The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-18

the country in lS47, dwartei DOM n 1872 10.
the comparatively Insignificant amount OF s326.-
O5I ,s73-a filing off IN the rewards Of labor of
the farmer alone in two years of Sl2 $500
When it is remembered that Il very large pro-
portion of the citizens Of this country are enga-
yed in the business of farming, and how mach
OF the permanent wealth and true glory OF The
republic depends on their well-belng an Pros
perity, it would seem To be the dictate OF en-
ligitcned selfisliness, as well as duty ofprtrht
ism, so to mould, If possible, the laws rcInlrtng
trade and revenue, rs TO furnish tor them 1t d
home, a permanent market with rrmum"rdng
prices As no such market can be fnuuf abroad,
it may well suggest the inquiry whether IrgisIr-
ton in providing, of neeessit for revenue, shall
not, by encouraging diversity oftempluy ucut
in orr own country, secure the only safe aud sure.
m rket for our farming productions whc. can
be obtained. .... i.
The policy here suggested is strengthened by
n comparison of the value and amount of the
home AZ compared with the foreign III ,rket. IL
has been estimated that our consumption Of food,
raiment furniture, &c, j. bout 800 for cach
indiv ual OF this sun from Sc Ia 81, ~ shnwn
by stltemrnt-are for fore gn production,
which, say SO so per head would require an
importation Of about $i5o,000000, IL will ut
| once appear how insignificant this amount is
when compared with the amount Of home pro-
duets cousumrd Upon the basis Of $500 per
head the foreign production furnishes So so
per head. or, in the aggregate, $l50,000,00:
the residue, or 1913 50 each, requires annually
the sum Of about S2,l 100000 to be supplied
by our owniudustry. BY reference to tablc---,
it will be seen that our average consumption Of
imports per head, for thirty years has been
$5 "a. Any material excess over that average,
"a in the years 1855, and 1889 has been sure
ly followed by the most disastrous results. The
| imports Of the past year have been exceeded in
amount only by the year 1886; and if the off.
cial figures could be made to represent the true
cost of the imports Of the former year, even
1886 would, it is believed, not be an exception.
The imports OF the first quarter of the present
year show an increase of more than SlS,00000O
over the corresponding quarter of last year, in
dicating an importation for the current year,
greater by many millions, than the imports ofany
previous one, and consumption per head pro-
portionally larger, whilst the markets abroad in
dictate no prospect Of an increased demand for
our exports.
These exports, as already stated, consist prin-
cipay Of articles Of necessity, and nearly all Of
them raw materials in their crudest state, and if
we therefore wish to occupy the place among
commercial nations that our advantages of posi-
| ton and our vast resources warrant, we must
greatly increase the amount of those exports.
This can only be done by an increase Of manu-
features.
During the past year our exports of cotton hare
amounted to $7l,96l6l6
| While Of domestic cotton manufac-
lures we have exported only to
the extent Of 4,T3l424
| And during the sane period the i'm
portations Of cotton manufac.
lures entered for consumption,
have amounted at the foreign
valuation to $l9,6s5 036
The exports of cotton from the United States
exceeded in Importance those ofany raw mate
rial exported from any other country, and at the
present time it is our only export that is essen
tial to any other nation; but it is believed to be
a mistaken policy for any nation to send its raw
materials to distant countries, to be manufacture
ed into fabrics for it's own use.
| Possessing this most Useful staple in album
dance, and Of the best quality, VIC ought greatly
| to increase its manufacture and secure to our
selves portion of the profits which other roun-
tries erjoy therefrom. In order to impress our
people with the value of this production If the
| United States, and the means that it affords OF
extending our internal and foreign commerce.,
suhjon several shles exhibiting in some degree
| it, Importance Table No. - 81 VS. the vHlne
| Of the exports of rae cotton. ard c0r0n mn nj
faciures from the United States for the last five
years, and the countries to which the same were
sent, From which it will be seen that we cx-