to force ma
nuGacturins, If the assertion be true, protection ought
10 producc the greatest degree Of such result where
il Is most extensively furnished. But these poiiucal
economists are wrong. High tariffs protect employers
hut ultimately injure laborers. They give great profits
10 manufacturing, tempt capitalists into II, found cor
po,a,ions or associations Of wealth, and make the bust
ness of manufacturing the monopoly of the few. a.
the commencement Of the system, labor IS well paid, be
cause It IS scarce. Bn, a. the system advances, all nve.
grown population OF ''mere operatives, IS created
which is entirely at the mercy Of the employers, u
the latter combine to reduce wages, The only remedy
at the former is a combination 10 strike. And who can
hold out longes, in ,his contest The wealthy owners,
who can live upon thar resources while their mills are
stoDped. or The ponr Operatives, who depend on daily
Toll for aaitg bread, Besides, if the iaes are made
lay the wealthy employers, as they always have hern
in England, and sometimes IN this country, they
can punish The combinations Of the ponr, but au'
,iorize those Of the rich. If any one of these sugges
tions be denied, We refer Tor plenary proof TO England,
where the system is in full operation, and where il
has created a population of nabnbs and slaves. But we
shall be told that our manufactures cannot flourish
without kicA protection. Then let them perish, soon.
or than reduce US 10 The condition of England, where
,he extremes Of luxury and privation are in CONT
nual contact. but We deny the position. Have
nnr manufactures declined since the compromise
They are now more extensive than ever, and our mer-
chants can send them 10 foreign markets in successful
competition against these Of England, which are fur.
nished with counterfeit american marks as a measure
uf protection. Besides, we can refer TO some Of The
oldest manufacturers Of Massachusetts,, who always
protested against higher tariff than that oflSl5. They
ioresaw the misch,efs Of high tariffs. They saw tina,
high tariffs wonld create c~ompan;e. without capital,
who would establish banks TO procure capital, which
would enhance all prices, and produce cver;rsdiog
'rbey knew that without protection and paper expan.
-on. thew could conduct a profitable business in manu-
,ac,nr,ng. Were they right Let the history of,l'e
las, twenty-five years answer the question!
nu, besides high tariffs as a fertile cause of English
misery. We may mention paper money. In no eonn,
Try, excepting our own, has the paper system endured
longer and been pushed farther, than in England. IL
has occasionally wrought ito mIschiefs in Russia and
Austria; but in England, where individual enterprise
ia less restrained by law than in these two despotisms,
il. has produced Q psao,iSa! ~ds'Poiism Of gigantic and