Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-08
ANNUAL. REPORT
OF THE
GECfs Es'ATsY OF THE, TREASURY.
[ ConcIu1eM. !

The true industrial interests of nations are iden
itical, and in exchanging with each ether the pro
ducts most cheaply produced by the other. labo
everywhere benefits labor, man his brother man
and nations each other, and their only antagonists
lis introduced by human legislation. The doctrine
of free trade, is the petition Of labor to employ IL
self everywhere in those pursuits best ada pied By
nature 10 every country, and yielding therefore il
leach, the largest products and highest wages
1t looks upon our race everywhere as friends, a
brethren, as equal in rights and united III i,te7es
and destiny Rightly understood, there is perfec
unity Of interest between man and man, and ma
ton and nation, and between capital and labor.
A Congress, representing the several States q
this Union. perceive how injurious would be the
effect OF tariff by any one upon its own interest
and that of all the States. Now trade is not geo
graphical or political, and If Congress of dele
gates from all nations We're to meet they would
soon perceive that commerce was Z unit that it
was not local, but international, aud that tart is bY
one OR more nations on the products Of liners,
were just IS injurious to each and 10 all nations
as would be tariff in one State upon the PRODUCTS
Of all the other Stales Of the Union. IL then, in
Isuch Congress OF all nations re assembling from
time to time, their several tariffs discussed
land their injurious effects upon each and every
other nation demonstrated, the whole plutective
system throughout the world would fall before the
light of such an investigation Wherever tie
laws of nature are beyond die reach Of man there
is perfect order under the direction Of Almighty
power, but wherever man can disturb these laws,
ldlscord aud Injury are sure to ensue. The earth,
the sun, aud countless systems wheeling through
universal space, Iaoye onward in perfect order and
beauty, tut even the harmony OF the spheres
would De disturbed if the legislation of man could
interfere aud arrest the laws of nature. The ma
tural laws which control trade between nations,
and regulate the relation between capital and pro
fits on the one baud, and wages and labor on the
other, are perfect and harmonious, and the laws
| Of man, which would effect change are always
injurious, The laws OF political economy are fix
ed and certain. Let them alone is all that IS re
Iquired OF man; let all International exchanges Of
products move as free in their orbits as the hea-
venly bodies in their Spheres ard their order and
harmony will be as perfect, and their results as
beneficial as IS every movement under the laws OF
nature when undistuTbed by the errors aud inter
ference of man.
If labor is dear here and low abroad in the ex
change of products, we get mere of theirs for a
similar amount OF ours, and gain by the exchange.
The eheapness OF fo.eian labor is an argument in
favor OF exchange with them. Thus, ii we con
cede as to linens, that Europe, from cheap labor,
could afford to sell two yards for what ore would
cost here. it woald be our interest to purchase from
them at the reduced price. But according 10 the
protection theory, the cheaper the foreign labor
and the lower the price Of its products, the more
we should exclude them by higher rates of duty.
In the absence of duties, We will exchange onr
Isnrplus products for their cheaper ta5rics aud our
labor being applied to the production of articles,
thus exchanged abroad, wages will be enhanced
here by obtaining more extended markets for our
products, and getting for them greater quantity
Of useful articles at lower prices In the absence
OF tariffs, the division oflabor would be according
10 the laws of nature in each ton and the surplus
of each would .hus be exchanged among the whole
each employing its labor only in the most produc
tive pursuits, and therefore the aggregate profits
would be largest. lflabor Were so low in any for
eign country that they could furnish us goods at
almost nominal prices, and these cheap ar. ices
were such as we wanted here, it would be our in
terest to purchase them in exchange for our pro-
ducts. and the cheaper the foreign articles the
greater would be our gain in the exchange. 1t is
strange objection to the purchase of foreign art
Giles. that the price is too low. The argument
that we must encourage our infant manufactures.
was always taacious, for they would encourage
themselves as soon as the country was adapted ia
them. But are they now in9aAt manufacturers ?
We have called them sofor sixty years, and will
they never cease to be infant manufactures until
weaned from legislative protection. On the frs,
will be open TO our b.eadstuils, free of all dutS
shall we enlarge the markets for our products3Sbly
selling them 10 Great Britain in the only wav ID
which she can purchase for a series of wears, by
taxing in exchange such of her fabrics as she can
sell to US at cheaper rates than wecan make them?
70 the farmer and planter, this is just question
whether he shall have two markets or one, O,
whether he shall sell more at higher price. O.
less and at lower price. If il be our interest IL
shut out British fabrics, it would be theirs to re
new their corn laws, and exclude our breadsiulf
fron2 their markets..
Ii is said that other nations will net take our pro
ducts in exchange for their fabrics but with re
ciprocal free trade, they must take them. by The
universal rule thai The purchaser will buy the
cheapest articles without enquring whether they
Were made at home abroad 10 force our in
dusry, by protective duties, into less productiv,
pursuits by torbidding these exchanges. is TO in
crease the account Of labor and diminish its pro
Ducts or in other words to force our workmen Il
labor more and receive less,
| The temporary high price of labor in pafticu
| lar employment is often imputed to the Tariff
Bat if it be conceded that the protected articles are
thus enhanced, this additional price paid by the
CONSUMERS, is so much capital taken from them by
the Tariff to the full extent Of the increased price
which otherwise would have constituted ltIad ol
! the employment of labor and the payment Of wa.
ges. II then anything is gained in the enhanced
prices by particular branch ofindustry, it is al
The expense Of all others, and must result in dim
mutton OF wages, depending as they do on the ag-
gregate profit of all the capital and labor of the
lcountry, and not upon thai employed in any par.
tcular branch of industry, Thus while wages ma,
be temporarily augmented in some pursuits favored
by law, they are diminished in all others, and tht
wages of great majority Of laborers wcald be re-
duced, and finally Of all.
From the diminished aggregate OF capital, ther,
follows diminution in the aggregate wages pal,
in nation. A vast muiolity of the labor of thi
:, country is employed in agriculture, commerce am
navigation, and The non protected pursuits, and
these are depressed, then profits are reduced, III
wages Of those employed in such pursuits fall ma
ny are thrown out of employment, and thus gen
efal fall Of wages ensuea and the protected manu-
facturer eventually obtains labor at a very reduce
rate. The effect OF protective tariff in truth i
not to enhance wages, but to derress them, am
render capital invested in manufactures more prof
table by enhanced prices OF the protected fabrics
Wages throughout the whole country become low
er than they were before, because The sggrerat