New-York daily tribune., 1849-03-22
R.rhvdp. Po,,,,ca, Ecouomy.

Mr.. Dav. Parish Barbydt, we infer, is newly
discovered and not particularly brilliant luminary
in the armament Of Free Trade. The density of
our ignorance in that direction had left us utterly
unaware OF his existence until we recently took
np his volume, determined TO read It resoiutely 70
the end, and 30 see if anything new bad been IN
vented or discovered by The Economists, par ex-
cellsnce, who have decided that wisdom will die
with them We presumed that, though he had
not probably pushed his individual researches
very far he would doubtless have made himself
familiar with what has been recently written on
his side OF the question, and reproduced 1t as orcl
bly, a. his ability would permit Sowe have read
every word Of t-an example which we do not
expect and can hardly advise our readers to imi-
tate.
Mr.. Barhydt would seem TO be young man
We hope quite young-who went TO Europe some
wear or two since TO see and be seen, and thus
enjoyed rather accidentally, the privilege Of as
sisting' at the Free Trade Congress lately held at
Brussels. The importance Of that era IN his
otherwise not remarkably eventful history, has
had rather dizzying effect on his not particularly
strong head, even to creating the hallucnation
that he is Political Economist, and that it is his
mission 10 enlighten his countrymen on the
rather abstruse themo which has suddenly arrested
his attention. Thus has be been impelled to the
production OF a work which has one merit, and
that not common 10 neatises Of this character--it
10 short. In view of its brevity. 1t would not per
hsps be hazardous TO say 1t Is as broad as it is
dong, though its warmest admIrer-Mr ID. p. Bar
hydt foresaid-would scarcely be guilty Of the
hardihood Of pronouncing il as deep.
Superficial as it is, however, such book has
ito uses. 1t brings within a small compass the
elaborately and perha ps more skilfully set forth
by its abler champions and it gives us very fair
dagueueotype of their tactics. their spirit, aud
their treatment Of their adverssries.
We have often called the attention OF our read
en to the important fact that the Free Trade
champions maintain profound saenee ruth re-
gard TO the Arguments Of their adrersarses. The
fair presumption is that they never read them
for IL they really knew what is held and con-
tended for on our side OF the question, their pre-
sent mode Of augmentation would be nothing less
than the grossest dishonesty. We on our part
carefully study what is advanced by our oppo-
ncuts VIC Wtlgu ~, puoto IL, eHuVh'Vi
10 show wherein 1t is defective or unsound.
Take, for example, the treatise of Mr. Atkinson
which We Published, and though 1t is but twen-
ty-fve cent book in edition, you will find
large portion of it devoted to full and iair.cIta
tons Of the leading and most formidable positions
taken by the ablest Of adversaries. Adam
Smith, Ricardo, Baptist Say, Mil, Bowring, the
London Petition &c. are there clearly presented
whatever force nheres in their arguments is fairly
commended to our readers and we show wherein
We esteem them defective and why We Dissent
from their conclusions. Whoever reads that little
book may gather from it alone very just idea OF
both sides Of the controversy. Can any man
name a Free Trade work of which the same
may be said 7 Mr.. Bsrhydt is neither better nof"
worse than his class, yet from one end of his
book to the other, there is not one single para
graph quoted from and credited to writer on the
side Of Protection, through there three four
sentences and half sentences which he says are
from some Protectionist or oihcr-he is careful
not 10 say whom. Probably not less than hun
dred times he tells us that :" the Protectionists
say" or Protection ahirns" thus and so, but his
assertion Is its own evidence, and in our judg-
knows nothing OF what we do say, save as he has
been told by other Free Traders. The last two or
three years have given birth in this country alone
10 three original and powerful works in defence
Of Protection--Mr h. {. SKANAN's Essays on
the Progress of Nations, Mr.. II. c. CAREY's
Past, Present and Future and Mr.. CoLroN's
express and elaborate defence of the Protective
theory. Mr. Barhydt 1--WE presume him to be
honesty gives sbundant proof OF his ignorance OF
all these works We doubt whether he ever
read a hundred pages in all Of the writings he
fancics 90 easily confuted. II he had, how could
he smbody in his fundamental chapter, enttled
. TIE Question Stated such moonshine as this
sCuba has not climate, necessary element to the
erowh Of pinsapplss and produces them with the aid
o. this neutral advantage that they imported and
probably cold In the New-lork market for one dollar
ihe dozen. A company Of individuals here conceive
he Idea OF catering into the busness of producing pine
applss They build expensive hothouses. with large
outlay Of capital in order arsiaealy to obtain from the
rays cf our Northern sun that heat which be iarnsne:
erat0itously In Cuba OF the capital invested
must yield IN interest the company cannot sustain
ITSELF In order 70 make the business pay the protu
must get Eve dollars per dozen for their pnesppcs
and they aak the government 10 levy duty Of touI
dollars dozen onimpor,ed pneappss TO protect the m
b their production. IL 10 done and pnesppes thai
before were TO be bought for dollar per dozen
IA previously INDUCED In the xury of this delicious
fruie ere pow unable 90 afford It's The consamp
don 70 reduced 70 . frscsoa of lie former amount
ssd scarcity OF the article prevsis where before
abundance TAs 70 ia PREcIss OPERATION ef tAs Pro
ssstivs Tsytf sPes os~~sd1es"
A Protsctionist making such assertions as the
above would have felt bound at least to sustain
them BY examples. showing that at least enc srsi'
Gle had thus been enhanced in price and the sbil'
ity Of cur people to obtain and use 1t thus de-
stroyed Free-Traders recognize no such obligs
ton. On the contrary, our eager. reiterated chal
lenges that they should name some one article that
has ever, for any considerable period, been en-
hanced in price hity or even thirty per cent. by
ever 90 high Protective duty, are met by the pro
foundest silence. On the other hand, we have
given tables after tables Of articles OF which the
prices TO our consumers have been very sensibly
rsdsesd under the operation Of Protective Duties.
Pins are directly In point They were nearly all
made abroad under low duties until the Tariff Of
80 subjected them to specific and stringent Pro
tsctive Duty, which gave our pin-mskers virtual
control Of the American market Now, says Free