The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-09-20

is just the reverse. There is no portion
OF the American people half as much in
terested in the protective policy as the
farmers and working men. Its object is
to substitute American for foreign goods,
and to give employment to American IN
stead Of foreign labor. All goods, foreign
and domestic, are made up of agricultural
produce-the raw material and the subslst-
ence OF those employed in their fabrica-
ton. These make up the price. Take
down all the commodities in store-ana-
lyze them-resolve them into their constlt-
ueDt elements, and they will be found to be
composed Of agricultural produce. What
is yard Of cloth but wool and the subslst-
ence of the labor employed in its manu-
facture What is ton of iron but agri-
cultural produce consumed by the men
and horse. employed in mining and haul
ing the ore and coal to the furnace, and
converting it into iron AT least three
fourths of the value of all foreign imports
are made up of foreign agricultural produce,
and fully one-fourth of its foreign bread
stuffs and provisions.
Our imports exceed in value one hun
dred millions of dollars per annum. Seven
ty-fve millions of this are, therefore, paid
for agricultural produce. The question,
A. Al. l. Al x~f
American farmers to have seventy five
millions of dollars worth of foreign agri-
cultural produce imported in the shape of
foreign goods-woollens, iron, &c.-when
their own wool and breadstutfs are without
a market at home or abroad' This is the
real question for the consideration and de-
cision Of American farmers. Is it the pol
icy of our Government, by protection, to
cherish our own farmers and laborers, or,
by 'sfree trade" to enrich those of for
eign countries' This is the great ques-
ton; and American farmers and working
men must decide it. What would be said
of an American farmer, who would pur-
chase 500 worth of British wool, bread,
meat, and vegetables, for consumption in
his own family, when his own crop Of
wool and grain were spelling in his own
barn, for want of market' Yet this is
literally true of every farmer who pur-
chases British cloth, iron, or goods of any
kind 1t is agricultural produce in dis
guise, and nothing else. Is it good policy
for the people of the United States three
fourths of whom are engaged in agricul-
ture) to send seventy-fve millions Of dol
lars annually abroad, to purchase the agri-
cultural produce of other countries, con-
verted into goods'-if so, then they should
90 for ''free trade and the tariff of '46.
Our official reports on commerce and
navigation for twenty-five years show that
we have imported ten times more bread
stufs, and ten hundred times more wool,
in the form of goods, from Great Britain,
annually, than she has taken from us;
vet, our s'free traders are not satisfied,
but wish to increase the quantity. This
policy, too, is advocated by American pol
iticians, and voted for by American farm
ers, under the delusive influence of party.
Will not the people dspel this delusion,
and apply the remedy at the polls' No
portion Of the people of this Union are
more deeply interested than those of
Pennsylvania and Maryland Let them
think of it at the approaching election,
and vote accordingly. FArETTE.