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

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for many years, allowed false notions OF pOliti
cal economy 10 create prcjudices against this
industrial occupation, which have prevented
capital iiom being direcled that way. We
trust however. that this mist Of prejudice
and error has been dispelled. aud that the Sonl
will now take her natural position Of superiori-
ty in the extent and variety of her manuf,c-
lures. She certainly cannot remain longer
blinded 10 her true interests. II is settled prin
ciple in political economy that no country can
he highly wealthy and powerful without Mann,
Elcrures. Purely agricultural nations are nearly
always poor. They arc destitute of one Of the
chief sources Of wealth. The po,cer Of art upon
nature. Scientific knowledge. or the skill EN-
ploycd in manufacturing. has added millions
upon millions to the wealth of the world. Ii
has been estimated that the skill of JAMES
WATT. the steam engineer Of JOSIAH WEDGE.
WOOD and his partner BENTLEY. the potters; oi
RICHARD ARKwRlGHr the coon spinner and
of tn" DaEc or Bridge1catcr, The canal protector,
have ndded. at the least, two hundred millions
sterling 10 The wealth Of Great Britain!" How
much have they added to The wealth Of The
world Thr skill of these men has been chief
ly employed in manufacturing purposes land
The above data furnish some notion of how
much The wealth Of 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 artificial for manufacturing
extensively The raw products Of their climate,
they have permitted other portions of the Globe
IN reap the benefits of their labor by ilnpa,tng
TO their raw materials d"ubIe. treble, and often
qnadrnple their original value, with perhaps
not q per cent: cost Of labor. What wisdom
is there in furnishing the raw material for a
foreign market, and after or 3per cent. cost
Of labor there bestowed. 10 purchase il back at
double or Treble, its prime cost Even if the
cost of manufacturing at home, would be so con-
siderable as not 10 furnish the manufactured ar
ticle at price less than that Of The foreign
manufacture-still, how great wouId be the
advantages of tie home factory! The differ
encc in price between the prime COS, Of the
raw material. and the marketable price of the
manufactured article-being equal and some.
times double the price of the raw material
would be set alloat in our midst, as capI,aI for
the still greater accumulation Of wealth For
every hundred thousand dollars worth, hen OF
raw material to be manufactured, we should
enjoy the use of 100000 or $4,000 dollars
which are now received by the foreign Manu-.
tacturcr. If therefore each State were TO man.
ufacture 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: Tor it is q well known axiom
that wealth. generates wealth. Beside this
advantage, extensive manufacturing establish-
menls would give profitable employment to
large portion Of onr citizens, male and female,
whose present occupations are in n measure
unproductiye so that the increase Of capital
caused by labor in manufacturing, would take
very little II any from The PRODUCTIVE or agricul,