The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-24

1
the whites OF the south, | am inclined TO believe
II highly beneficial We are exempted by it,
too, from the awful risks which TO attend the
solution OF the great problem Of modern civlliza-
uon-so formidable TO all governments, but espe-
eialy rePublican-how the sharp competition and
grinding struggle between capital and labor are to
end. Bat that there are economical ills incident to
slavery, few will deny. That the resultant from the
aborof the free as compared with the slave even of
the same race, will be larger aggregate Of value
cannot be doubted when the superior incentives of
| the former are considered. The disparity must be
enhanced when the slave is Of more degraded
race, endowed with less capacity, and Of inferior
skill We may therefore safely conclude the la
Dor OF the free white man Of the north TO be more
productive than that of the black slave Of the
south. As, too, the white aborer has stronger in
| ducements to save, and is endowed with more
foresight and sagaeity, there viii be more frugaity
and less waste in reference TO his products. The
slaves Of the south, too, interpose most serious OBJ
staeles TO dversfying pursuits and Withdrawing
! labor from agriculture, For most higher branches
Of industry they are unfit, from deficiency OF iatsls
| ligence Their owner, too, has always on him the
burden OF maintaining and providing FOR them--the
superannuated, the young, the feeble, and the sick
as well as the healthy and the able-bodied; and
this obligation can manifestly be most readily and
cheaply redeemed upon farm, where babtations
eidental products largely eontribae to subsistence
The empoyments, too, in which slaves can be
profitable, must be permanent in the amount OF
labor demanded, and not, as in very many branches
manufactures, requiring at particular times aud
seasons great accessions of force; for, if owned ,
they must OF course be kept always engaged; and
| II hired, they cannot be commanded IN large num-
bers, except for long periods. Indeed, sir, be-
lieye the history Of the world will show that, with
large slave population, II is inevitable that agr-
culture should be the main occupation ofth people.
| Now, sir, the advantages afforded by the white
| labO a N he M
must be manifest They better suited for va.
red pursuits and ready division Of labor they have
! far more intelligence and aptitude 10 acquire the
information aud skill Indispensable to all higher
branches OF manufactures. They may be readily
allured by the prospect OF employment In different
directions, and commanded in the number and atthe
times required Their labor is more productive, and
| consequently cheaper, and less of their gains are
consumed or wasted. But it may be asked, why
white labor Of a similar kind may not be employed
at the south equally as at the north. Sir, the slave
| population, to great extent, excludes the class
which furnishes such labor, and except perhaps 10
few towns Of the SOUTH il cannot be commanded at
all in any amount Even where it may be had, both
from the limited supply and the prejudice in slave
country to such hlreling employments, wages must
be, and, as experience has shown, always high
er than at the north, In view, therefore, both Of ia
clites for manufacture and capacity for cheap pro-
ducilon, permanent superiority results 10 the north
from the nature Of its laboring classes
! third most important advantage, MIR. Chairman,
was possessed by the north, in the much larger
amount OF Its floating or personal capital, which,
| embarked in commercial or other speculative pur-
SUITS could be more easily diverted, and directed,
when inducements presented, TO the production OF
manufactures. The capital Of the south WAS main
| ly invested in lands and slaves, which are at all
times proyerbally difficult of conversion, but which,
If thrown, TO great extent, at any one time, under
a common lnducement TO embark IN other pursuits,
upon the Market could not be realized at ALL only
al ruinous sacrifices. The case was widely different
at the north. Personal capital might easily be COM
| nanded, might be drawn from trade or commerce,
and directed whithersoever the prospect Of profit
tempted. In aid ofthisr advantage, too, the north
has always been the Of the national and other
more important banks Of the country and the points
where the revenues Of tho government were eoHect-
ed, and made the basis Of extended issues and en-
larged credits. 1t enjoyed, therefore, much more
available capital, and had, besides the impor-
tant aids 10 the facility Of obtaining loans and deal
ing on credit. The extent of this advantage may be
difficult of depreciation, but would alone have been
| decisive. ,"'.1t.Ha'g .'... J.
A fourth important advantage of the north may
be found In It's vicinity TO the leading markets Of
the country, and the consequent facility with
| which its manufactured products could be thrown
in the cut channels Of general supply, and subst-
tuted to foreign products, as they were excluded
| by high duties or otherwise. The commercial
cities Of the north have very long been the
whence the supplies of manufactures, as of almost
all other goods, obtained for all sections of the
| Union. To them, retailing merchants from all
quarters of the country resorted for their assert
| ments Facilities of access and transport to them
were much greater at the north than from the more
distant south; consequently, whenever either, from
the natural wants Of the Union, the shutting out
of foreign imports, demand existed there for manu-
featured products, they would be, from the first,
most cheaply and naturally supplied from the ad-
Joining States. When the difficulty of dyertine
est oft nd the
falling in with them considered this advantage
| will readily be recognised as of no slight moment
/ fifth cause, kindred in its nature the last may
be found in the fact, that the denser population of
the north always afforded more extensive demand
| and consumption In those regions around manuac-
turing est Adjustments, which would naturally seek
them for supplies and at the same time cooperating
| with the commercial and trading pursuits Of the
people and their speculative tendencies, induced the
earlier opening, by railroads and canals, of
of access to distant sections, the markets of which
might be engrossed. A frmer basis of support at
home thus secured in the FIRST instance and, in
| addition, the sphere of extended operations was
constantly charging. To these results the larger
capital, the diversified pursuits, and the greater
amount of travel and superior importance Of de-
| spatch in communication incident to commercial
people, largely contributed Their existence can
be questoned nor can their effective influences
in giving to the North greater facilities for the estab
llshment Of manufactures and the supply Of gene
| raj consumption, be well overrated. 10 a . ... ,.
! All these advantages to which not few more
might be added, If time allowed have existed from
a very early period in favor of the north over the
south, IL, respect to manufactures, and still exist
Mr.. Chairman, in even more than original potency.
The stmulants which have been almost constantly,
for thirty years. applied by partial legislation have
accelerated their development and confirmed their
controlling power From their own nature, too,
they have grown and stronghold by exercise and
display. Population has become, in points favor
able to manufactures, denser labor, in larger sup.
ply and of more competency and skill, is more
cheaply furnished; capital has accumulated, at a
constantly accelerating rate, and been largely
added to by the extortions made by the protective
! system on every other section. The manufacturing
establishments have become more stable, and sup
| piled with more abundant resources, and better
prepared to sustain competition and reverses. In
view of these things, may not the protective sys
| tenn be well characterized as "addng unto those
who already have, and taking from those who have
not that which they haven D.,"r BE-.
When all the advantages have referred to, Mr.
| Chairman, fairly considered and estimated, !
appeal the candid To deternine vhether the