Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-09-13

In The home maj ket. cam IN Inc present advanced stare
If the useni arts, rise 30 greatness aud wealth by ma
prcactu,es For tha, purpose they'must compete sue
ssfu,lv for the foreign Market in the younger, rss
advanced ard less civilized countries This necessy
for more enlarge, and treer intercourse between The
older more advauced and more civilized nations, and
Ike ynurur- lcss ad onced and less civilized al time
VIXEN The y hole Clio is laid open to our knowledge
and ro p;d,ty and facility of intercourse established
between all lis pats heretofore unknown, one Of lie
m;rb,v means ordained BY Providence TO spread pcrn
,a,or LIGHT civilization, and prosperity, lar and vide
over It's entire surface
The treat problem then is how is the foreign mar
ket IN be commanded ] answer, by The reverst
means proposed in order 10 command the home marke
low instead Of high duties; and sound currency
fixed stable, and nearly as possible on the leve
will; the general currency Of the world instead Of al
inflated and fuotuatIng one Nothing can be more
hostile to the comr'and OF foreign trade, shan h'gl
proLibi.ory dutes it regards the exports o
manufactures. The artificial expansion of the currency
and consequent rise Of price and increased expense
prcduc ton, which, Gs has been shown, must follow
would be Of themselves FATAL but to that must be added
another cause not much less so. refer to The genera
pressure The prohbtory system the export industry
of the country, already explained and which wonlo
fall wi as much severity on the expert of manufactures
ns on that o cotton, any other unaEniactured article
The system operates with like oroi on exports, whe
lher cf materials or manufactured ARTICLES in the
last and highest state Of finish The reason is the
The most advanced IN The arls and whose exports
sist almost exclusively of manufactured arlices-and
especialiy England The most Of any, and hence they
ha We already gun the process of reduction OF duties
with The view OF increasing their exports. In the
cent adusmen of he Tariff England, with that ayowed
view, made great reduction IN her import GutIcs.
But cnn we hope 10 compete successfully IN the mar
ket of the world by of sound currency and
law duties: | answer, if We cannot, We may give up
the contest as desperate; ard the the better
is Idle worse than Idle, 10 attempt to add 10 The growth
of our manufactures by the prohibiory system -
They have already reached, under that influence their
full but siin;ed growth To attempt TO push them
further must react, and Ieiard instead OF acceleratng
their growth. The home market cannot consume our
immense surplus productions ct PROVISIONS lumber,
cotton aud tobacco; nor find employment IN manuiac-
urrg for home consumption the vast amount oil labor
empcyed in raising the surplus beyond The home
sumptior ard which only iiEd market abroad
Take the article cotton ttakes, at the least cal
cuaton 100 Coo abores reproduce The crop; more the
twice the far calculation, employed IN all
the branches o! unufactures which can expect 10 be
benefited BY the. high duties. Less than the sixth
por, would be an = TO raise every pound Of cotton
cessafy for the hon market, If every yard OF cotton
cloth consumed at home manufactured at home
and made from / ised cotton. What, Them ask,
is 10 become of he FIVE or six hundred thousand
laLorers employed IN raising the article Tor The To-
reign market: How can they find employment in
manufacturing when ninety parts in one hun
bred of all the projected articles consumed in the coun
try are now made home, And it not in manufacture
ing how else IT. y be employed: In raising pro.
visions' Those erg"gcd in that already supply, and
more than supply, III, home market; and how shall they
find employment ~ that quarter: How those employ
ed in the culture oitobacco and the lumber business,
and foreign trade The alternative is inevitable
they must either prs ST. spe Of these high protective
duties with all tn consequent loss and mpoverish.
nent which must low them, in their present employ
1l rn n nrn
ducirg the pro;e1tct articles for the home market
which is already nearly fully supplied by the small
amount oflabor ergas ID in their production
But why should we doubt our capacity TO compete
successfully, with sound currency ana low duties, ID
the general marke' cf the world' A superabundance
of cheap proysies and OF the material, as far as
cotton is concerned gives MS great advantage III The
greatest ard most in portant branch o manufactures
in modern times I these may be added, a favorable
situation for trade vi all the world; the most album
dant and cheap supply of what may be called natura
cap,al-water coal, timber and SOIL aud n peculiar
aptitude for mechan al and chemical improvements on
the mart Of our citizens combined with great energy
industry and skill There are but two drawbacks
high wages and hig interest. In other respects, nc
country has Superior advantages for manufacturing.
No one is more averse to the reduction OF wages
than nm entertain greater respect for the labor
ing portion of the community. Nothing could induce
me 10 adopt atoursc of policy that would impair then
comfort or prosperi,.. But when speak OF wages
distinction must te made between the real ana
cial; between that which enables the laborer 10 ex
change the fruits Of lis industry for the create amour
in food clothing other necessary comforts, wIthou
regard 10 the nominal amount in money, and The mere
nominal money amount, that IS often the result OF al
inflated currency, which, instead OF increasing wages
in proportion the price and the means OF the laborer
is one of the most effective of defaudlng him Of
his lust dues. Blu it is great mistake to suppose
thai low prices and high wages, estimated in money
are rreconcllable. Wages are but the residunm alter
deducing The profit { capital, the expense OF produc
ton including the r1cct;cns of the Government IN the
shape of taxes; which lust certainly fall production
however LAID. The less that is paid tor the use o
capital for the expense reproduction, and the eXactIon
of the Government, the greater is The amount lett Io
wages and hence ty essening these, prices may fall
and wages rise al The time; and that is The comb
nation which gives 10 labor its greatest reward, ant
places the prosperity Of country the most durable
basis. II is moi habit TO stop and illustrate oy ex
ample but the r ,riance of the point
ton is SUCH that 1t would seem to justify It, :,
For this purpose shall select product OF the soil
and take the article oil wheat suppose twenty
bushels of wheat be produced an acre OF land II
Virginia, worth Ten dollars the acre-and twenty or
al acre in England, worth one hundred doiars-ant
The wheat 10 be worth ore dollar bushel-suppose
nso that the interest, cost for the use oil capital
be the same in beth countres-say per cent and thu
cost of cultivation ard the exactIon OF the Govern
mcnt lie sameit IL manifest, the surposlt'on, tina
wages could not commence III England till So (he IN
leIest on $780, was pad-while, in Virginia, it woul'
commence after 60 cents, (the interest on Slol wa
paid And hercr. lie England, setting the cost OF cul
tivaon and the exactons Of the Government asde bu
STA would be eit for wages while 70 40 would be lief
IN Virginia and hence, The product OF labor IN ''r
ona out Of this greater resduum might sell al lowe
price, and leave still greater fund for The reward
Of wages. The reduction of the cost oil cultivation
and of the exactions Of the Government, would hav
the same ctec, paying less for the capital and wou
have the effect of making still greater difference il
the fund to pay wages. Taking The aggregate Of lh
whole and comparing the elements that enter into tn
computation, feel assured that with sound ruren
DIV and low du,esi e. light taxes exacted on the par
Of the Government the only element which is agains
ms is The rate of interest; but that our advantages
other respects would more than countebalance II; ant
that we have nothing 10 fear in open competition witt
other countries in the general market oil the world
We could have our full share with the most successful
while, at the same time, the exuberance of the hom
market. relieved from oppressive burdens, would b
vastly increased, and be more eiiecually and exclu
sively commanded by the productions of our owl
manufacturers than il possibly be by the unjust, IN
const i,uiiona, mnnopozing, and oppressive scheme