Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-10-10
CONCENTRATIONS.
For tls En4A1rcr
THE HON. w. c. RlNES.


sell. The errors OF Aristarchus," even if inten
,ional, cannot affect the question OF Mr.. Rives
eniit or innocence. Upon charge OF this nj
lure he must be tried. not upon parol testimony
bu. by the record: il snot enough for him, there
lore 10 diScredit the witness who has appear
"a against him. Upon the record then dc
| arraign him before The bar OF an imparla
public ior deliberate, repeated and ilagran ms
representation al The opinions OF III, author OF The
Wealth of Nations.
In his speech upon the Tariff delivered in tho
Senate on21,h MAY, iSll, Mr. RiyeS says-pagc'
Is and IA:
"rhc principles of sound discriminaive com
mercial policy, which have thus shown 10 have
been coeval with the Constitution itself and 10 have
been cherished and maintained by al! our grca
republican statesmen OF an era the most frnitiu
in lessons OF political wisdom. are, at the same
time. sanctioned by the authority OF the mos
celebrated writers on the science OF political
economy-cven of those whose names are often
invoked in support of the doctrines of unlimited
Tree trade Adam Smith is the oracle most ire
quenly appealed to b. the disciples oil tie m~.ein
school of Tree trade And net 4iTam SHt6a wa'
far f,ora cswnsinc Tic doctrines ~ free tlH1c IN M
uRygaifcd sense in rtich Hcu ~, e0r PIT fprrdrG
GviS adrocat,S. lie Mvs elprcsag, that rond u
as absurd 10 ccpec 10 sec spSieasot unlimited fFtt
frais adopted IN GseM Britain, rs 10 erpcct tt0t an
O-cana or Ttop0 stead ercr he CNatti$tfd IN Il.
MIR RiveS does not give book. chapter or page
nor does he profess 10 quole the very WoriS ol
Smith; but there can tc no mistake as 10 the
meaning OF the paragraph have quoted, or az 10
the opinions attributed 10 Smith. Mr.. Ri"es IN
vokcs Adam Smith, as authority 10 sanction The
PRINCIPLES OF sound discrimnaivc commercial
y ,licv." and in opposition ;oa system OF unlim-
lied free trade" The necessary and inevitable
inference. from what Mr.. Rivcs says is that Adam
Smith considered the doctrines OF unlimited free
trade as wild and as visionary as an btorian
dream: and that because he 80 considered them,
he thought il absurd 10 exvcc; 10 see system OF
unlimited free trade adopted in Great Britain"
Now. did Adam Smith hold this opinion? Far
from il. shall show that Mr.. Rves has lraudu-
lently attributed 10 him sentiments, precisely the
reverse of those which il was the object ol his
great work" to illustrate and enforce.
Aiter showing with admirable clcarncsS, that
the disorder which would be occasioned hy The
sudden restoration OF free trade after il had been
for some time interrupted hy prohibiiory duties,
would be much less than is commonly imagined;
The author proceeds, Book ". chap H. p. 2o5,
with the following paragraph which is the orc
perverted bv Mr.. RivcS GUc;e from The Sc
zenith edition OF the Wealth of Nations. printed in
London in lI9.:l
sTo expect. Indeed, iha, the freedom Of trade
should ever be entirely restored in Great Britain
j. as atsuni as To expect Tia, al Oceana or Ute
pia should ever b. established IN il. NJ oaint4c
preRdicls of he yaI.ic. Int ,~iGt IS mNct moyc M
comp craJlc, Ms pirate jatcresS0f masy ia"ara!s
.sresiNijlu opposcH Were the officers OF the amy
10 oppose with the same zeal aud unanimi'y any re-
t!uciion in the number oi forces with which mas
ter manufacturers set themselves a5alnsteve law
that is likey 10 increase the number OF theiI rivals
~ The home market were The former 10 animate
;he;r soldiers in the same manner * the latter
enflame the workmen, to attack with violence and
outrage the proposers OF anv s'ich regulation: 10
al.emp, 10 re luce the arms wouli be as dangerous
rs IL has nor Jce0me 10 atcWpt IL 9tWiatSa IN am
yespti tic m0aogolg r',ci ar manRfac.grefs rare
cbiainei against as. This monopoly has 50 much
increased the number Of sJac psrtcHtGr htJts ~
Mcai that Ire an Grerey0tt2. SgHGiH9 arNsH. "a; u
hare hccomc lormidabe 10 Tie government, and npon
ng.taV 0cc0s.oaS iAngd0fc IKE lcg'.ta'Mc. The
member OF parliament who Supports every pro-
posai for strengthening this monopoly, iy sure 10
acquire not only The reputation OF understanding
trade, but great popularity and influence with an
order OF men whose numbers and wealth render
them Of great Importance. If he opposes them,
on the contrary, and still moro, il he has authority
enough TO be able 10 ihwanihcm. neither the most
acknowledged probity, no. the highest rank. nor
tre greatest public services can protect him nom
The most infamous abuse and GctIaciion, from
personal insults, nor sometimes from real danger
arising from the insoleni outrage OF furious and
disappointed monopol>,s"
Comment is unnecessary. The fraud is open
aud palpab!e.
