Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-01
"AN ELOQUENT RECORD"

/, "a understood that Judge John F. May IS Inc au
thor of the petition presented to the late farm meeting
IN Petersburg, praying tor discriminating uu.'e IT,
IN eve TO the protection of "Anerican industry Inc
p,ersburo Statesman meets the arguments contained
, he peution b. 4 .'remonstrance ngainstsn increase
If duties on imports, put forth by me''ine ., ',e
c,r zens of Petersburg in 800 at Inch Jndge jam
Ma, acted as Secretary The Statesman does not know
q, bo was the author Of the circumstance nut lis
sentiments were of course endorsed ny the oeciela'y
| ~ the meeting; and we think Judge May VIII no"
find some little difficulty in answering the arguments
recorded and approved BY Secretary May, some twenty
wears ago. We present the following extracts ifo' ''e
Sa'u"O'' ' fLuaehburg Republican.
"The idea of forcing people TO manufacture among
themselves articles which they can purchase ABROAD u
much lower price than they can produce them al
Iomc we conceive to be equally repugnant 10 Jnslce,
80 n,l;cv and 10 the principles of our Constitution
Snrb scheme can be carried into effect only oy TAX
mo the many for the emolunent OF The lew; oy forcing
multi,udes from the occupations TO winch they nave
been bred aud in which they thrive, TO eSpehu .nen
labor and risk their capitals IN proJec's wnele hey
have neither knowledge nor experience 10 guoe lhei'
The movers necessary to execute such measures we
consider as too despoc 10 have been delegated oy 'he
American people TO their government, ana such Us we
cannot suspect representatives OF wishing 70 as
sumo by the nstrumentalty OF inference or consfuc-
ton. - -
g The doctrine incucated by the friends OF the
prohiborv SYSTEM that nation, TO accumulate wealth.
by commerce. must import less than IT exports, -
certainly erroneous. Capital exchanged Tor more
valuable consideration, is not lost that the importer
rains we must presume since he desires the exchange
that the consumer gains, there can be no douo''
go LONG as he can procure the necessarIes at less
expense from the importing merchant IMAM rom "'e
home manufacturer few great capitalists only are
dsapponted On the WHOLE II appears 10 US mat inc
produc of exports cannot in any way be SO proha'
| bly invested in the form OF imports
| ,d of a trade fully dem0nSIra-
ted in the commercial history OF the nations OF Europe,
from the unexampled prosperity OF the Hanse owns,
under the niufnc of unrestricted system OF conf
MERGE TO the commercial ruin OF Great Britain, unoer
the most complete prohlbtory system That mas ever
| been devised.
ain the history of this latter nation, we learn, too,
that manufactures cannot be always forced tor, with
all her industry, perseverance, and ingenuity there are
certain manufactures she has not been able TO force TO
sufficient perfection to support themselves We learn
olso that those branches of commerce, fisheries, &c
with which her Legislature has interierrd the most
have generally been unproduclve ana mat nearly IN
the proportion OF the fostering care extended 10 them
and we learn sill instructive lesson, that M
ton may become so deeply involved in the protective
system, as to be unable to extricate herself, though
aware Of the ruin TO which 1t leads.
"The obvious tendency of this system is TO destroy
foreign commerce, by prohibiting our merchants from
importing the products of other countries IN return Tor
the exports of ours; thus provoking them to realiate
on us as they have already done on Great Britain by
refusing produce rxcepto such terms as
we cannot afford to expect it, With the destruction OF
foreign commerce. we expect only the ruin of those
Immediately engaged in imports, in The carving trade
ship building, &c, but OF almost every individual d.
rectlv or indirectly concerned in commercial affairs
Nor can the fate of the agricultural interest be long
protected under the operation Of such system Load
ed with heavy internal taxes, imposed to supply the de-
feet of the revenue formerly drawn from foreign com
merce; compelled pay double or treble prices tor
every necessary they purchase excluded from market
for the produce of their labor, the landholders
mus, sink poverty and lnsigniicance Our seamcn,
for want Of employment at home, must em'grale to
commercial countries resort TO smuggling and piracy
for support; navy rot in our docks, our fisheries
and coasting trade be left TO the mercy of every in
yader.