Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-06-09
WHAT THE WORLD OWES TO COMMERCE

briefly remarked upon the beneficial effects and i'm
proving tendencies of commerce, in its furnishing
supply of products and commodities from abroad;
It's multiplying and cheapening the products of home
industry; and its making the knowledge, discover
les inventions and improvements of each country
of the civilized world the possession of all; thus
rendering it the most efficient and inexpensive
means of advancing civilization. This last named
and most important benefit of the commercial sys-
tenn requires much more extended notice, for its
calculation, than the limits of one or two hasty
newspaper articles admit. And we, therefore, ven
ture to devote little more space to some further
consideration of that branch Of the subject.
Commerce is one of the grand 1npelling prnci-
pies of industry. Industry" it has been well OBJ
served, lis in no respect different from the other
virtues and it We're idle 10 expect it should be
strongly manifested where it does not bring cor
responding reward" This reward is found in the
increased and multiplied comforts and conyeniences
of highly civilized communities While very much
Is said, and not without some good reason, of the
nti-phllosophica character of creating and multi
Of benefit resulting to the human family at large
from the existence and increase of this seeming
evil. Artificial wants, and the means resorted to
for supplying them, constitute the greater part per-
haps OF the aggregate superiority of civilized over
unciyilized communities. New products and new
means of qualification, brought from abroad or in
vented at home stimulate to continued excrton.
The passion for novelties in the Indulgence of tastes
and the qualification of desires forbids the belief that
1t is ever to reach an ultimate limit And hence
find that whateveE.may be the extent of progress
in arts and Inventions the extent of human activity
and enterprise, instead OF being rcpressed check
ed, by the influence Of these causes is indefinitely
increased Rail roads aflord an immense saving of
labor, and at the same time, afford an immense de-
mand for labor. One ounce of coal, Dr. Lardner IN
forms us, can be made to move a ton of rnerchan-
dize distance of two miles But how prodigious,
ly has the demand for iron been increased bv the
great. system OF railroad operations The ircnmar-
ket Of the era CT railroads compares with what it
was a century ago almost as unequaliy as does the
market Tor cotton now and al that period Forests.
value become rich mines of wealth to their own
ers, by the approach Of line of railroad to their
locality. And number of new branches of indus
try spring up and flourish in districts where lit
tie before, they had never been thought Of Six
hundred men are employed in the manufacture of
pianos IN the city OF Boston. And, to say nothing
Of its bearing upon the mahogany-lumber business,
u Brazil and lucatan, or upon the manufacture of
wire, or OF music books, 10 how many thousands
does it afford profitable employment in teaching
music and to how many other thousands the gra-
ttcation and improvement Of learning music in this
department! The qualification of desire awakens
new desire and, however much may be possessed
OF what Is new, the passion for novelty instead of
being satiated is increased in its power and activi
ty. The happiness of d civilized community de-
penis for lis permanence mainly upon continued
eNertlon. Astor may be possessed of means suiIi-
clcnt to meet the wants of the entire population of
several counties But not one Individual in q mil
lion is under stronger necessity Tor continued &C
tivity and eXcrton than he. The attraction of bu-
siness, the charm of activity, the Stimulus Of sue
ccssiul eXerton, are on1ripote1Tn such case as
is the importantly of hrrss.. in another cassmand
perhaps more so. This principlG~perates a. lully
upon communities as upon indy-sl.Ss. In the case
OF communities, as truly as III the case Of indiydu-
ais those possessed of the rs.st abundant means are
certain to be most active and enterprising. "New
contriy ances are continually called for to overcome
new difficulties anlSo increase their command over
Injuries and enioyments." Without commerce
this progress would never be realized. The more
advantages are multiplied, the greater the extent
and variety of the wants they are nade to supply,
and OF Qualifications they are made to command the
greater viii be the amount Of exertion and energy
pat forth or their acquisition" And hence prin-
cipal means Of rendering people distinguished Tor
strenuous and welldirectcd industry is not to re-
press or restrict commerce. bat to a1IcG it the free
est and largest scope for its utmost activity The
variety of new motives - stimulate, ard OF new
products to reward industry which commerce sup
plies, is, every where and forever the best protec
ton and guaranty Of prosperity that home industry
can propose, or ought 10 desire. And nothing in
our view, is more denonstrably certain than that
lIle q" o J'te """c VIII ~ the era OF an Ht3"STg,
more universal, more wisely directed, more advan-
tageous and profitable to ali concerned. than the
world as yet has ever known. The policy Of re-
strictlng commerce for the protection of home IN
dustry is precisely similar TO what would be the
policy ol.cE.ps .fe prosperity Of an agricultural
district by deprivifs 9 market. Every farm
er, as-gelI - every manuiacturaswor- mechanic,
knows that the more extensive and convenient the
market the more will be produced to carry to mar
ket: And never does any one go to market too
much, provided lie always has enough to go to mar
ket with. And in foreign commerce. commercial