The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-24

are unsupported by facts, and we call for the
proof. When that is produced, there will re-
main the further question, whether the increased
production is attributable to what of protection
is still continued, the power to maintain sue
cessful competition in the markets of the world,
which our manufacturing industry has acquired
in virtue of the protection accorded to II in past
years, or to the withdrawal of some portion of
that protection under the auspices of Mr..
! WALKER. Ofcourse it will not be claimed, when
the comparison is made, that any increase in
those manufactures, which had SO fully estab-
lished themselves to defy competition in
foreign markets, where they derive no advan-
tage from our tariff, should be put TO the credit
OF Mr.. Walkers system. We have no fears
of the scrutiny.
| But waving, for the present, the points ON
which we differ from the late Secretary, let us
| fix upon those in which we have the satsfac
ton of agreeing with him. First among these
is the proposition that this agriculture Chat Of
the Mississippi valley) can never reach its
greatest development when restricted in its
exchanges. Heartily impressed with this truth,
we desire that those exchanges should be made
to the largest possible extent, where they can
not be observation-disclosures perfect freedom OF
trade prevails. is guaranteed by the constitution,
and is beyond the reach of hostile Legislation by
other communities other words, that they
should be made at home.
If it be excluded by high tariffs-those
of foreign States--from international commerce,
| it appears TO us, as to Mr.. WALKER, eminently
important that some mode should be adopted
| for defeating such restrictions. II we cannot
coerce the lowering of foreign tariffs by coun-
tervailing duties-and the consideration of this
point is omitted now, for MIR. WALKERS opin-
ION is understood to be in the negative-then
other modes must be devised. The distance Of
a market and the cost Of transportation thther
are elements in the price of agricultural pro-
ducts, quite as important as the duties upon
their importation. This expense can be re-
duced by diminishing their bulk. With this
view, the farmer, whose distance from market
! forbids his reaching it with corn in its original
form, transmutes it into pork, sending abroad
| by this means only that portion Of it best
adapted to the support of animal life, and
keeping the refuse at home TO enrich his fields.
! But the pork has no value except lnasmuch
! as it will sustain human life and human labor.
| The products of labor, however compact their
ultimate form, are but condensation OF the
agricultural elements of nutrition and clothing,
| by which the laborer has been kept in being
while doing his work, and of the raw material
upon which that work was eXpended-all alike
the gifts of Earth, the sole producer-are all III
their final analysis agricultural products. This
truth struck the sagacous sense of Benjamin
! franklin long ago, and upon it he based the adj
vantage of manufactures to a people. Recogni-
sing it, an eminent member of the British House
of Commons said, and said truly, upon its floor,
that England was the greatest grain-exporting
country that the ever shone upon. The
question is not then, upon obtaining foreign
market for our agricultural products, but whe-
ther that market shall be sought by them in
their rudest, bulkiest shape, at the largest cost
of transportation, or in their most compact
form at the smallest cost-whether the cotton,
the corn and the pork Of the Mississippi valley
shall cross the ocean in separate ships, OF shall
90 together, the quntescence of each extracted
and combined. in the shape of yarn and cloth,
and the refuse of all left behind to recruit the
soil for new production. What reason is there
to imagine, looking to the whole world-as
Mr.. WALKER would seem to have us-that IT
is easier to secure free admission in foreign
markets for food and the materials Of clothing,
which every nation, Of necessity, produces,
/ than for that food and those materials in their
ultimate combination, through the agency Of
! machinery, which few nations are now capable
of effecting. 1t is England that Mr.. WALKER
means when he talks Of the world.
But if it be insisted that the food and clothing,
in their primitive forms, should be brought into
contact with the consumer then II Is much
cheaper 10 bring man to the food than TO carry
the food to him. The Mississippi valley, says
Mr.. WALKER, can feed and clothe every nation
Of the earth. Granted then there is standing
room upon il for large portion Of them. II we
reckon that given number ~ acres will pro
duce the food and clothing for one man, in addi-
ton To those who cultivate it, then the differ
ence is that the man has 10 be brought but once,
whereas the food and clothing would have TO be
sent annually during his lifetime. The man,
moreover, once brought, brings with him Poten-
TALLY his posterity forever-the root Of gene
illogical tree that is TO spread and branch for all
coming time. The loss ensuing from transport
ing the food to him is perpetually increasing in
geometrical ratio. as does the advantage Of
bringing him to the football that given guam
tity Of food will do is TO maintain the ability 20
labor for a given period-the product Of that la
Dor is all that can ever he got back for the food,
and that subject 10 more or less deduction. ac-
cording TO the waste incurred in the transporta-
ton both ways.
The nations Of the earth will come to the
great valley upon the simple condition Of hav-
ing work 10 do.
II is poor policy, surely, when Mr.. WALKER
tells MS that two Of the States Of the Northwest
could feed and clothe this whole Union; and
! when we learn by the arrival of the Cam