The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-05

brought from Buenos Ayres and other countries
to enter into this business are paid for in Anne
rican -four or other productions of our soil, and
that both are transported in American ships ;
and that the vast quantity of the manufactured
articles constantly in transltu, along our coast,
and upon our inland rivers and railroads are
conveyed by American carriers, employing
American capital that beside the forty thou
sand persons first enumerated, all those IN
directly employed in furnishing the means to
feed, cothe and instruct this vast number, with
their dependents, all relying for their occupa-
tons and means whereby to live, upon the hum
BILE sleather business" we shall not only be able
to form distinct and clear perception of the
importance of this branch of industry, as a
national concern, but also of that harmonious
connection between those three vital interests,
agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, to
which we alluded in the outset. Let the man
who loves his whole country, and who doubts
the propriety of affording incidental protection
to our manufactures, go with us in imagination
to the little county of Essex, in which, in 1910,
were manufactured boots and shoes to the
amount Of $780, 1892. He sees nothing like
the crowded, unwholesome, stihed streets and
lanes of the manufacturing cities of the Euro
pean countries, though he will find whole COM
Wide streets, skirted with neatly painted and
moderate sized houses-each with its garden
ground land its tasteful though humble ornaments:
within each of these, health and contentment
resides, in close alliance with industry and fru-
gali'y; every member of each household, who
is old enough to labor, is engaged cheerfully in
some of the labors of shoemaking; the little
girl is plying her nimble fingers, binding ady's
slipper, while her childish voice is heard carol
ling song in the intervals of the ratetat-tat of
her fathers hammer upon the lap-stone. He is
the owner of the house and lot on which he re-
sides, and has an interest in the soil, as well as
adeep-seated and intelligent love of his country.
He will not tell you that he is citizen of Mas
sachusetts, when you ask him of his country !;
he is an American, proud of the distinction, and
ready with his whole strength to do battle, even
to the death, for her rights, whenever she is as
sailed, without inquring where.
Now who is there of us who would deny to
that man and his family such laws as shall Sc
cure to him and them the just and adequate
reward of the labor of their hands, md the mod
crate independence which should ultimately
place them beyond the reach or danger of wanl7
Who would willingly see the wages of such a
class of the Inhabitants of our beloved country
and, necessarily, their condition and character
also-reduced to the standard of the miserable
beings described by Mr.. Lester, in his recent
work, as comprising the bulk Of the operatives
of England? But this cannot be: they may
be forced to relinquish their busness-and it IS
possible that our shoes might be furnished us by
the pauper labor of England at few cents a
pair cheaper than now-but the American me-
chanic will submit to no such degradation. He
would be forced 10 fee to the cultivation of the
soil by a horizontal tariff Of 20 per cent, and in
his new pursuit he would be joined by the vari-
Gus other classes dependent upon his labors, and
from consumer would become producer to
the extent Of his own wants but who will buy
that surplus Of flour, pork, wool and cotton, for
mer]y required to sustain the $4,000 shoemakers
and those dependent on them?
We do not believe that a man in Congress
would willingly produce such state Of things (;
but yet there are many who, in the heat of ex-
cited jealousy, and misled by false reasonings,
advocate doctrines which in their application
would inevitably lead to these results