Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-06-06
NATIONAL fNTELLlGENCER.
THE NATIONAL FAIR

closed finally last Wednesday night, agreeably to the
notice published some days ago. This great exem-
pli6cation of American ingenuity, projected and
prosecuted under doubts of its success has far
more than equalled the highest hopes of the patriotic
gentlemen who originated and carried it forward.
During the entire fortnight that it has been open,
its immense saloons have been thronged by day
and crowded by night with interested and gratfed
spectators, who have come hher from all quarters
to view its treasures. As an experiment it has
been crowned with the most complete, and, we will
add, the most merited success. Such display of
beautiful specimens of American skill and progress
in the various branches Of manufacturing, mechani-
cal, and scientific industry was well calculated to
CRAFTY all hearts which cherish the real indepen-
dence of the country and its solid prosperity. Es-
pecally must it have gratiied all such to observe
the numerous and varied proofs of our country's
independence of the foreign world in all those plain
er but more essential fabrics which belong to the
comfort of the people. Beautiful and rich and adj
mirabe as were the countless specimens of ingenu-
ty in the embellishments and luxuries of hfe-much
there was to delight the eye-we confess it was
the vast display of the homeer productions, essen
tal to individual and domestic comfort, which i'm
parted to us the highest pleasure. All this, how
will be treated Of appropriately, and with due
Discrimination by pens and in publications devoted
to the subject. We can only say that the National
Fair has been source of pleasure and instruction
to the thousands who have visited it, and of no little
advantage, we believe, to our National Metropolis;
that we feel that our city is much indebted to
the liberal contributors to whose public spirit we
- IL, Il ii,
cess of their experiment sufficient inducement TO
repeat it periodically, occasionally, hereafter
Should person, without any strongly preconceived
opinions respecting Tariffs, Protection, Free Trade,
DC. have visited this Fair, his opinion, after hav-
ing examined its contents, would, we think, be ex-
pressed somewhat in this wise: This exhibition
affords the strongest possible evidence of happy
thriving people and prosperous nation. Here is
proof that, whilst all the more common and useful
arts fife successfully prosecuted the more ee-
waited ones, which improve the taste and elevate
the feelings of people, are advancing with almost
unexampled rapidty" If our friend were thus
to express himself he might hear some free-trade
advocate at his elbow accost him as follows This
exhibition is altogether deceptive: the result has
been brought about by the sacrifice of the interests
of eighty-hree per cent. of the people for the en-
richment of the remaining seventeen per cent
The eighty three per cent have been taxed, and
are taxed, for the benefit of the seventeen. The
eighty-three per cent. of the population who are
not engaged in manufactures, but are principally
engaged in, and all more or less interested in
agriculture, who the consumers of the goods
manufactured by the seventeen per cent. have TO
pay more for those goods than they had to pay for
similar ones before the passage of the Tariff OF
1912, or than they could noW purchase them for
from the foreign manufacturer. And besides, the
price of all agricultural produce is much ioUrr
no,o than it was prior to 1912 caused, no doubt
by the closing of our markets, in great measure to
1.-THE introduction of foreign manufactures, and the
consequent prevention of the foreigner from pur-
chasing our breadstuffs in return"
To all this very short answer is alone neces-
sary, and we can imagine our unpre JUDGED friend
thus to give that answer, the prompting of common
sense and the result Of just reasoning Il do not
perceive how, under representative system OF
government like ours the interests of eighy-hree
per cent Of the population can be sacrificed to
that of seventeen, seeing that the representatives
of the former exceed those of the latter nearly as
FIVE to one, unless the former either very igno-
rant very venal, or both: the reply TO this rests
with our opponents.
Again" continues our friend, " with respect TO
the charge that the consumers of manufactured
goods have to pay more for those goods than they
did before 1912: | am very much inclined to
doubt the fact, and must continue to do SO until
you can adduce some leading articles at prices
before and after the tariff which will support your
assertions. As to the prices at which European
manufacturers say they can now sell you goods.
i have no doubt the prices that they quote will
bear out your assertions. They would be glad to
clear out their overladen warehouses at those
prices but, repeal your tariff, destroy your o,ca
manufactures, leave the foreign manufacturer in
unindisturbed monopoly of your market, and see
how long he would continue these prices The
experiment would be hazardous one, and GER
tainly not worth making at the expense of the in
'terests involved. You charge the tariff of 1912 as
being the cause of the depreciation of agricultural
produce: you have yet to satisfy me that there
IS any conneTion betCeen them. The only pos
sible connexon which can imagine is, that every
man who has been encouraged by the, tariff to en-
gage in manufactures has consequently ceased to
to be an agriculturist. How you would raise the
price Of produce by driving these people back into
the ranks of the producers and thus increase the
supply whilst you diminish the demand, is not
very obvious. As to foreigners refusing TO pur-
chase breadstufs Of us, because we do not pur-
chase manufactures from them, we deny both the
TACT and the conclusion. All nations must and
will have full supply of food, if there be posi-
bllity OF obtaining it; and if England wants wheat
or hour, and we can supply them upon as good
erms as any other country can, we shall have
lair chance for their custom uithout auy refer