The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-06-05

d. naDdod. But in whose behalf is this pro-
10 .tion asked, and for what benefit are we
called upon TO sacrifice our own productive
Glasses? We learn from uuquestionable
sources, tina; Of the importations from Great
Britain sixty-hve per cent. IS on British ac-
count. OF those from France, and other
continental countries, not less than eighty
three per cent. is on foreign account; and OF
course nearly the whole profit on this enor-
nous proportion of our trade goes into the
hands of foreigners. Shall we legislate for
The subjects of Great Britain and of France
Shall the foreign importer himself determine
the duty which he will condescend 10 pay?
Are his interests 10 be chiefly regarded in the
legislation Of this Hall! But were it other
wise-were the advantages of this great COM
rnerce the proper gain of our own citizens
is this object of the promotion of trade
worth not only its PRESENT cost, but all the
sacrifices which are asked for it! In 1886
all men abandoned their regular occupations,
and set themselves 10 buy, sell, and get gain;
and such was the neglect of agriculture, that
even oats were imported from the banks of
the Elbe to feed the horses that pastured in
the valley of the Mohawk. The excessive
trade of 1886 was followed by the CONFUSION
Of 1887, and there has been no lack oflectures
from our democratic brethren upon the caus-
es of that convulsion. The crisis of 1897,
said they, were rot owing TO the specific cir
cular, TO the removal of despOts, TO the refus
al of the Government to recharer the United
States Bank, TO the multitude Of State banks
chartered by Democrctic legislatures to fill
the place of that dead monster, TO the de-
rangement, in fine, TO the currency of the
country BY the action of Government. No,
it was none ofthese things, nor the com
bined action of all these things,b it was the
EXCESSIVE IsIPoRTATIoN-THE SPIRIT OF
ovERrRADISG-whichc caused all that min.
Is then the spirit, which in 1896 was spirit
Of darkness, now became an angel of light =
Ifthe the foreign imporiations oflS36 involv-
ed the whole land in bankruptcy, ruin, and
shame, is it now wise to stimulate importa-
ton TO the highest extent TO which legislation
can carry it!
Again, sir, is not the maintenance, pro-
lection, and accommodation of this foreign
trade one of the heaviest items in the cost of
our national Government To what other
end do you maintain a navy, at the expense
ofSix millions per annum, TO display your
protecting flag in every sea For what 9th
er purpose are your foreign embassies, your
costly custom-house establishment, and
vast proportion Of your civil list. Sir, l ar
que not against these things as unnecessary,
but to draw attention 10 the fact, that trade
too has its protection, and to suggest the in
quiry how much more we can afford to pay for
its promotion.
Every gentleman who has studied the his
tory of the origin Of this Government, knows
that the protection Of property, as well as life
and personal liberty, against both the violence
and the policy Of foreign powers, was the
chief end sought to be attained by the estab
lshment of the confederacy. The power of
granting such protection as domestic indus
try requires, has been surrendered by the in
dvidual States, and unless it has lodged in the
people of the Union, to pc by them exercised,
through us, their representatives, it is ire
coverably gone. The surrender is valid to
pass the power out of the hands of the grant
ors, the States, but not good to vest it in Con-
gress, the grantee. Strange anomaly-and
Yet to this reductio ad absurdum you are in
evitably brought, if they deny the power of
Congress to impose protective duty. But
if Congress may legislate for the protection
of capital invested in trade, why not also for
that capital invested in manufactures! The
buildings, the machinery, the stock, in its va
rious stages of elaboration, the lands, whose
ment of the capital. thus invested, all these
are property, as much as the stocks of the
capitalist, the ships of the merchant, the
lands of the planter, and, viewed simply as
property, without regard 10 higher consider
ations of national policy, are Just as much en-
titled to legislative favor and protection. The
American capital invested in manufactures
and mechanic arts, is believed to amount to
no less a sum than four hundred millions OF
dollars: and one fourth of our population is
dependent for bread on the prosperity OF
those arts. To this vast sum, add the in
creased value of lands in the vicinity offlour-
ishing manufactures, and you have an ag-
gregate scarcely inferior to any of the items
which make up the sum total ofour national
wealth.
Destroy the protective system and you an
initiate at blow this great accumulation oil
wealth, this immense proportion of our ma
tIonal resources. In regard TO the property
invested in manufactures, it is TO be observed
that the destruction involved by its sacrifice
has no compensation. 1t is annihilation, moi
transfer. Thousands are impovished, none
are enriched. You make your country poor
er, by the amount both Of the capital directly
invested, and the difference in value of the
lands and other property affected. Let a
fiourishing factory spring up, with its capital
Of 100000, and it adds TO the saleable val
ne, aud actual productiveness Of the lands in
its vicinity, at least rs much more. Destroy it,
and all It's wealth has evaporated. In the
case of the removal OF public buildings,
and the construction Of works of internal i'm
provement, there is often an apparent loss,
which is, however, balanced by compensa-
ton in the increased value thereby given TO
property elsewhere. Construct canal, pass
ing three miles from fourishing village in
stead of throughit. Its prosperity is destroy
ed. One by one, is most enterprizing in
habitants desert it, and the aged and the poor
alone are left. The cheerful din of of its in
dustry is hushed The grass grows in the
streets, its cottages are no longer the home of
man, and the fox looks out at the window
Here is ruin, here is Observation-Disclosures
enough no doubt-hut there is another side
to the picture. On the banks of that canal
there arises a new village, which, in its rapid
growth and improvement, far outstrips all that
the most sanguire fancy had ever hoped for
II. l., :