New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-07-30
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE.
m,.Ne,t.world,. Convention,
nanny MORNING. JULY 30.

,o..;oner Of the Belgian Government formerly
Professor Of Political Economy, now on a mission
% the United States Of America issues aManifesto
through the leading colums Of the EUeHiRg Post,
invitin, the Political Economists and enlightened
citizens Of she United States to attend Conven-
ton Of the psrtsans and opponents Of Free Trade,
TO be held at Brussels lBegium) on the 10th day
of September, 1871 He entreats the journals
Of this country without exception TO give place to
his manifesto and we will endeavor 10 accomno-
date him by making the announcement "hicn
the object or at least the occasion OF his aoofes'
and copying a. much Of the letter itself as we can
conveniently make room for with such comment"
succeeding each paragraph as Truth and Poohc
Good .aero 10 dictate. N. Chitti thus opens
The Liberty Of Commerce or Whist Is now esl'ed
Free Trade a. beyond dispute. one OF the most ehcs
-. ,e.ns of increasing national wealth. IL q only
under the Influence OF freedom from RESTRICTIONS tnst
the industry OF country can Dc preeraoy greeted 70
The most profitable productiOns-tO those productions
Tor which the nation Is more sdvansgeOUsly situated
than other nations At least ss well situated a. others
The people Of country have 20 personal interest 10
nrodncng these commodities which other nations placed
10 relation thereto favorable circumstances can
produce with less expense and can therefore sell At
cheaper rate
II all this is indeed beyond dispute, what is
the use Of the proposed Conyen,ioni Here Is the
whole problem solved and the solution recorded
vet NJ Cbitti and his confederates grsyely sum
mon the Economists Of all the world TO meet ID
Convention at Brussels to consider and discuss ~
ftbe advocates of Protection were insane or dots
thew csu,ld not be treated supercIiously than
they are by this Commissioner In paper pur
ooting 20 invite them to discuss fair and equal
terms the Economic question in Convention tree
and omen 10 all the world, and which would be I'M
derstood to profIer equal opportunities to all The
whole scheme is here carelessly exposed. NJ
Cbitti and his c6aborers have no idea that the SUB
iect will be really and candidly investigated by
their Convention, with view 10 the discernment
and proclamation of truth. They mean only to
proclaim in an imposing and speciOus form those
doctrines which they have already settled as " be
yond dispute" and they calculate that the Com
percia Interest and Spirit will be so strongly
represented as TO oyerbear all opposition. The
whole project ia party devce-a mere game, and
the Commissioner seems 10 MS rather bungIing
PLAYER He shows his hand at the start.
NJ. Chitti so far from being the man to settle
he Economic controversy OIL hand knows not how
even TO fairly state it. He assumes without war
rant that il one country can produce an article so
cheaply ns TO undersell the corresponding product
of another nation in its markets then it IS de-
monstrated beyond dispute that the former pos
sesses such natural advantages for producing
this article that it ought to supply the wants
Of the latter. Yet this is the very point IN con
troversy--the point on which we feel very con
Rdent that the Free Traders are wrong-that
they have glided over II without thoroughly
considering it-taking 1t as beyond dispute
when il is not only dsputabe but very earnestly
disputed Let as consider Hats or Shirts as an H.
lustraton We will suppose for example, that the
average cost Of making good Fur Hat in this
country is a. while good an article might be i'm
ported all duties being repealed for s3I and that
the established price of making Shirts here is
twenty five cents, while it is possible TO procure
their making in some part Of Europe or Asia for half
that sum. Here, says the ex Professor, 1t is be-
yond dispute that the nation which produces them
for less money possesses natural advantages for
prosecuting this branch ofindustry-it is clear that
,va orebi 20 buy oil her. but way No; this does
b., no ,oesns follow We may obtain mats or
Shirts rrruc ruURPer, under these c'"cumstances,
by buying abroad but We derange and depress
our own Industry--not alone in the branches i'm.
mediately affected bat in the whole circle, by so
doing Tie American Halter thus thrown out Of
employment is driven into some other vocation TO
work az reduced wages and with inferior skill the
American Seamstress thus bereft OF her slender re-
source becomes a competitor for employment in
some capacity less fitting and congenia, or perhaps
a tax upon public or private beneyolence. The
proverbisl folly of buying because they are cheap
oil 20 lhol Itr nm
familiar TO Professors of Political Economy alone
But hear NJ. Cstti again
"Itis equally under this inostnable absence from 70
strict,on only that national manufactures can elevate
themselves that degree of perfection which they must
attain TO be able To compete successfully win foreign
manufactures and Ia also under the shelter OF tree
dom that nation derives the greatest ad yantsges from
the productive forces in her possession aud Is enabled
with the means OF production to furnish greater
amount OF products Free Trade beside stimulates the
aud the activity Of the manufacturers end
ever forces them 60 press onward IL they wish not TO
remsin behind while other nations advancing and
improving their methods of production In fine. 1t Is
this same freedom OF trade which calls forth and per
fects inventions resulting In the addition of new pOwers
to those already existing and Ia bringing to aid the work
of production the natural agents that the Deny has
scattered with prodigaliy under the hand OF man, pro-
vded he takes the pains 20 discover them and to make
them the allies of his LAHORE.
IL this were truth instead Of rhetoric, Holland, by
her uniform adherence to Free Trade, ought to
have been placed far in advance OF England in the
extent and perfection of her manufactures, while
Switzerland should have far outstripped Saxony or
Prussia. Then as to stimulating ard periecting In
vention-look into any of our workshops and fac.
tories, and see whether the greatest achieve
ments of Mans inventive iaculnes-the Steam
Engine. the jacquard Loom, the Spinning Jenny,
Sc.-were actually called into existence under
the policy of Free Trade or that OF Protection
This is not question to be settled by the naked
assertions even of an ex Professor OF Political
Economy. But hear him farther;
III 4. time that enlightened nations explode the ab.
.urd system which preends 10 protect Lsbor-s system
which with more reason may be styled obstacle 10
the progress of national wealth system unjust and
rulpous 10 the interests Of those forms of industry truly
national those which exist from their inherent
force tor the sake OF fsvorng industry which il para
ysed and which only suo.lsi by forcing consumers
10 buy It's products
The consequences Of these unjust and tyrsnnicsl
laws improperly termed protective, in the fret
place TO transplant into country those branches Of in
dusry which cannot be successful being removed 50
to speak from that latitude in which solely they could
prosper Such forms OF industry necessarily hrough,
forward 10 the hot beds Of protection and would ask Il
be wise to wish to make Of domestic vinegar pro
10 hc ,ksrt 81. a.