The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-17

regulated, for many years TO come, by the markets
abroad Flour is worth in this city at the present time
% 81 per barrel. The price is maintained by for.
eign orders in market, which would be executed on
reduction often or twenty cents per barrel and the
whole stock taken for exports. What, think you,
would be the price Of -four in this city II there
no export demand, and the many hundreds Of thou
sands Of barrels that have been sent abroad within
The last SIX months were returned to the United
States TO DC consumed at homer | say confidently
mat the largeness of the surplus, notwithstanding
me protection Of home industry would depress
ne price % 81 75-lO0 per barrel A farmer in
Michigan would have but small return for his labor
after deductng from that price 81 90 TO 81 100 per
barred height The relative proportion Of persons
engaged an husbandry compared with those em-
Iployed In mechanical and manufacturing pursuits,
about eighteen Of the former TO oae Of the latter
ihe dea therefore, that by legislative enaetnents,
giving a monopoly TO the manufactures OF
goods, al the produce Of the country can be
consumed at home, Is too preposterous 70 admit OF
a moments deliberation, Another disadvantage
which the farmer is subjected 70 In being compelled
70 exchange his products with the American manu-
ens. &. p,o se,, =, ssI .s. hin Q Pay four
ufaeturer, To illustrate-Ifa farmer were 10 ex-
change barrel Of -four worth S. so, with manu-
facturer, for brown drllmgs al the market price OF
ISt cts,, he would receive g6i yards This article
leost the manufacturer 81 as Gus per yard; The DIFF
ference between that and 81 cts Il profit 50 tina, in
reality the cotton manufacturer wheedles barrel OF
-four out Of the farmer, by the legerdemain of The
tariff, for 66f yards Of drilling costing So 30 An
English manufacturer would be glad 70 make a
similar exchange al the rate Of los yards per barrel
and then he would have margin left Of per cent
Proht on ms goods. Il don't require much cypher-
ing 70 SATISFY the Virginia farmer by which ex-
change he would make the most money II is subject
the southern planter should be enlightened upon,
as 1t Is one Of vital importance to him. The adms-
SION OF maize into England free Of duty will Drove
OF great relief 10 The people OF the coton-growing
States IL will furnish market for profitable pro-
ducton and also prevent the necessity OF excessive
lcultlyation OF cotton.
Mr.. Lawrence makes a comparison OF the amount
OF products Of the two Carolinas, with those OF
Massachusetts, TO show the superiority of the lat
Ter state as an argument in favor Of sustaining the
tariff He says
The aggregate products Of the two CaroIinss in
1910, was $685., 1874, with population Of 347 =
lSl7. The products Of Massachu setts, with popu-
auon Of less than S0O,ON people, amounted at the
same time TO 500 600 900, and now the products OF
labor and capital are more than sl20, 100000"
What are denominated products Of Massachu-
sets, are chiefly manufactured goods, estimated a,
their market valuesi very considerable proportion
OF these values Is made up OF the raw materials OF
wool, cotton, iron, &c, and not produced in that
State. A yard of brown sheetings worth eight
cents, has three cents Of lis value produced at the
South. Hence il is spparent that in instutng any.
thing like just comparison of the products Of CAPT
tai and labor the value Of the raw materials OF
foreign production, should be substracted from the
account.
Nevertheless it is but too true that the machinery
OF Massachusetts as producing power, is an over
match for the physical labor Of the Caronas Il is
the misfortune Of the people Of those States that il
Is So. Upon what principle Of justice government
presumes to add to that misfortune by an unscrupu-
lous tariff, favoring the spindes of the North il is
difficult to conceive. If the South were to petition
the government 10 protect their physical labor
against the Superior productive power Of northern
machinery, by exncting lesser proportion ef taxes
there might be, on the score of humanity some
plausible pretsxt for legislative compliance But
that the reverse of this should be the fact and that
masses of men should be taxed to make the capital
water-powcr, and machinery Of the few more pro-
ductive, is certainly Of the rnarves Of the age
II the principle of protecting machinery is correct,
! It should be extended by governmentto the protec-
uon OF that great abor'saving machine, the cotton
4 GIN. A duty Of two or three cents Der bound for
this purpose to enure to the benefit Of the planter,
upon all cotton manufactured in the United States,
would probably bring the mill-owners to "realiz-
ing sense" Of the onesided operation of the present
tariff. '.g . ...r.
! Mr. Lawrence makes other statements in relation
to the Caroinas and Virginia. all Of which 60 to con-
trovert his own arguments, and to show how much
more those three States have been injured than bene-
hted by the system Of protection" He says
"They have but little else than soil and physi-
cal power remaining. You possess but a small
amount of productive power in the form ofrailroads
| and Iabor-saping MACHINES He advises them to
abandon planting, and to go to manufacturing. He
gives this advice at the same time that he knows,
from the character Of the population, and the want
of capital and perience that il would be impossi-
bic to carry 1t out TO any extent, the present gene
ration. 1t is probable, moreover, that a large ma
jority Of the planters Of those States would
prefer, If allowed to make their own seec-
ton, to be agriculturalists. They would be I'M
willing to send their daughters to cotton-mil
and subject them to the slavish drudsery and me-
chanical routine which the operatives at Lowell
have to endure. Why it is that the manufacturing
gentry flor that title is becoming as significant Of
power as "landed gentry" is in Ensland) should be
allowed to dictate to the people Of the South The bu-
slness they must pursue, in selfdelence is certainly
an anomaly IN our government not contemplated at
the time the Union was formed. Mr.. Lawrence's
language is as follows:
You possess but small amount of productive
power, in the form Of railroads and abor-saving ma
chimes. You have deep interest," in common with
all the States in unfolding the labor of the country
I ou seem to be satisfied that the time has come
when something should be done to improve the con-
ditlon of your people The people Of Virginia, with
South and North Carolina particularly the two for
mer States) have pursued policy that has brought
them, so far as population is concerned to station
airy conditions and, from present Indications should
not be surprised to see Eastern Virginia and South
Carolina with less number of people in 1850 than
they contained in 1870" H..
How the introduction Of "labor-saving machines"
is to increase the population Of those States, Mr.
Lawrence would probably be better able to explain
than some Of his other reasoning.
There are some other statements in Mr. Law
rences letter, which are susceptible Of refutation,
and which will reserve for another opportunity.
A MERCHANT.
----- u. --.N,-
THE TARIFF.
From the Baltimore Patriot.