Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-09-09

h;oher prices. Or, have they given themselves tbe
east trouble ascertain whether The DINER portions
,hp community could afford to give them higher =
WI; ,ny one pretend that lie has? can say, as TO the
interest with which | an individually connected,
In ve heard Of no such inquiry; and can add turther
from nv own experience, land fearlessiy appear 10
eyery laner the chamber 10 confirm my statementJ
thai the grea, cotton growing interest cannot AFFORD 10
give higher prices for lis supplies As much as the
manufacturing interest embarrassed, IT 10 not more
so than the growing interest," and rs moderate Us
NAV be the profit of the ONE It cannot be more m"de
a,e than that of the other. ask those who represent
he other great agricultural staples-I ask the great
provision nteres, Of the West, the navigating, the COM
mercia and, finally the great mechanical and handcrail
interests-f they have been asked whether they can
afford to give higher prices for their supplies! And II
SO, what WAS their answer:
If. then, no such examination has been made-what
has been done , Those who have asked for aid have
been permitted TO fix the amount according 10 Their
own cupidity-and this bill has fixed The assessment on
the other interests of the community, without con-
sutinp them with all the provisions necessary for ex
or,ne the amount in the promptest manner. Govern
me mt is to descend from lis high appointed duty, and
become the agent of portion oil the community 10
exto under the guise of protection tribute from the
resi- of the nity-and thus defeat the end oil It's
institution, by perverting powers intended Tor the pro-
lection of all, into the means OF expressing one Por-
ton for the benefit of another.
But there never yet has been devised scheme OF
empty'ng the pockets OF one portion OF the community
those Of the other however unjust or oppressive,
for which plausible could not be found and few
have been so prolific of SUCH that under considera
ton Among them, one of the most plausible is, that
the competition which is asked 10 be excluded is that
of foreigners. The competition is represented to be
between home and foreign industry; aud he who op'
poses what is asked, is held up friend TO oreIgn
and the enemy to home industry, and is regarded as
very little short Of being traitor to his country take
issue on the fact. deny that there is, or can be,
my competition between home and foreign industry
but through the latter and assert that the real oomPe
tton, in all cases, and must lie, between one ornnch
of home industry and another. To make good the pc
sition taken, | rely on simple fact which none will
deny-that imports received in exchange ior ex
ports From that, it follows, if there be no export
trade there will be import trade; and that To cut OH
the ports is 10 cut off the imports. 1T IS, then, not
the imports, but the exports which are exchanged tor
them and without which they would not be introduced
at ALL that causes in reality the competition 1t mat
es not how low the wages of other countries may be-
and how cheap their productions if we have exports
they cannot compete with ours.
The real competition then is, with that industry
which produces the articles for export and which pur
chases them and carries them abroad, and brings back
the imported articles in exchange for them and The
real complaint s that those employed can fnrnish The
market cheaper than those can who manufacture ar-
Giles similar with those imported and what, IN truth
asked is that this cheaper process OF supplying The
market should be taxed, by imposing high duties on
the importation Of the articles received in exchange for
those xported in order 10 give the deaer monopoly
so that may sell its products for higher prices is
fact warfare on the part ofthe manufacturing industry
and those which associated with it against the export
industry of the commonly, and those associated with
it. Now | ask, what is that export industry? What
is the amount produced by whom produced and
The number Of persons connected with IT, compared
with those who ask monopoly against it, The annu-
al domestic exports of the country may be put down,
even in the present embarrassed condition OF the coun
try at one hundred and ten millions Of dollars, valued
at our own ports. 1t is drawn from the forest, The
ocean, and the soil, except about ten millions Of do
mestic manufactures and is the product of that vast
mass of industry engaged in the various branches
of The lumber business, the fisheries, in raising grain
and stock, producing the great agricultural staples,
rice, cotton, and tobacco in purchasing and ship
ping abroad these various products, and exchang
ing and bringing home in return, the products oil
other countries with all the associated industry neces
sary to keep this vast machinery in moon-the ship
builder the sailor, and the hundreds of thousands OF
mechanics, including manufacturers themselves, and
others who furnish the various necessary supplies for
that purpose. 1t is difficult to estimate with precision
the number employed, directly indirectly, in keep
ing in motion the machinery, Of which great
commercial cities, and numerous ships which whten
the ocean, are but small part. careful examination
OF the Of the statistics accompanying the census
would afford probable estimate; and the faith of
such examination made by friend, feel myself war
ranied in saying that il exceeds those employed in ma
nufacturng with the associated industry necessary to
furnish them wi b supplies in proportion of at least ten
to II is probably much greater.
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