Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-07-24
MANUFACTURES.
FROM THE soUrueRs PLANTER, or JULY

w TN tHe exception Oh lew fruits anu
vegetables, the earth yields none of her
products ready to supply the wants and
desires o. mankind. They all need the
elaboration OF art before they ara calculat.
ed for the appropriation of the consumer.
But for the LABOR Of lie artisan or manu-.
facturer, seven.eighths Of the ear,h's
products would lie useless membranes
on our hands. Hence the io;imate and
mutual dependence of the manufacturer
and the farmer. The manufacturer
stands between the producer and the con-
sumner, and he is The only means through
which the former can reach the latter
We may be we'll excused, then, for &C.
cupying small space in ar agricultural
paper upon the subject Of manufactures.
There is a great question of the policy
Of atfording governmental protection to
manufactures, with which we have moth
ing to do; because, it has been made
political and party question, and this is
pool much too foJl and turbid for our
taste. Differ as we may, however, upon
this great political question, there is, and
there can be, no difference Of opinion as
10 the policy oil affording individual sup
port and encouragement TO our manufac-
lures. For the farmer the manufacturer
must exist, and the question IA, how de.
sirable is it to have him located amongst
US, rather than at distance from US. II
is neither possible nor desirable that Vir-
ginia should become what is emphatcal-
ly called, a manufacturing State. Men
A. .,l. 4 -
morter, as long as they can become indie.
pendent landholders on the terms on
which they can command such boon in
the Southern and Western States, and
God forbid that it should ever be other.
wise.
Although we have many objections 10
that state Of society in which the manu-
featuring population predominates, we
cannot but be sensibly alive TO the advan-
tsges of having manufacturing establish.
ments interspersed through rural districts.
In the first place, there are many minor
agricultural products, which in their ma
ture will not bear transportation, that are
consumed by the operatives IN these es-
adjustments. And these operatives, who
would otherwise be either drones, or rival
producers of our agricultural staples, are
thus converted into consumers OF the most
profitable kind of agricultural products.
TO say nothing of large establishments
for foreign markets, imagine that all the
hats, shoes, boots, cotton and woollen
clothing, &c. &C., that are consumed in
Virginia were manufactured within her
borders, what large portion of her la
Dor would be converted from sellers into
purchasers Of agricultural products. How
quickly would our granaries, now groan-
ing under the surplus oil breadsuffs, be
emptied Of their contents Every water
fall would become a manufacturing will
age, and thousands who are engaged ia
overproducing The staples Of wheat, corn
and tobacco, would be employed in max
ing vegetables, butter, cheese, &C., for
this new population.
To insure the establishment Of manu-
!aciures 10 the South, we must demon
strate that the system will be advantage.
Gus to the manufacturer as well as to the
agrculturst. Now, we DO not think, as
a general thing, that the South is the
place for manufacturing, The habits Of
the people are too expensive we are too
extravagant; in short, We are no, poor
enough to compete with the Northern
manufacturer. But there are some spe-
cies of manufactures, and they not few
in numoer, in which, from peculiar and
local circumstances, we can compete with
any body in the world indeed. as the fer.
ulity Of our soil is exhausted by bad cul-
tivaton, the great bar 10 manufacturing
to which we just row alluded, viz: the
expensive habits Of the people, must even.
tuaily fall with the cause that gave rise
TO it. We slready feel that change in
that respect must take place, aud We are
every year approaching nearer to the
manufacturing point; but even with this
disadvantage against us, there are many
articles OF manufacture of which the
transportation forms SO large proper
ton Of the whole cost, that under any
circumstances, the home market should
be supplied with the home product
Virg MIA is supplied with corn. brooms
manufactured in the State OF Connectl-
cut The retail price viii average thirty
cents. The manufacturer in the interior
Of Connecticut, cannot receive more than