pass over the paragraph in Mr.. Rivcs' speech
Immediately following that have quoted above,
because, although he states more strongly anu
broadly than he ought Smiths opinion III favor
of laying bur,hcns on foreign, for the protection
OF domestic industry. when it may he necessary
ior the defence OF the country, ! am mol sare that
hc tneatcd 10 misreprescn,; and my object IS 10
iliude 10 those Misrepresentation only, which
bear ON their face the evidence OF distinct mis-
statement
The next paragraph 10 the one omit, Tor the
reason JUS, stated. is as follows;
Again. he Adam SMITH says that where 10
reign nations restrain b. high duties or prohibl-
lions the importation OF our productions into theii
countries 1T IS \ SOUND 4 WELL. as just policy
10 impose Ike du,ics and rcs.roiats upon the in
PRODUCTION of the produce OF their Industry into
ours il there be reasonable .rousd TO believe thai
the effect o such imposition NAV he 10 lead ulii.
malclv 10 4 relaxation of the foreign restrictions
or prohibitions oil which we complain Mr.. JEFF
1erson seem, 10 have had this principle of Smith
Report OF 1893, he says: Free commerce and
navigation are not 10 he given in exchange for
restrictions and vexa,;ons nor are they hteiy d
prodlce a ret tratioa ~ them.
Now, here is what Adam Smith GO,S say
(Wcallh of Nations, b. IT,, chap. H., p. 1870
"TGerasc IN lrhi<h Il MAY SOMETIMES M MAT
TrR or DsfipERarIoN how far il Is proper Ia CON
Iinue the tree importation oicerIain foreign goods
IL when some foreign nation Restraints hy higt
dulles or prohibitions The importation OF some Of
oar mlnuilclur.s into their country. REVENGE
IN ms cas- naturally dictates retaliation, and thai
we should impos. The like duties and prohibitions
upon the importation OF some or all oil their ma.
nultciures into ours. Nations accordingly sci.
don fail 10 re.aliate in this manner.
Alter giving instances of duties laid for the
purpus,. OF retaliation, aud alludn. 10 their CT
lee, in producing il.wiil and even war between
nations, the author proceeds, p 2oi
"I',cre MAY Es good policy in retaliations o
this kinl when there is probability that they
will procure the repeal OF the high duties or prohibi
lions complained OF. The recovery OF great 10
reign market will generally more than compen
safe the lran>itory nconvcniency OF payine
6carer during short time for some sorts 0
goois. TO ja&sc rhctar such rcialia!i"'iS ar
hkeiy 10 y,oance mcd az efeet, does not, perhaps
6eioas 50 much IL lic s:icnrs n hgja1tcr 'rios
dtiiocf6ttOHS 0HoW ~ " GOttfHH ~ SthtfH Pf'H
ap'eS ,ciich arc ARRAYS the same, as 10 the skill {"
nP lNsipious AND CRAFTY ANIMAL, vuLdARL,
CALLED STATESMAN OR PoLlrlcIAN, WHOSE
COUNCILS ARE DIRECTED NJ THE MONETARY fLUt
T1ArtoNS or AFFAIRS"
Do not consider me personal, Mr.. Rives: it |:
Adam Smith, yonr ora authority, who thus de
scrbes the animal species 10 which vou belong
Th. author proceeds: when there is no pro
liability that any such repeal can r. procured i
seems bad method of compromising the inlur,
done 10 certain classes of our people, do anothe
injury ourselves, no: only 10 those classes, but Il
almos, all the other classes OF them. When on
ncighbors prohibit some manufacture Of ours, VI
generally prohibit, no, only The same, for iha
alone would seldom affect Them considerably, bu
some other manufacture oft theirs. This may NJ
doubt give encouragement to some pauicula
class OF workmen among ourselves, and by ex
Guiding some Of their rivals, may enable them L
raise their price in the home market Thos'
workmen however, who suffered fy our neigh
- rr nj ~