Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-12-18

and ALL wages are augmented why should we change
the existing system The predictions Of its failure have them
selves failed The tariff longer experiment the
problem solved and experience proves that the new system
yields revenue, enhances wages and advances
rapidly the public prosperity In the midst Of all this success
why put in jeopardy by any change the nations and
welfare When free trade is advancing raply through
out the world shall rerogade and invite Great Britain 10
re-enac her laws and drive again from her ports our
breadstuiS and provisions And now, when under our
successful example the ports OF Europe most probably
about being widely opened TO all exports shall we
check the advancing spirit OF the and extnguh the
dawning light of commercial freedom Every where ma
tlons being aroused up this subject their statesmen
resisting the interested classes and exposing the injury
and injustice of shackes upon trade and will soon enrol the
names OF other countries the great international league of
commercial freedom for the benefit Of mankind II was
own country and her public funconares who proclaimed
these great truths before they had received the sanction of other
nations. Our great movement felt in British councils
was quoted precedent in the halls of British legislation
where American eetrade documents recorded among
their archives and doctrines approved and example fol-
lowed by the repeal of the British laws and the reduction
or repeal OF other duties upon exports Indeed, il has
been conceded by of distinguished protectonss
that the pomulgaon OF reetrade doctrines in the American
official documents OF S45 certainly accelerated il indeed
did not actually ensure the repeal of the British corn laws
With such results already from efforts have every
motive to pesevere until the eetrade doctrines of Great
Britain and America the two great nations of kindred blood
and language shall open the ports and dsenhra the
merce of the world. What may hope from our efforts
with other nations if they have succeeded in Great Britain
That country, 50 long the buwar Of protection applying
by sliding scale upon the of her people down to the
utmost point OF human endurance has length the
errors o ages One OF her great statesmen the most able
and efficient champion of the protective policy, at length lifts
his eyes to the light of TRUTH and with that moral rmness
and npidy which the highest evidence of real greatness
abandons the cherished policy his life only he found
ii to be injurious to his country, and unes in the support Of
commercial freedom with his truly iusrous but untitled coun-
tyman, who has earned for himself the highest of all earthly
of of
France, Russia, Germany Austria, Italy, Prussia Swift
zedand, Holland, Belgium Denmark, and Sweden and
CHINA, have moved vibrating preparing TO
favor of the great principle and if country and
Great Britain adhere to their present enlightened policy the
rest OF the world must lose their commerce. adopt they
will, our example.
Pennsylvania surprisingly rich in coal and iron, and but
since unanimous for projections has tried low duties
Her coal and iron pour forth their treasures in increasing
abundance her breadsus and provisions find better and
abundant market her agriculture her commerce. her
manufactures andnavgaton her miners farmers merchants
and seamen, manufacturers and mechanics and above ALL
her ong wolmen with enhanced wages and every pursuit
of industry blessed with increased prosperity, up
of the and liberal commercial policy, and her peo
pie, by majority unprecedented, largest in the counties
where her coal and iron do most abound, recall their former
verdict in favor Of projections and Pennsylvania becomes the
very keystone of the arch of commercial freedom, which
span the hemisphere nhab and unite the interests of
mankind
Nations grow rich by destroying or restricting their
commerce and if the restriction is good the prohibition
be better Commerce is exchange of products specie
often dusing balances but constituting nconsdcabe
part of the valae OF products and property small por
ton of sales be for SPECIE but be in exchange for
other products. The attempt them by high tariffs m4ke
large sales for any length Of time for the specie of other
tons, is mpracticabIe, and diminish the quantity AMI
price Of exports As specie sales for long periods great
impossible that nation which, from the surplus
products of its labor the best price, purchases the
lowest rate the largest quantity OF the products Of the labor
of the world, progresses in wealth rapidly Thus if
.1nt,a- ~ ..
ing any Of the products Of other nations except greatly
advanced price, should restrict the exchange the pro-
ducts of its labor for the products of the labor of other
naon such restricting nation would certainly less of
he comforts necessaries of life in exchange for the pro-
iucts of its labor and in this the wages Of labor
being connected with the value of its poducs) depresses
wages. If there three naons-,he first raising bread
uf, the second sugar. and the third co;ton-and the FIRST
restricted the exchanges Of lis beadsu for the Of the
second, and the Of the third it would certainly get less
and cotton in exchange for its breadsns than other
nations which encourage free exchanges Labor, then,
axed and unrestricted IN all IFS exchanges and markets. will
certainly receive in exchange larger of the products
If labor, and consequently accumulate wealth rapidly
han where labor is restricted in its products single
1e abandoning the profits OF the exchanges with other
ions. II is thus clear that tax restriction commerce
restriction upon labor, and falls chiefly upon the
wages Of labor and it will become automatic truth
hat all tariffs tax upon labor and wages. One of the
errors is to compare imports exclusive OF
pece with domestic EXPORTS exclusive Of specie and il
here such imports than exports in any year,
uch balance of trade is down much lost by foreign
To the nation. single fact proves the aacy Of
his position From 1890 to the present period, imports
exclusive of SPECIE have exceeded domestic exports
usive of specie, several hundred millions Of doas yet
wealth has increased with rapidty unprecedented. The
heoy, therefore, dspoved by the facts and the
obvious of which the following among the most pro-
nnent The products Of whale fisheries extracted by
larjy from the ocean, and most clearly of the
ea products OF American industry, when imported here
included in the list of foreign imports, and to swell
several millions of dollars every year this alleged unfavorae
aance The earnings Of freight foreign commerce by
and vessels brought into the account or often
ganst when invested in foreign imports The profits OF
exchanging imports Of sales Of foreign products do
lot appear In the balance, 50, 10 very limited extent
" often against Thus American merchant ships from
Boston cargo of ice during the winter valued at that time,
IS export, at very small lie sends to Calcutta,
ind sells il at advance of perhaps thousand per cent
The BIC may invest in the purchase goods which
bring to Liverpool and probably sell po OF twenty
thirty cent and the aggregate profits realized at Cal
utta and Liverpool he takes home in specie in imports or
bill Of exchange which he probably sells At premium
remittance Yet these profits may APPEAR or may
appear unfavorabe balance under the head Of i'm
'orts. Upon the falacous theory, it, instead OF pur
chasing millions of foreign fabrics from the profits oil foreign
commerce, such valuable foreign articles presented
uousy TO the American merchant, and brought by him into
he country they would swell this alleged uniayorabe balance
If trade To up the result proved by the tables Of
he Treasury, il appears that if the augmentation in the
ratio during the last fiscal year since the repeal Of the
arf of ls42, domestic exports in ls49 would exceed
hose Of any other nation and ourmpors in 1851 spe
lie in 1850, our tonnage in 1881, and if aug
nened in tho ratio in succeeding years in the year
ndng on the Of December ls47, compared with the
T~,n IN "A