Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-03-26

Britain would never attain high state of
because various knowledge
would not be dfused, native ingenuity
would lie dormant, and small would be the
inducement to bring the soil to its highest
fertility when its produce could command
no sure or profitable market. This is the
present condition of some of the South
American countries, and to some extent it isl
the condition of the Southern States of this
Union.
But now suppose a change of policy or a
state of war should determine the inhabi-I
tants of Great Britain to raise and also to
manufacture all that could be produced
within their limits, and to discourage byI
high duties the importation of any thing
from abroad except what was indispensable,
and could not be produced among them
selves. Instantly full third of the COM
munity would be diverted from farming, and
enter upon the innumerable branches of
manufacture connected with the food, the
raiment and the dwellings of men, as also
upon the construction of implements neces-
sary for the prosecution of these branches.
The other two-thirds, remaining farmers,
would still retain some portion of the I'M
certain foreign market, and would have be-
side at least 100000 customers at home,
who would azaUays require food and the raw
material for their manufactures. This sure
and profitable market for their surplus pro-
duce would enable the farmers to purchase
all the surplus articles fabricated by mechan-
les. Should there be any superiority on
either hand, this might make trial of foreign
markets. In this manner the agriculturists
and the various classes Of mechanics would
mutually support each other: the improve
ment of agriculture and the perfection of
machinery would advance rapidly, and side
by side, because there would be continual
and strong inducement: large cities would
spring up, some in the spots most favorable
for manufactures, and others in the positions
most convenient for the collection and dis
posal Of agricultural and manufactured pro-
ducts to domestic or foreign purchasers; and
in century the population would be al
legst trebled, embracing 100000, Of
whom probably 9 or 10 millions would be
engaged in raising the raw materially agri-
cultural or mineral, and 5 or 6 millions in
manufacturing, transporting, or vending it
This, believe, is pretty nearly the condl-
ton Of Prussia, and some other countries,
which enter quite largely into manufactures,
but possess little Or no shipping whether
for imports, exports, or the carrying-trade.
But suppose still further that the inhabi-
tants of Great Britain, discovering that the
agricultural and manufacturing branches
were somewhat overdriven and that the sur
plus produce of both began to stand stag
nant in the markets, should create and ia
vor by discriminating statutes a great ship
ping interest. Suppose a course OF thought
full legislation should at last almost force
all or great part of the exports and i'm
ports Of Britain tc be made In British-bullt
and Britsl-owned bottoms, and that, beside
the home coasting- trade, British industry
and skill should acquire large portion of
the carrying trade among the various foreign
nations. What would be the result? In
the first place, new species of manufacturers
would arise, and these together with all
those, who, on land or sea, were connected
with the commercial marine, would be
new and very large class of consumers for
all agricultural and manufactured products.
In the next place, British enterprise would
stretch its arms over all the globe, and draw
ing home from the tar-off corners OF the
earth all substances that can be converted
to the real or imaginary benefit of man,
would pass them through its looms and
workshops, and send them forth again in
vested with ten-fold their former value
And as the result of these two causes, the
cities of Great Britain would increase under
the very eye, every field would be highly
cultivated, and in less than century the
already crowded population would be more
than doubled. This has for many years
been pre-eminently the case with England
proper,-a country, which, by the subdlvl-
sion Of her energies into the thousand
branches of agriculture, manufactures and
commerce, has given additional support and
accelerated impulse tc each, and in the last
half-century increased her population from
100000 to about 16,000,0OO, or 800 per
square mile! The same is measurably the
situation of France, Germany and the Low
Countries. The fostering smiles Of the
government and the inherent energies of
the people have brought the northern por-
tons of this confederacy into somewhat
similar condition; and the same policy, if
still continued by the Government, and fur
thered by an active and intelligent commu-
nifty, would soon raise this good old State
to the very summit of prosperity. Mary
land is nearly twice as large, and is far more
fortunate both in climate, soil and situation,
than is the Commonwealth of Massachu-
sets. and instead of being far poorer and