Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-01
NO. /.

year. exclusive of specie, actually exceed
ed by the sum per same table of $2,713,
L697 the foreign imports, exclusive OF
specie, consumed the same year in the U.
States, including all articles but specie,
both lres aud dutiable, ,has showing a
balance Of foreign trade in oar favor, with.
out taking into view the immense profits
realized in the foreign market on our ex-
ports, generally estimated at abou, Is per
cent, or the profits Of freight aud nayiga-
bu, Of abuid, INT crops in Europe, attended
also with revnlsions there. highly unsavor-
able to our commerce. creating immune
rattle foreign bankruptcies, by which vast
sums are lost to American creditors, re.
CURED to be replaced by the expor, Of our
specie: which was greatly augmented BY
the discredit in our market of all bills
drawn on our foreign shipments, produced
| by this artificial rise of exchange and un-
natpraI demand for specie aad conse.
quent ex porta,ion. But all this specie
must soon come back 10 our country, ex.
cept SO far as il is los. by foreign bank
Iruptcy.
1t appears that for the year ending June
$50, 1S48, not offamine, but Of ahundans
crops III Europe, our exports of breadstufs
and provisions tper table |. amounted
TO the sum Of S,37, 472,T5 being largely
more than double the average annual ex-
ports during the tariff Of 1912. The re.
suit this year demonstrates that even With
out famine and in seasons Of good crops
abroad, and even when their means were
lex hustled the preceding year by an un-
al los r.
paralle!cd resolutions and bankruptcies.
yet with low duties, enabling them 10 ex-
change their fabrics for our surplus of agri-
cultural products. they could and did take
IA large amount of cur breaestuffs and pro-
visions, to the value of $57 ,472,751.
Thus, whist oar farmers found this large
fore On market for their surplus, which o.
,herwise must have remained unsod here,
our navigating interest received new iln-
pulse as our commerce, our tonnage hav-
ing increased during the last year (per Ia
bile from 1883, 046 TO 8. 150, SOP tons,
being more than three times the increase
we ever realised in the same time under
any protective tariff, and making the whole
increased tonnage under the tariff of 1916,
5SS AIT tons. The increase of our COM
merce during the two years since the en-
actment of the tariff of 1916, has been so
great that our domestic exports. exclusive
OF specie carried abroad, exceeded, by the
vast sum Of $50. sos, 1871, the xports Of the
two years preceding under the tariff of.
iS42. Whilst the tariff of 1916 has thus
augmented our commerce, tonnage and
revenue, il has seen the country pass thro'
the ordeal Of an expensive foreign war; abb
sorbng and Withdrawing from industry
nearly fifty millions Of capital for loans
II has seen the great reyulsion in England
of 1S47, pass over us almost unframed,
whilst the overthrow of governments on
the continent of Europe, with the unparal-
leled destruction Of confidence, credit and
industry there, and with millions lost to
our merchants by foreign bankruptcies,
yet even through this ordeal, under the bee
ngn influence of the tariff 1876, the coun-
try has passed and is still prosperous and
progressive. and prices manufactures are
fat less depressed than has been the case
in all such proceeding reyulslons.
Upon the re-enactment OF the tariff of
1842, or any similar restrictive measure,
|smusglngto vast extent will become an
orgai n d system. BY est mates from the
Typographical Bureau and Coast Survey,
hereto annexed, mari ell A. A. and B. b.,
i, appears that our direct maratime ocean
front, exclusive of bays, inlets, islands, SC.
amounts to 81 0 miles, our frontier upon
Mexico, 10 /, 456, ard frontier upon tho
British possessions to 1903 miles-mak-
ing in all 8. $40 miles. which we have to
guard against smugglers. But if in addi-
lion to THIS, as must be done, we take the
shore line ofthe U. S. on the Atlantic, Pa
ciic and the gulf including the bays,
sounds and other Irregularities of the sea-
shore, and of sea islands and of the rivers
TO the head oftide, it makes distance OF
33, 0G3 miles as estimated by the Coast Sur-
yey, which added to 1859 miles Of from
tier upon the British and Mexican posses
sions, constitutes an entire line open 10
smugglers of 81 1922 miles, to protect which
against Illicit importation, under the temp
tations of such a Tarifof 1S42, would be
impossible. Ia this manner, smuggling.
SO debssi::g and demorallzing of revenue,
so destructive, so injurious to the honest
trader and to the whole country, creating
contempt for the laws and the authority
of the Union. would become the "safety
valve" Of the protective policy, by the OPP
Grafton of causes beyond all goyernment ia
control.
/ Since my last report. the continent oil
Europe has been couvulsed by revolutions
and civil connections, paralyzing their
commerce, credit and industry, and disnin-
ishing our trade with them, compared with
what it would hive been, If these events
had not occurred, Nevertheless, such has
+ been the advantages ofour more unrestrict.
ed commerce with all the world that the es-
Inmates of revenue for this fiscal year. pre-
sented in my last report, may yet be real.
lied the quarter ending OH the 3Oih Of
) September last, being the first quarter OF
the present fiscal year. having yielded 49,
: 991 o. The adoption by each nation o.
, high tariffs, is war upon the labor of the
. world. AS labor is more productive. cap