The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-14


SESSION. With single exception, all the
great questions, some Of which have so long,
and others SO deeply, agilated the Union, are
already settled and there reigns now in the halls
of Congress degree of harmony that we have
not before seen equalled, preparatory. as we
confidently believe, to settlement of the great
question, that of the protection to be given to
the laborer in his efforts to obtain food and
, clothing for himself, his wife and his children;
and to the farmers and planters of the Union in
their efforts 10 draw to their sides consumers of
their products-thus enabling the spinner and
the weaver, the coal miner, and the smelter of
ores, to exchange directly with the men who
ton and the wool they desire to wear. The
session is near close. The time is short; yet
there remains abundant time for the settlement
of this great question; and unless it be settled,
the work of the session will remain ncom
plete--its browning glory wil"be wanting.
Day by day we have evidences of the vas,
loss to the farmers, the planters, and the labor
of the Union, resulting from the working of
the present revenue tariff. The stoppage of
cotton mills in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
is followed by similar stoppages in western
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky, by which
the laborer is deprived ola market for his labor
the farmer of market for his food, and the
planter of a market for his cotton. The stop
page Of coal mines and iron furnaces destroys
the demand for food and cloth. We buy our
iron abroad, the necessary consequence of which
is TO increase our necessity for looking abroad
for our market for corn and cotton. We send
our food to compete with the low priced food of
Russia and the low-priced cotton Of India, To
be consumed by people who can consume little Of
either, when we might bring the same peo-
pie to take their places by the side of the farm
er and planter, to be large customers TO both
For the last two years the prices of cotton, of
wool, and of wheat, have been maintained by
reason OF short crops of all but the day cannot
be far distant when both farmer and planter
tends to the substitution OF large customers at
home for small ones abroad The market for
grain and flour in Europe has totally failed
We export no wheat but that of Canada, all Of
which would here remain but for the protection
now secured to the farmer, and which ii is the
object of the bill, falsely called the Reciprocity
bill, to destroy. The European papers inform
US Of the numerous roads now being made in
Russia to enable it to deluge England with its
immense surplus Of wheat, and thus put stop
10 all competition; well as Of the efforts that
are being made 10 stimulate the East Indies and
the West, the people Of Africa and Of South
America, into competition with our planters,
who are now saved from ruin by nothing but a
sher crop. Cheap as cotton has become, Eng
land must have it cheaper, she cannot con-
tinue 10 consume. She manufactures far less
cotton this year than she did the last, aud she
exports far more cloth; thus proving great di-
intuition in the power to consume, as the labor
Of the serfs Of Russia is being substituted for
that Of the free laborers Of England.
What is tine remedy How shall we siimu-
late the farmers and planters to production 1t
is by establishing with England perfect compe-
tiiion on our own soil. Let Is reopen our
mines and our furnaces, our cotton-mills and
our woollcn-mlls, and build new ones. Let
MS Ie-create the demand for labor that existed
10 1876 That done, we shall no longer rejoice
10 short crops Of cotton. Of wool, and Of wheat.
That done, we shall cease to hear from month
10 month that immigration is diminishing. and
that there is no demand for ships. On the con
trary. our ships will again be crowded with i'm
migIaDts--cOal miners and iron men. spinners.
weavers, and agricilturists-anxiuus To place
their fortunes. large and small, under the pro
iecting wings q the American Esgle, certain
that Land and labor must both rise in value in a
country where marke, ~ heing made on the
land for The products of The land That mar
ket made, the consumer having taken his place
by the side Of the producer, the country will
then be seen advancing in wealth and power at
rate far surprising amy thing dreamed Of even
by the most visionary, and with each such step
there will be increasing harmony between the
people ef thevarous sections OF the Union.
We have land IN abundance, and to give il
value We need only population. We have
food and the materials Of clothing in abundance;
and 10 enable the farmer and the planter To
reapn large reward for their eyert,ons we need
only population, making market for their pro
= dncts. exchanging on the spot labor for the 20.
tatoes and The turnips, the milk and the hay
that will not bear transportation, The labor em
ployed on the cotton and the wool 10 fit them
Tor cheap transportation 70 the distant markets
of the world, and enabling the cultiyator o.
the earth readily 10 obtain god ruads by which
they may be- transported.
The characteristic Of this country---thsi grea
one which specially distinguishes it from Eu.
rope and Asia-is, that here every one has
faith 10 the future, and is animated by hope
To make II the real refuge Of the oppressed
aud Ia enable the down trodden people Of the
eastern continent TO participate in the emmy
ment Of hope, we must make market Tor their
labor. We need their services TO make our
roads, to mine our coal TO srnelt our ore and
roll our iron, to spin our cotton and weave ou'
cloth BY making market for their labor ",
benefit ourselves and them We raise them II
tho scale az civilization Ne aid the cause q