Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1849-12-01
E9ittsburgh-IrO Manufacturers
Convention.

rising amidst loud cheers he said, that he had Just
arrived in the city on other business, and his pre-
sence there was purely accdcuta-that he had had
no advice in regard to the objects Of this conven
ton, and when he left home he had not expected
to address it. However, as he had been honored
by the call, and seeing that the convection must
be idle for few minutes, during the absence OF this
committee, he would Just explain to the convention
the Importance which he attached to its delibera-
tions. He was of the opinion that this convention
represented one of the most important interests in
this country-an interest which now suffering,
and which must go down unless Congress came to
the rescue. He was happy to learn since he had
come into that room, that this convention numerous
and respectable it was, was conn se1 of persons
of both the great political parties of this county, in
differently He was glad to understand that they
met Wings and Democrats, on common
ground-on American ground-in favor of American
interests. This was question which rose superior
to all great party considerations. 1t was great
American question, involving great American inter-
ests. In his apprehension, if there any parties
to this question: they parties who were not
Americans, but foreigners on the one hand, and
Americans on the other, determined to maintain their
country and its interests against foreigners II it
party question, it was question between
the American and the foreigner, to who should
have the American market and American money.
In this view it ought to be regarded by every one
who had an American heart in his bosom, and he
trusted that in the progress of their deliberations
they would disregard all other subordinate and mere
party feelings and considerations. lie was sorry to
portion of the press of this country involving
this great question in the miserable contests of party
politics.
For himself he endeavored to regard this question
az one which was trulv Arncrcana question sepa-
rate and distinct from, all Marty considerations
When perceive the labor of this country struggling
to maintain itself at home against an invasion from
abroad, where ought to be in such a contest II
II wore marty, nneston whore o,,rbt Americans o
be- but upon the American side rrrrlinr to sustain
their own their own interests aGainst inya-
sion from abroada
He trusted then that this ,vould not he REGARDED
rs n p,Iitc,f marty question but that if would be
REGARDED by ali present rs a truly American question
lie should he sorry, to siInoosf there were any in
that room who yonld array themselves AGAINST
American interests in such STRUGGLE as this Now
the ouostion was who was 10 o,r1pv tbe American
market? Those who went for the doctrine of Free
Trodr were f,rr,pners-ihose who were for the
protrrtion of American labor were trlly American
Iron was an article as rcraris which, we ought TO
be inlependen both in prare and war but if was an
article with which the limited States were able to
sunnv the world If the means If the country conld
he br3urht out bv nroncr LEGISLATION. This was
matter T,r CONGRESS- t6 termine whether foreirn-
ers should b,e of market or that the interests of
the United States should be sustained There is
nothing So Dlain in the yvorlI-no propositon clearer
than tits that in country where labor is prosperous
Won must protect fiat Labor AGAINST countries where
labor is low. Foreigners NAV advocate Free Trade
because they can comnrte with American manufac-
turcs nv their low prced labor II was in countries
where labor was prosperous and commanded high
price that protection was needed They were not
then he believed with view tn obtain If possible
some aid from Government in preventing Inc iron
interests or this countrv from, beino crushed He
understood that foreign iron could be brought to the
American market ana sold-common bar iron-at
thirtyseven dollars and half per ton-all expenses
of frcoht imnort duties and ali other kinds of iron
in the same proportion Now this convention was
cornposed Of iron men He wanted to know if there
was any man in that meeting or in this convention
who ,,.ould cav +h,t Amor;c,n labor could he ca
broupbt down "a TO produce manufactured bar iron
at thirtv-seven and n half dollars a ton. Now. it
comes t9 this. ethcr we must abandon the business
and oe II mn tn f,rcio,ors bccnnoinr defendant IN
otbar countries for this article oR WI MIST HAVE
pRorrcrrvr T,pIpp. We ronld not produce iron for
any such nrice nc that nop,cd II was imnosshle
unless American labor was brought down as low as
Enroncan labor ,Tben we must have nrotcction
from Government. ar Ills ~rrat interest must and
will 90 down. There was a reason WHY American
iron could not he nroduced in cnmpetition with
f,reon iron and II was This tbev all ne,y that iron
was solrv tbc nrodurt If labor nnt of l,borsavin
o,cb;nery II was tho rroduco Of human lob,r and
that of horses. &c. Now. where ever an article in
this country was the product of manual labor, it
should he proected aoanst the low priced labor of
f,rcion countries In tbc iron business if was the
iahor ,yb;.b rnorired nro,ertion Where we ON.
nloyo5 l,bor-say;na machines we could and would
compete successfully with any FOREIGN nation. We
could ,yorl, nacb;nerv nc rbcan as 3Ibnr countries
bnt whore an article was tbr nrodurt IF hand labor
you mist protect tbe amer,an Iaborer a~anst the
low nr;ced labor Of other countries
IN ID - III ;ra i d;s,;nar;sb-
,ha rr,,, tb1 r5;nar'' rna,ot;ons Of Iahors, ri
n,a,.b;nor, III ;na,5 ;ptarast thoroE,re ro,st he
nrotncted hoca'so i excmS;yjy The nrndnrt Of
ahnr a,1 hana',so ,to ,,a1ras ~ i,hnr dntnraJ 81
mate2;air into its nrice + was not onv ordinary
manual i,bor ybicb was interestcd bnt agri,ntnroI
Labor also Tbnre ,,as not man IN That ronm ,vbo
was ,,at o,ro tb+ aCrr;ni+'raI Iobor entcreJ 70
Great extent in tbe nrodnrtion If this article P~
and h, iro oro rntI, anr;cnltmr,l nrodnct;ons