Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1843-11-24
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ADDRESS OF GENERAL TALMADGH,

At the close of the Fair of the American Insti-
tute.
Ladies and Gentlemen: We come, fellow citi
zens, to celebrate the sixteenth anniversary oil
the American Institute. The mutitudes which
have attended the exhibition of the Fair, and the
crowded assemblage now pressing around US are
gratifying pledges Of the public appreciation Of our
course, and cheer US onward in support of the
great cause Of tho encouragement Of domestic
industry ia agriculture, commerce, manufactures
and the arts" We, who have persevered under
much odIum md prescription, confess we feel an
exulting pride, that the course and its principles
ultimately recognised as the course OF the ma
ton, and essential to its enduring prosperity.
We rejoice ia the accession Of individuals of
knowa talents and distinguished character; and
while we differ IN the suggested mode OF redress,
we confde that further consideration, with q recoI-
lection of past incidents, in diplomacy at
Toast OF doubtful capacity, will demonstrate that
the great IN terests of agriculture, commerce and
manufactures, are too moment ous to be taken and
confided 10 hands other than the Legislative coun-
cells Of the nation. From the late census of the
United States IT appears that seventy seven out
OF every one hundred of the population are en-.
gagged in agricultural labor. Under free in
situations the agricuItursts have the power of the
representation and are justly chargeable with the
legislative measures of the country. Commerce
aud manufactures are the landmarks of agricul-
ture- They are created by it, and depends
emf upon It for their continued prosperity and
islence. All the Legislation Of this country
which can beneficialiy assis, agriculture, can on.
~ be in the encouragement Of commerce and
manufactures Hence protection TO commerce
and manufac lures should ever be considered
measure in support of agriculture. /, is the du-
ty Of Government to provide and an ade
quate market for the surplus productions Of the
country. 1t can only be provided by protection
10 its commerce, and from the consumption
occasioned by the encouragement of its domestic
IL II
three great departments of industry, will be made
hes, 10 appear from tables founded on the census
OF 1910, showing the value of the annual pro-
ducts-of agriculture, 1851 1897 ,597; Of manu-.
lectures, $3.50. $50, PA; commerce, $40 ~ ,OS6
Efforts are sometimes made to excite jealousies
between agrlculturlsts and manufacturers, by the
often repeated cry Of Free Trade"
Il affords much pleasure to tho Amorie"n
Institute 10 avow itself the firm advocate and the
uncompromising champion of Free Trade. To
require ooen ports and open commerce with
the different nations Of the globe, separated into
different countries, divided into governments OF
various forms and conflicting Interests, and wide.
" differing degrees of civilization and condi
tons Of moral restaiut. would be to require n
chimera Of the madman's brain, which never did
and never can elsewhere exist. The Free Trade
which the American Institute advocates and
ma ia aims, is a commerce and exchange of pro-
auctions between civilized nations of equal rights,
trade. measure for measure, taking what they
give and giving what they take. government
which fails 10 obtain such q commerce, and TO
protect it by all necessary counterVailiog meas
ures, fails in an essential purpose for which II
was established. In vain did fathers figh,
for liberty ard Independence, 1t we, their de-
scendants, crouch to foreign powers, submit TO an
unequal intercourse with the nations of the
earth, allowing them an open intercourse, and a
free trade with US; and they. in return, degrading
and depressing our commerce and the value OF
our agriculture. by enormous and prohibt'ory du-
ties on the great staple productions Of this coun-
try. There two kinds of Free Trade Eich
is distinct in its character. The one which we
advocate is made equal between the pnriies-,he
trade between nations conducted on principles of
fair reciprocity in the exchange of the produc-
tons o! the respective countries. The other
kind is free trade on one side only, with res;ric
tiuns against the commerce and the productions
Of the other sIde varying from one hundred TO
five thousand per cent. Unul the enactment OF
the late Tariff, and which is now sought To be re-
pealed, our country has been for many years past
under the enjoy ment and in the full experience
of this latter kind Of foreign free trade. To IN
ders,and tho causes of the present condition Of
the country, il seems necessary on this occasion
10 show the results of this Free Trade, affect
ing the commerce. the agriculture. the wealth and
the prosperity Of the nation. With Spain. ocr
commerce is Of small amount, surrounded and
embarrassed as it is with her restrictions and
prohibitions. The imports last year were Sl3,.
100000; exports. SO 300 900. leaving balance
against of $3.50 900, to be paid in currency.
She has long since imposed duties on cotton, pro.
hibitory in American vessels.
The course Of this trade is TO ship cotton
TO Cuba, one Of her dependencies. where on
touching the island, it is deemed naturalIzed, and
then shipped in Spanish vessels to the mother
country as the produce of Cuba Our country
has ingoriousiy looked on and seen this sacrifice
TO our shipping interest Of this carrying trade OF
the great staple of tho South. Our imports from
the island of Cuba amount to about five millions
and she receives in return exports from US a
mounting 10 two millions-Ieaving yearly bal.
ance against US of three millions Of dollars to be
paid 10 currency. Mos, of the imports have
been received free or on light duties, while ex
ports charged with enormous duties-on
barrel OF -four clio so This is Free Trade OF