Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-04-04

for many years, allowed false notions Of politi.
cal economy 10 create prcjndices against this
industrial occupation, which have prevented
capital liom being directed that way. We
trust however, that this mist Of prejudice
and error has been dispelled. and that the South
will now take her natural position Of SUPERIOR.
ty in the extent and variety of her mannfic-
lures. She certainly cannot remain longer
blinded 10 her true interests. II is settled prin
ciple in political economy, that no country can
be highly wealthy and powerful without Mann
facIures. Purely agricultural na'ionsare nearly
always poor. They arc destitute of one of the
chief sources Of wealth, The power Of art upon
nature. Scientific knowledge, or the skill EN-
poyed in manufacturing. has added millions
upon millions to the wealth of the world. 1t
has been estimated that the "skill of JAMES
WATT. the steam engineer /; Of JOSIAH WEDGE
WOOD and his partner BENTLEY. the potters; of
RICHARD ARKwRieHT the cotton spinner; and
of thu Duke OF Bridge,ealcr, the canal projecter,
have added, at the least two hundred millions
sterling to The wealth Of Great Britain" How
much have they added to the wealth Of The
world The skill Of these men has been chief
ly employed in manufacturing purposes :-and
the above data furnish some notion of how
much the wealth Of a nation may he increased
by manufactures. The people Of the South
have been greatly negligent Of this element Of
their wealth and power. With all The facilities
both natural and arlifcinl for manufacturing
extensively the raw products Of their climate,
they have permitted other portions of the Globe
10 reap the benefits Of their labor by impn,ling
to their raw materials duuble. treble, and often
qnadruplc their original value, with perhaps
mol u: per cent. cost of labur What wisdom
is there in furnishing the raw material for
foreign market, aud after or 3.per cent. cost
Of labor there bestowed, 10 purchase il back at
double or treble, its prime cos7 Even if the
cost Of ufacturing at home, wouldbe so con-
siderable as MOTTO furnish the manufactured ar
tcle at price less than that OF the foreign
mauufacture-stlI, how great would be the
advantages of Tie home factcry!. The differ.
ence in price between the prime COS, Of the
raw material, and lhe marketable price of the
manufactured artcIe-being equal and some..
times double the price of the raw material
would be set ufoat in our midst as capital for
the still greater accumulation Of wealth. For
every hundred thousand dollars worth, then, OF
raw material to be manufactured, we should
enjoy the use of 100000 or 10000 dollars.
which are now received by the foreign-Manu.
Eacturer. lFtherefore each State were TO man.
ulacture all the cotton il produces, il would be
the means of putting in domestic circulation. a
very large amount Of CURRENCY which of itself
would be an important item Of wealth in the
Southern country: for it is 4 well known axiom
that wealth. generates wealth. Beside this
advantage, extensive manufacturing establish
menls would give profitable employment 10
large portion Of our citizens, male and female,
whose present occupations are in measure
unproductiye so That the increase Of capital
caused by labor in manufacturing, would take
very little il any from The productive or agricul