Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-14

indigo that was once raised an South Carone. Blu,
mere was great trade here in cotton produced in
: anoIa ana manufactured there, yielding, perhaps,
greater profit than any such business now. A
great change has taken place SINCE the cotton being
now produced in our Southern States. aud chiefly
manufactured nj IN" North. IL lisa curious fact that
TINS change has been brought about by inventions,
for which the South is principally indebted to others
First came the cotton gir, the invention of a
Northern man. Without this, rs you well know il
would be impossbe to prepare the presen, crop for
MAJ ket Then came the invention OF the power loom
and other improvements in machn' v, which reduc
Cd the cost OF manufacture low that manual Ia Dor
cheap Ne II Is in India, completely outdorc, and
We are enabled to send back that reg on and OH.
sr quarters of the world millions of yards of cloth
mace from our Southern cotton, and thus extend
the cultivation OF it.
"lt is supposed by some that the Improvements
IN machinery which have led TO this due al
| most entirely To English invention. II you investi
gate this subject yoI will hnd that since the atten
ton of our Northern States turnsd TO minutsc.
lures, n full share Of these inventions has been
produced 6v them; some of the most important OF
them almost simul,an souSly with those in England.
The result of them all is, that cotton cloth is now
| made and sold for considerably less than it cost
| twenty-five years ago merely 10 weave n. Take
Tor instance, the cotton sheeriug or the drilling
used Tor trowsers: used TO cost cents per ward
tnr the weaving alone, is sold freely at or
! cents, leaving, At that price moderate profit
over all cost bolh for the mate a aud mInufsctu
| "One great advantage dat has resulted To the
whole country from the share which the people at
the Nnrth have taken IN producing those changes is
that the United States hsyc lad the immediate be ne
| fit OF these inventions. Had the manufacture been
foreign, the advantages would have been made 10
turn Tor long time solely 10 foreign account, by
that k'rd OF exclusive monopoly which foreign CO p
ailS's know how TO secure IN distant markets Onr
people not "ny engage IN rivalry with the foreigner
but with each other. Whi'o they quietly pursue
heir own interest they are IN iict epgaged IN a
struggle that tends chiefly promote the interes, of
he consumed on the sreat principle Of competition
chat they who furnish the bsSt article at the least
ccs are 20 reap what profit there is.
An impression seems TO be fixed al the South
and to cause great irritation, that # any high duty
be aid. as, for instance, ten cents yard Of cot.
ton cloth, the consumer must, of course, pay ten
cents ur more IN addition TO what the cloth Inyht
be had tor from abroad, merely to foster our manu-.
factories. IL Is by means SO. The course of
,hngs IS this. Without the high duty foreigners
WELDING an immense capital throw in large quan.
y OF goods To- be sold here heavy loss that they
nay break down any establishment in this country
hat comes IN competition with them When th,t |
object IS once effected, they seek TO remunera,e |
themselves for their losses and accumulate immense
yains 10y eHacting such prices as suit them. These
the consumer must pay.
But with a duty sufficiently hsh TO protect our
people against this deluEe from abroad that is in
ended 10 produce scarcity in the end they immc Ii
ltey engage IN competition with en- other and fur
nlsh the articles wanted about as cheap to the con
'uIser as the iorsIsnor could ever do and in many
instances cheaper.
at IS astonishing to what extern, this spirit of
competition is carried by the people OF this country.
What gigantic uUdcrta king is a RAJ! roadI To cut
through the hill and raise the vaes for an hundred
miles, so IS to make road almost on Il dead level,
with an iron rail on each side to suit the wheels
nat are to run upon II, somewhat like cabinet
work, seems To be work Tor q generation Yet
within ten years from the opening of the first mi
road for travellers IN this quarter there are two on
The routes from this city Of New York TO Boston
and two beyond there, Eastward; each keeping
The other IN check toc the benefit of travellers You
are 10 see similar contest in the roads LEADING !
& ON Charleston end Savannah. But the same spi.
ut Is not i1urd so active IN older countries IL has i
heCn carried to the extremes, however, among our
manufacturers. At least one third OF those who
we're led by the tariff 10 engage in making cloth
have been utterly ruined; and exact account
would probably shcw that one half have sunk their
whole capital once, before succeeding.
