Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-06-28


Not long after the passage of the tariff act of 1912,
/ CHANGED to be in New York, where | met an
old friend, Democrat, from the South. After
speaking OF by-gone times, the conversation turn
ed upon the tariff, which he denounced as the
most plunderlng act that was ever concocted in
any country; that it was got up to benefit the
Northern manufacturers, and, by consequence, to
Cypress us Southerners that he was in WASH
ington, witnessed the moduS operaadi, and there
saw the plunderers surrounding Mr.. FILLMORE,
the chairman of the committee that reported the
bill,) who believed all their statements. He was
minute in describing old fellow, stuck up in
white cravat, debating to Fillmore, and at every
stroke OF his pen pockeng half million of dollars
he said twas equal to highway robbery! With some
difficulty succeeded in prevailing upon my friend, a
generous, noble man, to 90 "down East and get
with the pluuderers, and see for himself
whether or not the South was plundered. He went
reluctantly, and some weeks after crossed his path
again, and found him delighted with his visit to old
Boston. !" Well" said |, "what think you of the
Yankee plunderers now p 9 Well,' said he,
scratching his head, :" don't believe they plumber
us Southerners, after ALL He then dilated elo-
quenty upon all he saw, especially upon Lowell,
its factory girls, neaness, looms and spindes. He
met some of those whom he had previously looked
upon as pickpockets, and found them accomplished
gentlemen; and to his utter surprise, he ascertain
ed that the leading men of Boston did not make
their fortunes by spinning, but that they made the
greater portion of them by commerce, and long be-
fore Lowell was built up. To satisfy his own mind,
he even procured from authentic source the his
tory of the lives of few of the wealthy gentlemen
Of Boston, how they managed to get so rich, &c.
It appears, and il is confirmed by my Boston cor
respondent, who is proverbial for accuracy, that
THOMAS Ill. PERKINS was born in Boston, and COM
menced the China trade in 1887, and, with house
Of his own In Canton, pursued it with great success
Tor forty years made immense fortune before
ne owned dollar in manufactures, and did not in
vest in cotton-mills till he retired from business.
The APPLEToNs were born in New Hampshire :;
business without capital, and made their
fortunes by commerce. The LAwRENcEs were
born in Groton, Massachusetts their father was an
officer of the Revolution, and came out of the war
poor. Two of his sons, A. d. A. LAWRENCE, went
into the importing business, and, in connexion with
their (then) house in London, made fortunes. At
present, the most prominent business of the LAW
FENCES appears to be the sale commission Of do
nestle fabrics which, from all accounts, reach an
nualy several millions of dollars and it is said is
for no greater commission than London
bankers charge for receiving money with one hand
md paying it out with the other. | asked him
about the old fellow in the white cravat, whom he
had seen alongside of Mr.. FILLMORE; and it seems
lie had seen him lin Boston, too, and his great es-
ablishment with some half dozen partners, and
clerks innumerabe.
The old fellow mot so old neither, for he told my
friend he was then but fifty was frank, agreeable,
and talked like book, showed the beautiful pat
erns of the Lowell goods, and the prices too,
whichmy friend thought were cheap enough and he
showed him vast piles of bales and boxes of sheet
Chi RE- IL 4 lc.,.
for China and South America he told him of the
millions of yards that he had just sold to be shipped
to the noble wealthy old merchant Houqua," (who
think died before they reached him at Canton y
ne dilated, like plain od-fashioned man of bust
ness, matters and things in general, and by facts
md figures, demonstrated that there no oppres-
ZION on the one hand nor plundering on the other
10 that my friend was not so violently opposed to |
he black tariff" and he now concurs with me |
hat there is not particle of plundering, and that
instead OF the Bostonians enriching themselves by
he tariff, the most OF them made their fortunes by
oreign trade, and that has enabled them to make
nunfcent charities and build lofty monuments. OIL
he gentlemen whose names have taken the liber-
y to use, never even saw but one, and him in
passing; and, therefore, they may be surprised TO
zee their commercial portraits accurately drawn.
Their names are mentioned with no view to hatter
hem-for never had an opportunity to enjoy their
am sure | never shall but to
prove, by connecting well-known names with facts
hat the large fortunes of Boston were moi made by
'plundering the South" Out Of many | selected
Colonel PERKINS for one, as he is generally known
rs one of the oldest and most distinguished retired
merchants of the country, and Messrs LAwRENcEs
md Messrs. APPLEToNs, because they equally
well known as being among the present leading
merchants OF Boston, 10 say nothing of Mr.. An
BoTT LAWRENCE and Mr.. NATHAN APPLETON hav-
ng been valuable and distinguished members of
Congress.
But will return TO prices Intending TO be post
I'd up at all points, so far facts, figures, and the
opinions OF experienced men Of business 90, Sc
eced for my adviser one among the most sagacious
merchants in this or any other country In his last
etter he says in regard TO prices Of cotton fabrics,
Nc. The prices, however, will be reduced within
year by the introduction of the product of por-
ion of the three hundred thousand spndles now in
! course OF construction. You NAV safely main |
ain that every article that be exported by our
own manufacturers and compete with British mer-
,handise, must be sold 10 the consumer at home
'heaper than il can be imported. This is the |
,ase with every description Of coarse cottons.
The iron OF Pennsylvania requires, and now en-
oys the highest protection, and we shall have iron
ow enough If the duty it stands for seven years.
There is no doubt in my mind that the country will |
ierlve immense advantages from such protective /
luties as will invite capital to develop the natural
resources that exist around u.s. Iron, coal, wool, |
:otton, hemp, DC. we can produce in abundance.
md use them too in every shape and form that they
IAN IN England. Supply and demand always did
md always will regulate prices" As my cores
)ondent, like the sape of Ashland is NOT sectional