The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-05
THE UNION.
COMMUNICATED TO THE UNION.
RICHMOND HUI,
Liverpool, May is, 1876.

7th and 10th January, and 23d February, and 70,
the very hattering manner IN which you are pleased
70 speak Of my judgment, IN noticing an extract
from letter Of mine TO Mr. Rolfe OF the 10Th octo-
Der last.
| In justice TO myseIf-and hope without produ-
cling on your part any change Of opinion as TO nv
Judgment must totally dissent from the inference
you have drawn from this insulated paragraph, that
II is in support Of your protective duties. NY ar
guments merely went TO show that the landlords Of
this country had no just right, by high duties TO
exclude your wheat, -four, maize, DC; for that the
natural advantages that they, through our manufac-
lures, possessed, enabled them TO transmute large
quantity Of grain into hardware, broadcoths, &c,
for expectations and that their monopoly kept us 10
a state Of commercial warfare with YOU and other
com.growing nations, who have the means TO some
extent, Of supplying wants on good or better
terms than they can do. No class interest in any
country-whether farmers, landlords, or manufac-
tuers-ought TO be sustained by protective or pro-
hibitory duties for their benefit or 20 enable them
TO carry on business which Is a misappliea,.oa of
| skill and capital, and not only injurious to those
who are more Immediately laid under contribution,
but to the country at large.
The United States have advantages which we do
not possess for sustaining your natural and naiirs
industry in the manufacture Of wheat, maize, rice
cotton tobacco pork &c and il is not important TO
you whether they are exported wheat, maize,
rice, &C. or Transmitted into cotton pork or tobae-
co, which oyeTpays you, but is your interest. The
words "nahrs industry" have been very much
abused, as applied TO the making Of manufactured
goods only II 10 still more nahrs, as you are situ-
ated, il applied to the cultivation Of the soil
There is no doubt that we can manufacture many
articles cheaper than you cam and it is equally in
controyertlble that you can supply us with much
that we cannot obtain elsewhere so adyantageously
Now, the question to be answered is simply this: Is
II our interest respectively to take from each other
such articles we import cheaper than we can
make nro1nce than 4
conceive there will be a moments hesitation
IN answering in the affirmative. Neither | think
will il be disputed that the more we can induce other
nations to take what we sdyantageously pro-
duce and spare with advantage il is our interest to
do so; and ] no way 80 efTectual to accomplish
this end as by removing all protecting and prohb
tory duties. II other nations are obstinate and will
not reciprocate mutual benefits do not let us aggra-
yate the evil, and punish ourselves by retaiating
and deprving ourselves OF many Of the necessaries
Of life by high duties, which, to the extent the du
ties imposed must produce this effect as il costs
US more labor TO obtain aud supply our wants
When these prohibitions are carried too far thew Ell
her annihilate the trade altogether smuggers step
In as in Spain, TO the injury Of the revenue and de-
morallzaton OF the nation; and we have ample proof
from experience, that moderate duties produce the
most revenue; and that, by removing restrictions
we have materially increased our exports 10 nations
who have become more stringent in their prohibi-
tons. | send you the Anti. Monopoly societys 10
port for last year, in the appendix to which you will
find proof Of this would throw commercial trea-
ties to the wind, and act solely as deemed il the
interest Of my country, without reference to what
other nations do-never losing sight of the fact that
no people can import without exporting an eauiva-
lent-we cannot sell without we buy-we are not
generous enough TO give the products Of our indus
Try, without obtaining for them something that is
more valuable to US than that with which we part
and the farther can create these exchanges the
both rites and the natIan are al for
their labor, skill and capital are then turned to the
best possible account by creating the greatest auan
tity Of value to make exchanges with Just take
one example Of the injustice that heavy dates
do in injuring your farmers, and all those who
buy woollens, cottons, hardware, &c, &c. Let
us suppose you charge duty Of fifteen per cent
on woolens, as you did at one period and that
two barrels Of -four then bought, or exchanged for
piece Of cloth; but to sustain your manu- factur-
ing pursuits, you induce the government to raise
their duties to third on the previous cost and
duty which would be less than your present rates,
then requires three barrels of the farmers -four to
buy the same quantity Of woolens-which is posi-
tive loss TO him and to all other purchasers, who
must part with larger value OF property to obtain
this cloth, without any corresponding advantage to
the manufac turers unless they have some local or
natural advantages: they may not derive more than
living profit out Of their trade, when all the rest Of
the country is heavily taxed to sustain them in
their business; if tho manufactures have more than
fair profit, it is equally unjust that others should
pay for their exclusive benefit just fancy us forcing
the growth of pine apples in England, and you
breeding Shetland ponies at New Orleans. This is
nothing but strong illustration of the folly and
waste of labor and capital, in attempting to effect
what others do for US, on much better terms.
A tailor can make clothes infinitely better and
cheaper than shoemaker shoemaker can do the
same with shoes, much better than the tailor;
now what would be the effect of laying counter
vailing or prohibitory duties between these two
partiesl Would It not punish both, by compelling
them to make worse article, and at an improbable
and greater expenditure of labor, than if each
left to his own natural trade to supply the other with
clothes and shoes. Can there be doubt of this'
Now fancy the trade of New York and Boston, in
terfered with by counervailing and prohbitory du-
ties. Go step further, and imagine the nations of
the earth all pursuing the suicidal policy, and
leave you to draw the inference The effect APP
pears to clear the sun at noon, yet this is
the policy, far nations are concerned that you
advocate,
Almost oil your protection publications, which
have had an opportunity threading, more or less say
that all you want is reciprocity; now on this point
we are about testing the sincerity of such decara
tonsj for hope the packet Of THO 18th June will
carry you out an account of the death-warrant Of
our corn-lnws, &c, &c, having received the royal
assent and that we are about to give your flour,
wheat Indian corn, cotton, lard, &c, &c, free ad
mission to our consumers.
Ii is true our government, with view to raise
revenue, prohibits the growth Of tobacco in Great
Britain, although it can be raised of very fair
quality in Ireland and better for the than
the aduerated trash now used by them. This
gives you a complete monopoly of our market for
that article, although it will continue taxed. IL is
your interest that this course should be pursued,
but much question whether it is ours. | am not
without hope that even here, by-and.by will get
the duty reduced unless by your prohibitions you
put it out Of our power to pay for what we want
by our exports direct or indirect; for this is the
limit, and the only limit there ought to be to
trade. Your farmers and planters are much less
intelligent and shrewd people, than | take them
to be- if they do not clearly see that having oil the
world for customers, and all the nations of the
earth open to draw such articles from they want,
is not much better for thom than to be placed in the
position Of having only one customer to sell to,
whose interest il is to buy cheap and only mo-
nopoly and protected country (the home markoD to
go TO for suppes-for let il be disguised or mysti
fed it may, this is the practical effect of prohib-
ting imports by excessive duties; it is national sui
eide. must again repeat, and we must never lose
,,srhs Of .zls