The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-10-08
that we beg leave to incorporate it with these few de-
suliory reflections.

lhE FOREIGN MAhkET.-We arc not surprised al
the elaborate articles with which the wing papers
TEEN, intended 10 neu,ralize the effect produced by
the rise of prices of American products in Europe,
| and of course in our own markets. The news from
Europe is so directly in the teeth Of the "panlc"
predictions Of the tarites, that their Ingenuity rs
sadly yexed to furnish a plausible palllauon. Al
one time they eontended that the opening OF the
British ports would be serious disadvantage TO the
American producer--for, they argued, under the
old system, heavy duties were imposed upon grain
from all other cOuntries--but that this country
might, by means Of transhipment through Cana
da, introduce our produce into England on much
better terms and therefore overcome tho competl-
lion Of the Baltic, Mediterranean, &c; but now that
the British ports were thrown open to oil alike,
| would lose this advantage and be driven from the
British market by the cheaper grain Of the Baltic,
&c. This theory Of the wings has been thoroughly
refuted by the lamense amount Of produce which
we have thrown into England for consumption, re-
CARELESS Of the much talked of competition Of the
European graln-gTowing countries.
But say the wings, the late rise in the price OF
grain Is entirely owing TO the failure Of the English
crops, and is in nowise attributable TO the repeal Of
the corn laws We have expressed our belief in
the law Of supply and demand-we have conceded
that the rise Of price is in some measure to be as
scrlbed TO the failure Of the crops abroad but we
also contend that that rise is 10 large degree
able 10 the free admission of our gram. Can any
one deny, that, the smaller the duty imposed upon
supplied with to give for the artiele' Suppose the
enormous British duties our tobacco be lowered,
may we not certainly expect better price for the
article admitted into England This win scarcely be
denied; and yet when we see the burdens taken of
from -four, wheat, and indian corn, the whig papers
grayely and stoutly contend, that their increased
price is altogether attributable 10 the failure Of the
crops.
But we deem il unnecessary TO discuss ropo-
sition which is in itself 80 clear, and which the
strong common sense Of the people will thoroughly
understand. There is one fact, however which
places the matter beyond cayi Previous TO the
opening Of the British ports, the important article Of
Indian corn was very htIe used in Great Britain.
The great measure Of the repeal Of the laws
at once produced a most striking ehect-and the
quantity Of Indian corn exported from New York
previous the LIST September, is estimated at $685.
900 bushels; from Philadelphia, los, 7O7 bushels
and from New Orleans, 94l $50 sacks. Now, when
we recollect that the product Of the United States
this year is estimated at 500 millions, it having
BEEN according To the Of 1910, 81, 53l S75
bushels, Of which Virginia raised "a SIT 59l bush
els, il will be easily imagined what an immense
revenue has accrued to this country from the in
crease Of price on the article of Indian corn alone
Yesterday Times says; "The introduction of corn
into England as an article OF food, and the
quent enhancement Of its value should give spur
TO the prosperity Of the tde-water region Of Vir
gina which contains some of the finest corn-grow-
ing lands in the world" Does not this isolated fact
demonstrate the vast importance of the opening Of
the British portsS The National lntelligencer de-
clared that the free-trade movements in England
were stimulated by the ant-arf report of Secretary
Walker Upon this undoubted whig testimony
then, does not the present democratic
deserve some credit for the cheering prospects now
| held out to the agricultural community
As germane to the subject, we quote a strong ar
tiele from the New York Evening Post Il is a pow
erful summing up of most interesting facts:
"a PREDICTION FULFLLED.-In the last session Of
Congress, Mr.. Strohm, wing representative from
Pennsylvania, in the course Of series Of invectiyes
against the bill for reducing and equalzng the du-
ties imported goods seized with the spirit Of
prophecy. lie saw the manufacturing establish
| ments OF the country compelled to stop in conse-
quence of the new tariff he saw the workman de-
prived Of employment; he saw American ships con-
veying American produce to the British ports and
finding themselves anticipated and undersold by
merchants bringing wheat from the shores Of the
Black sea and the Baltic. All this he foresaw, and
proclaimed to Congress- and took care that the speech
In which he proclaimed it should be published for the
edihcation OF his constituents As the wing papers
are not likely now to reprint Mr.. Strohm's predic-
tons, that their readers may see how exactly they
verified, and he is doubtless too modest to do
It himself, we give them they appeared in the Ma
tional Intelligencer at the time:
'Mr. s. would, therefore, proceed TO inquire
what would be the practical effect of this new tariff
Ways and Means, suPposing it to be possible that
such bill could pass'
" The first in the train of evils it must produce
would be the prostraton of domestic manufactures
Multitudes now engaged in them must at once be
thrown out Of employment The comforts they
now enjoyed, and even the necessares fife would
soon be found wanting Bitter experience would
soon teach the laborer that though in the purchase
of his little necessares he might get the full benefit
OF the two or three hundred per cent. saving pro-
posed by Sir Robert Walker, yet his practical con-
dition would be far worse than it was before.
"'The second evil would be that we must sus-
tain the loss of millions of capital now vested in
manufactures. Much Of this must inevitably be
| rendered useless, the business of its owners would
be ruined, their prosperity blighted, and they them
| selves brought to bankruptcy and want.
"'And how would agriculture be affected One
OF the chief arguments in favor of the bill was the
alleged benefit which it would confer on the agri.
cultural classes. The doctrine sounded in the ears
OF our farmers was, that the tariff of 1912 was d.
rectly against their interest; and if any doubted
this, they were met with an air of triumph and
pointed to the repeal of the corn laws The British
ports were to be thrown open, and a rich market
furnished for American breadstuns. But mo-
ment's reflection sufficient to teach any man of
common sense, that if the British ports were thrown
open, the British market must at the same time be
open to the competition Of oil the world and when
the American farmer sent there his wheat he would
the shores of the Baltic would be there before him.
The wheat of Odessa, the wheat from Hamburg
the wheat from Dantzic, would all have anticipated
his, and at prices for which they could not SELL He
would now discover, in spite ofa the fine doctrines
which had been told him by the advocates Of free
trade, that after all, it the demand that re gu
ated price, and not the duty alone
"Mr. Strohm was surprisingly accurate in the
last of these predictions which regards the market
for our produce in Great Britain Vast quantities
of grain and other articles of food have been sent
out; the British ports have been thronged with
American vessels bringing these welcome cargoes--
yet neither captains nor crews have heard anything
Of the Baltic and Black sea farmers. This Baltic
farmer and his brother of the Black sea are eyre.
gious humbugs. The Illinois and Wisconsin farm
ers and those of the other western States can raise
wheat for half what it COSTS the cultivator in the
north of Europe or the neighborhood Of Odessa,
and can command prodigiously greater surplus
from their own rich and boundess region, the most
easily titled of any in the known world.
"l'here could not be more convincing illustration
Of the advantage ola foreign market for the produce