The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-09

Tic BlOOc Nc Deel MS own Interest u
Is not the doctrine OF prohibition preposterous II all
nations adopted H. then they would be prosperous in the
proportion In which they abolished intercourse with each
other and the less commerce the better The laws OF
SPAIN are Dad because they restrictive, partial, and
prohbory The general OF the age sets in strong
current IN favor OF freedom of commercial intercourse
and unrestraned individual action Men yield up their
notions OF monopoly and restrictions slowly and re-
ucanty but they cannot stand the general tide OF opn
ION
The foreign commerce OF the country has not even the
shadow OF protection at goes abroad upon the wide
sea to make It's own way and earn lis own bread, in a
professed competition with the whole woSd Its resour.
ees are It's own frugality It's own skill, its enter
prise Ii hopes TO succeed not by extraordinary aid Of
government but by patience, vigilance and toll This
right Of the nations safety strengthens its own
Gle by MS own efforts, and by unweared exertion in its
own defence, becomes strong for the defence OF the
country"
In speaking OF the proposed augmented duty on cot
tons, he says consider the cotton manufactures not
only have reached, but to have passed the point Of
competition regard their success as certain and their
growth as rapid the most impatient could well expect"
His own constituents are largely interested in manufac
turing but he cannot consent that other interests should
be sacrificed in order to give additional protection A
manufacturing community enjoys many advantages, but
1--WE may talk as we will of we-fed and well-clothed
day aborers joumeymen, they not after all TO be
compared, either for happiness or responsibility with him
VINO sleeps under his own roof and cuhyates his own
fee simple Inheritance" ..t
Mr.. Clay had challenged his opponents to show any
country whose manufactures had fourished without the
aud OF prohibitory laws. The challenge is accepted
There is country in which the progress of manufac-
lures has been far more rapid than in any other and yet
unaded by prohibitions unnatural restrictions The
country, the happlest which the sun shines is our
own"
The wooen manufactures of England have existed for
centuries and have had every legislative aid Ours,
the contrary, but OF yesterday, and yet with
than the protection Of existing laws they already at
the point OF close and promising competition" We have
no need then 10 initiate the "clumsy heps with which
governments have "sought TO enable the ingenuity and
industry OF their people to hobble along In the cotton
manufactures also we are competing with the English
II venture TO predict that, in few years, II will be
thought wonderful that these branches of manufactures,
at least should have been thought require additional
aid from government. [This was said in ls2il The
best apology for laws OF prohibition and laws of monop
oily VIII be found in that state Of society not only
ghened, but sluggish in which they are most generally
established"
The American manufactures of iron are computed at
1000 tons per annum; the duty the imported article
Is S5 ton; land this duty causes, OF course, an
e4uiUdisnt augmentation Of the Prtee Of the home manu-
failure, the whole increase OF price Is equal TO S750OOO
annually. This sum pay raw material, and on
an absolute necessary of life" The bill proposed to raise
the duty to S22 so per ton, that eve shall pay
ally sum OF Sll25,0OO, constantly augmented, too by
increased consumption OF the article, 10 support business
that cannot support itself"
Labor is the principal ingredient in the cost of iron A
nation cannot increase its labor at will il have but
certain quantity Labor the great producer of wealth
With US labor is independent and proud II does not ask
capital for It's patronage but capital socits the aid OF la
bor IL is not to the point TO say that we have
in abundance and therefore should manufacture for
ourselves: " The true inquiry rs, can produce
the article an useful state at the same cost, or
prornation toicdrds the same cost at tphich ue can
import u~ The true why il is not policy to
compel citizens TO manufacture iron is that
they are far better employed "lf we had more Of pou
erty Of misery and something Of serritude; il we
had ignorant, dc and starving population, might
set up for iron-makers against the world"
II seems now TO be the policy OF Eng and TO encourage
by every possible MEANS the shipping interest we should
rather follow her example than pursue the opposite sys
tenn OF laying restrictions and burdens upon
merce.
Such, IN SUBSTANCE, were the views of Daniel Web
sTER in 1924. Before the year 1s2s they dsavow
ed, because the capital of his constituents had been trans
ical argument ever the same and that train of reasoning
which conclusive in 1924, is less conclusive now
The advent of the OF commercial freedom is at hand
VI that advent Mr. Webster was prophet but 1.-THE In
does not live savish advocate of the policy he
once denounced as sluggish and unenlightened'