The principal factories Tor plain cotton cloth. Q
amounting 10 many millions of pItal, are now en-
gagged IN sharp rivalry, not 20 obtain s or 10 cents
per yard IN addition TO the cost, which supposed
10 be secured by the tariff at the expense of the
South, but TO get profit of one cent and half n
They trying TO which can best afford TO sell
At cents and three quarters, instead OF cents and
= half, which Is necessary for iar profit, yard Of
cloth which used, before the tariff 20 cost 20 cents u
and more. They are actually selling at less than
: cents \ cloth on which there is a duty OF more u
han cents! Foreigners could not furnish this =
10th iorthe same price, even II there were no tariff;
Tor we underScl them IN foreign markets where
here IS equal duty for oil. Inquire into the COS, oil
'Oihins for negroes, add you will find the same 10
je true of that and other articles
The South, therefore, are eXasperated upon | r.
nislake for nothing be more erroneous than IN. =
Del eff that because high duty is laid by law the
ull amount Of it is to be CO. ected Of course from
he consumer, and that the manufacturers are max.
NJ immense profits. The whole business of cot- -
on manufacture IN this country, taken on the aver
lge, has not been profitable. Most of the colnpa-
lies IND II difficult to earn per cent and keep
heir mills IN repair. II the result could have been
Oreseen, II would not have been thought best 10 |
UWluR FIfenNIVeIv IN ada
u duty. Now, great amount is involved IN this
interest and cannot be saved from destructive loss
"Ithout the kind Of protection that speak Of and =
Thch, really, costs nOthIng to the country
"Some people at he North early f,resay dancer
rom this source, and were opposed to any ncreuse
# tariff from the fret. To shew you that | do not
peak loosely IN this, allow me to mention an lhci.
lent which occurred ~ my presence, when MIR w. 81
sr, now President Of the United States went 10
BOSTON, as one OF Committee from the Senate 10 2
Famine the Branch OF the United States Bunk in
nat ulAcc. In cunvcrs.ng on the various interests
u different sections Of The States a remark of MS
ID some one 10 say-'Geuucmcn from the South 6
ave an impression That our FIRST sn, at the North
5, 10 draw some great Advantage from a high hrff
1 heir expense. IL IS not so. The Circumstance tc
probably forgotten now, but when the early
were made tor an increase OF duties v
arnnst twas forwarded to Washing Ia
m from Waltham, then the principal seat OF manu-
actureS in Massachuseus1
81 remember that TCm1nstrance psrfcriIv said
,ir Tyler and have often thought oft srce~
"The North, probably, wants little, ii any thing :
more, than what Is equal TO duty OF twenty per
cnt, levied hgreeaby to the compromise act They 1;
would Tx higher rate articles not of great :
Importance 10 the South, but take tf as much from 81
theirs, leaving the average the same. In the mid.
lie and western States they would want something ,
more on Iron hut the country, probably, would y
ose nothing by giving that ard Tor the present. y
"But, If you suppose that there Is any hing Oh.
sctIonab m this, let Us imagine the whole matter
committed to the management of the Southern
states, and the Tariff abolished. What would be
he result 10 themselves There our great interests
nay require s0ms aid from tariff. Cotton has been
protected by duty Of three cents pound, equal :
n one Of thirty or forty per cent on the value a
Even undcr this duty It has been brought in from =
Dsmerara, as return for exports, and used profit.
ibIy in making coarse s,uifs Texas is TO be d
hought Of Hercrop may probably 90 to England. e
Bot with duty under twenty per cent, which h
would generally he less than two cents a pound, e
hero is no saying what results might come from r
high uade there, N which their Cotton would be 7,
taken as a return for supplies from the North
"But the trade with ludu is ike the old bel OF ! u
river from which the stream has been diverted and
90 which it may return nj any violent disturbance =
rent. Idle MS u may 70 talk Of tho efforts that q
have lately been made by the English to improve D
the crop, the quantity has wonderfully increased ,
Il has risen at Bombay from 100000 bes TO u.s. Il
600. As 10 the quantity, ws know that VI o The :
hand loom was IN use, they sent excellent c5ti from
there. 1
"ln the year 1889, il was stated nm the floor oil
Congress y a member from South Carolina, that