The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-10
COTTON STATISTICS.

COTTON STATISTICS.
.orrespondent of the portland Advertiser, +"
,..h;g from New Bedford, afrms that we are "des-
.,..d n become the most extensive manufacturers
- cotton goods ON earth" We have no disposition
. oon,royert this assertion, or to arrest the result,
r. such should be the Legitimate effect of the laws of
Nature herself But if members of Congress-who
are NOT generally as acquainted with the interests
- each man as he is HIMSELF land the interests Of the
whole are made up Of all the parts should attempt
% regulate the labor and capital of the whole coun
try we are very much disposed to say, "Gentle-
men, attend to your own business, and leave the
nsople to toke of themselves"
We frankly admit that the epterprising spirit and
the iartniips ingenuity of our countrymen, Qnventive
IN every species of labor-saving machine, espe-
c,Ilv in the cotton and woollen lnes,) are calcua-
od 10 realize, to a great extent, the prophecy Of
,hs New Bedford fnancer. In the close Of his let
-, indeed he refers to four other elements, which
must contribute to the same result:
The four great conditions Says he) OF successful man
curng nation possess TO an extent never surpassed
md indeed never equaled These conditions are--inte
Igant yirtuous operdiire the staple, cotton to be manu-
ron
@ the fuel for generating the motive power Taese four
naanf conditions hare been eqoited IN any other
COUNTRY and need not desire them n any greater
IA; Now when we reflect that in spite of ell the OBJ
imposed to progress dur manufactures have for
ihe last twenty period d. our greatest oppos
tonlnc teased less than per cent. per
h, on should we not have attained greatness wealth.
and true grandeur with all the preemnent advantages
above enumerated in our favor had the general government
hnt afforded that protection and support which, both
matter of Justice and Of interest to herself twas her
dntv TO evel when shall our people learn wisdom
,,,t liz AipAA
aged The time is every day arriving in which our law
giyes will better understand than what will promote
seems for long time have done in the of leg
aorsthe ofour nature will shape the course OF
people especially free people and lead them to those re-
suits which destiny has ordained Such will be the case
win U.S. il the which place at the helmtirect the
,bn amss the instinct of those board will in the end
correct the error, and guide her Alright.
Wc are at some loss to understand whether the
New Bedford writer demands higher protection than
the tariff Of lS42 Affords or whether he is preparing
atmey protest against its expected reduction. Ifthe
former, he must, indeed, be as voracious as the
borse.leech of the Scriptures, who is continually
crying out ''give give!" If the latter, then does
il well become him to make out the case which he
depicts, and to show how those enormous dividends
of 20 and 80 per cent in the pockets of the manufac
turers can be considered as obstacles" to their
success One would suppose that the extravaganza
of their profits would be an argument in favor Of
reduction. In the same manner, one would be apt
to dispute the justice Of that theory which re-
ouires enormous duties, amid all the appliances
which these "four important (and unparalleled)
dons" confer upon the American manufacturer
The would rather appear TO be true, viz.tha
the better fitted any country is by nature for any
particulara or employment the less artificial pro-
lection and encouragement does it require.
Why is the writer silly enough to complaint
The present duties are as protective in practice as
they are absurd n theory. Mos. the ad-vaIoren
articles are rated too high to be quietly endured;
and Mr.. McDufie, in the able and luminous letter
which we publish this evening, (and to which we
especially invite the public attention. points out
the frauds which are practised in the form of the
minimum principle and the specific duties-frauds
which ",could be 'papable violation of the pledge
to reduce the duties upon foreign imports to the
revenue Standard and Of all the pledges of the
party by which Mr.. Polk was elected"
The New Bedford writer cannot persuade the
people to submit much longer TO the exactions of
the tariff of s42. Public sentiment is becoming too
enlightened. The men who are now at the head OF
the present administration are pledged to reform.
1t is to be hoped that the decided majority of the
republican party in both houses of Congress will
be able to adopt more equal and moderate system.
The manufacturing capitalists themselves should
desire it, because stability is more desrableto them
selves than the excess of duties. Moderate duties
may be permanent, whilst extravagant duties are
always shifting, because they are always oppres-
slve, and always unpopular.
The writer Of this letter surely cannot complain
Of obstacles" to the cotton manufacture, when he
perceives the great quantities Of domestics which we
are now exporting to foreign countries. We are
driving considerable trade with Brazil, China, &c.
Wea beginning to defy all competition with SINH
lar descriptions Of British goods. We know, upon
The authority of an American officer who has Just
returned from the farhest East, that the Chinese
greatly prefer the American stuffs; and that al
though the British manufacturer is now in the habit
OIL counterfelting marks yet the Chinese is too
shrewd to be deceived. His delicate finger at once
detects the imposture. If, then, we can make our
cotton fabrics cheaper and acceptable to foreign
hauons, what occasion is there for any protection at
homer Protection! Why, some of the manufac-
'urers themselves are intelligent and honest enough
confess that they require no protective duties
upon numerous descriptions of their fabrics.
The press, as we have said before, is coming up
10 The relief of the people. We will again draw
upon the mass of scraps which we cut out of our
exchange papers by this mornings mail; and the
prize we draw from the lottery is the following
arncle from the columns Of the Glowing Green
Shy) Western Argus" of Saturday last,
Itt raRfr OF Isi2-There is considerable said about
mn n ny the whig papers Many of them of the
vplnon mat ~ asa perfect model Of tariff. Some, who
70 MINK seem exceedingly anxious to have IL
hoping the effect may be TO strengthen their party
name inns TACT to show that the attachments OF such
10 party than they to COUNTRY All men who
their country properly will sacrifice party its
+ trine. -'he'y ''e"e"'es a"i"eieh" WV
I'm" nn we have anything to do with public sentiment,
Ia. " ~sch the doctrine Of country FIRST and country
49, anu the propriey Of making all minor
sonna " our eounrys great interests We hope be
an edcn'hg obedience to law and that the constitution
bon,b smouht law We do not deprecate par ismf al
hYYugh we would not press il TO extremes
VI me establishment tariff the parties should meet on
aaah al.