Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-07-04

LETTER FROM MIR. CLAY--The following Letter
from HKsRy CLAY, addressed anic house of high
standing In this CITY, under which the letter
itself sufficiently explains, will be read with thrill OF
pleasure by the hundreds Of thousands Of friend.
throughout the country IL relates the great principle OF
PRorkcrios American Industry, and uers words Of
wisdom at crisis when they should not, and will not,
pass UNDECIDED In the upon the character and
aims OF the new commercial policy Of England will be
found suggestions well worthy OF attention. aud tho whole
letter 10 one Of marked interest aud importance.
Our readers We sure, will share tho delight with
which listen again the aud patriotic counse of
the great Statesman OF the West Ills letter is the more
valuable, because comes from tho aud of his
retirement and not from the field OF active public service
In every way worthy OF attention. aud cannot be with
out an influence upon the current Of public affairs.
~ Y. Courier.
AsuIASp, June 5tb 1886.
Gentemeu-I postponed answering your favor pp,il ,h.
ARRIVAL OF the articles TO which il refers which you havo
been Kind enough to present to They reached here
yesterday In saiey and request your acceptance of my
thanks Tor them Tho pleasure which shall derive from
using them, will be much increased by the fact that both
the raw material and the fabric American. Their
excellence atiests the perfection which this important
branch OF woolcn manufactures has attained in the Unit
ed States, aud Is the gratifying because of the great
dieue. with which they have constantly had contend
IN both sides OF the Atlantic the policy Of siordipp
protection to domestic manufactures appears TO be under
consideration IN the national legislatures. The British
minister has brought forward embracing doc.
uines Of Tree trade not however without of sew
eIa and some very important articles The manufactures
OF Great Britain have reached very high eyrc. Of n.,
lection, by means OF her great capital her imnrovc Al
aud machinery her cheap labor and under sys,.w Of
protection long, perseveringy, and vigorously enforced
She moreover possesses immense advantages for tho sale
ana distribution OF her numerous In her vas,
colonial possessions from which those Of foreign powers
are either entirely excluded admitted on term, yory nm
equal with her own. ' VII
anu not therefore surprised that under beso favorable
circumstances Great Britain should herself he de.;ron 90
adopt and 10 prevail other nations to adopt the princ
pies OF Free Trade shall DO any OF the great nation,
OF the continent should follow an exampe The prnc,ic,l az
10 them. ~ " injurious
ne p'oprey oil ahording protection to Domestic manu.
iaciues, its degree and its Duration depend mon r. -
uona condition and the actual progress which ,ha -
made Zach nation, OF right ought to Judge for i.,lT
oeeNe That history records of any gre and
prosperous nation, which did draw its essential
plies OF food and rament from within its own mi,, If
all nations were Just commencing their career or if their
manufactures had all made eqdal progress it might per
maps be wise TO throw the markets of the world 10 the
ireest and most unresistod competition But IL ia mani
lest that while the manufacture of some have acou,.d al
ne maturity and perfection OF which they
and those oil Others in their infancy bad
Tor existence, free competition between them mus,
dound TO the advantage of the experienced and su and
and establish the arts
No earthly qualification the heart OF Statesman enn
oe greater than that OF having contributed TO the adopton
OF great system OF National Policy and of afterwards wit
Messing us complete success in its practical opornton
That granhcauon be enjoyed by those who were in
sumenaI IN establishing the policy OF protecting our Do
i hesue menuiactures Every promise which they made
mas been tulhled Every prediction which they
as to the quality and quantity Of the Domestic supply n,
10 me reduction OF prices 10 the effect Of competition
al nome and as TO the abundance Of the public revenue
mas been July realized. And it is no less able
that every counter prediction without exception of the on
Ponens OF the policy, has in the sequel been entirely fall
sihed. ' %
Without tracing particularly the operation of our earlier
Tarfs adjusted TO both objects Revenue and
ana coming down to the last me that if there
VIE 9eneheiai eheei from any public measure fully
that al,