Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-02-02


and born alone to consume whit honest industry pro-
Dues We do not, indeed, admire the nooe OF Na'ue
less because he is noble also, according 10 te eoNe
tona forms Of the society in winch he ives Dut We
o, mace the common herd of those, whose ribbon IS
L;r col. Distinction in comparison with the husband
man who ,nnrles with the SOL the sweat OF HIS hohesl
brow or with the artizan, whose shop rcsonnus WIN
n,,lements of his trade; with the merchant, whose
.ooacious mind is planning the distant voyage or win
,be bardy seaman whose gallant vessel braves The tenn
nest, and returns from foreign lands, freghed with all
that can delight comfort man. The motto OF Inc
ancient baron is our motto: "Vrtus sola nobilitat -
Virtue alone is true nobility. Utility gives the truest
title to it.
Fortune in men has small difference made'
One tiaunls in rags, one iutters IN broeade;
A wits a feather and a chiefs a rod
An honest mans tile nobles work Of ,'od. =, - -, :.
And in what niche, Vt may DC ASKED WIN you p'.ss
the LAWYERS and the DOCTORS and the JUDGES ano 'he
LEGISLATORS in the great fabric of society WIN you
nardon me if say that if they arc what they ought u
ha tbey should be looked upon the ornaments which
furnish the INTERIOR OF the proyident directors VII"
minister within its walls. They were once sci down
BY political economists nonproductve aooers. But
none are such who ,rork provided their WORK he use
ful. The housewife who dresses ,ne poushl'aH y
daily meal is as much productive laborer as he for
sba does that for him which he would otherwise be COM
,elled to do for HIMSELF and even the little slave who
nurses her infant child productive laborer too since
!, enables her TO proceed without interruption IN the
performance Of the necessary duties of her household
e. too is i, with the classes who seem to produce
nothing Yet they are necessary parts in the great
fabric they are essential wheels in the mechanism OF
society without which it never could fulfil its destined
nurpose They enable others to perform more efficient
ly the duties OF producuon ana III SO lar ney are Po
ducers themselves.
To return, however, from this DEPRESSION. OF the
immense Importance of all the different employments
of industry 10 each other it neither be interesting
or necessary 10 this assembly TO speak IN detail we
all know that the farmer and the planter must look to
the artisan for his plough to the tailor for his clothes,
and to the merchant for his numerous comforts and
that those in turn, must look TO him for Bread the sta
Of life and for all the other products OF his care ana
industry But it may not be amiss, by single state
ment to shew the wide and extended influence OF COM
merce upon The industry, the prosperity and the COM
forts of country During the past year the Exports
from the United States Of articles OF domestic origin has
exceeded one hundred and thirteen millions OF dollars
that is to say the producers have had on hand super
fluffy TO that amount, Of the articles OF their own
production Moreover, have imported one hundred
and four millions in value of foreign articles that 10
say, our producers have purchased from abroad more
than one hundred millions worth o articles oil comfort
and necessity which they could not produce themselves
And this is the work of commerce. But for her, the
3 millions would have rotted on our hands, and the
industry of the producers would have received fatal
check since they could have motive for the pro-
ducton second time Of SURPRISES which they could not
So, too, but for her the 100000 QUO imported would
reached Shores and the OF corn
and tobacco and cotton and bread stus, would have
been driven from the plough to the loom and the work
shop get at higher cost more Indifferent articles Tor
use and for consumption. And alter all how lar would
all their efforts have fallen short of the grand effects OF
one commercial operation. Where would be the little
comforts and uxures, which in the humble cottage
have now become articles Of necessity Where the tea
and coffee Of the poor man, the wines and the dantes
of the rich the nRepenny calico that furnishes de-
cent out-dress for tue umblest, and the silks, and
sa,ns and laces and plumes and jewels Of the wealthy
fair? Where would they be- Commerce alone can
give them You carry her trumphs about your person;
the fruits of her labor in your habtatlons. Your
ornaments of gold from Peru your coat IS from the
looms of France Of England your vest is from Ly
ons and your penknife from Sheffield; your watch
from London, and your table from Honduras; your
knives and forks from Birmingham your china from
Canton, and your carpets from Saxony or Turkey. In
vain without the aid of trade might you attempt TO pro-
duce the delicate fruits Of the ropic the hand,
or the furs of the arctic the other To man, would
seem to he denied TO fight with nature, or to strive
against the differences Of climate But Commerce ac-
composites this; and while the fruits OF the tro-
pics are found the tables Of ST. Petersburg, the uxu
rious nhabitant Of Cuba or Jamaica reposes beneath
his vertical sum- and coos his wine and his shebet with
the grateful ices of Newfoundland or Labrador.
But what after all is most important, IS, that while
she thus adds TO comforts and supplies our wants,
she is rapidly adding to the wealth and resources oil
our country Every voyage fills her Golfers with It's
profits and new capital brought into action for
newed announcement to other branch of indur
trv Population, too, ionrshes where plenty smiles:
uncultivated forests snbducd by the hands oil the
sturdy husbandman, who sure and abundant re-
ward for his toll: and the anvil and the workshop re-
sound under the influence of the fresh spring which IS
given TO every occupation by an active commerce.
Then, too brave marine is formed; the hardy sea-
man is trained the dangers Of the sea, and fitted to
become his country "s,ay, in day and hour OF dan
GER; and every ton that's added TO our Shipping Tor
peaceful trade adds the number OF the gallant taTs
who in the event of war, will bear aot the stripes
and stars triumphantly 'hrough the battle and the
breeze"
Nor in the estimate we form Of the products Of an
active commerce. must forget, that TO the ll3UOO,
600 of exports are to be added the of transportation
which form part Of the price in the foreign market,
constituting the shipowners profit, and clear gam to
the wealth Of the nation Besides thus, as the mer-
chant cannot afford 10 buy aud sell without las profits,
which are also paid by The foreign consumer pey form
of course another item in the nation gains lon who
are merchants can conjecture TO what the 600
will amount when these additions have been made Inc
excess will be the measure OF that which commerce
has actually Produced and the aggregate the true value
of our export trade. But commerce is not content
with these avals. There is one branch Of commercial
industry in which the capital is comparatively nsigni-
can't and the gains immense. speak OF the fisheries
whaler goes TO freigh,ed only with stout hearts
and fishing tackle and provisions for her voyage, and
she returns with cargo of oil worth hundreds OF thou
sands Of dollars This is much plucked up from the
deem 1t is the entire product of skill and labor and
daring enterprise. II is product that distributes itself
throughout society The lamps which gives us this light
we owe 10 the intrepid waler and the capitalist who
furnishes it has been ingeniously called great lamp
lighter "le trims the lamp Of the coager, and lights
up the saloons Of the gay, or lends his solitary taper to
the thought worn student, who is out watching the
northern bear over some ancient volume"
IL the influence of commerce can be traced in the in
creased prosperity aud strength of the body polite, is
scarcely less conspicuous in It's effect upon manners,
and in lis congenia spirit with free institutions lis
tendency to refine and cvillze has been universally
knowledged. The aspertes of nation are broken
down by INSTRUMENTATION with others, and improve
ments in the manners and customs Of society i'm
ported and introduced, just the cut of coat, or the
fashion of ladys dress So Of literature and the
discoveries in the sciences, and Improvements in the
mechanical arts, and the new inventions in machinery
which astonish the world and form in its his
tory: al-all, are disseminated wherever commerce
pu ncs tier adventurous steps.