The New York herald., 1850-06-25

son than heretofore to dread their competition.
There il plenty OF manufacturing employment 70
be obtained for all the mills thai ever have been
or ever will he built, in clothing tho imperfectly
clad people of Europe. Thousands, almost millions,
amongst ourselves, are not oven adequately pro-
tecied from the weather by bundles Of rags, while
in a great part Of France, Italy, and Hungary,
and, generally, Of Central Europe, the people arc
dirty, fetd. and diseased, from wearing unchanged
woollens or untanned sheepskins. There 10 pro-
mise, too, OF plenty Of other produce to pay for
clothing, such as wine and oil and fruit and corn.
now that industry Is everywhere gaining freedom,
and the shackes that were placed on the soil are
TustiDg away. If our legislature will but steadily
follow out the principles il has lately acted with
30 much advantage, and refrain from interfering
with factory industry, lest il should nfct deadly
injury on what IL means to benefit, there seems to
US 10 reason why the progress of Manchester here
after should not be more rapid than heretofore.
Should the reverse unfortunately be the case. the
Legislature, it il do not interfere TO restrain tho
manufactures OF Manchester, as il has done MOTH
ing TO bolster them up, but left them to their ma
tural growth, will not have to reproach itself with
their decay. But should the visions of the New
York editor be realised, should 6 the whole earth
be supplied with cotton fabrics from the soil and
looms of the Southern States, as the ancient
world originally was by Hndostan. and New York
become the great estrepot OF Southern cotton man.
ufactures for the human race" what will be the
reflection Of the Governments of Germany and
France, which cannot hope that the cotton manu-
factuTte OF Berlin and KOuen Will nouriSh when
grass grows in the streets Of Manchester For
many years, encouraged by ignorant protectonist
writers amongst ourselves, they have labored,
causing great injury TO their people, 10 establish
manufactures for the sorry and anti commercial
purpose of being independent of England If we
may infer from the failure Of Lowell, that Granite
vile 10 TO be eminently successful, and the South
is to realise the visions Of American politicians,
sderation Of what will promote the happiness Of
the people-how very futile and childish will then
appear the elaborate and mschievous commercial
system OF Europe for the purpose Of raising up cot
ton manufactures! That great changes, wholly
unforeseen by those who undertake to direct
the course Of society, are in progress, cannot be
doubted. They may not be exactly in accordance
with the views of the Ncw York Herald, but that
the Western Continent, with its rapidly rising cities
on the Pacific, and its new . communications with
the most densely peopled parts Of the Old World,
is destined 10 effect great alteration in the condi
ten Of Europe, can no lenger be doubted. Before
that, whatever it may be, the commercial and
fiscal regulations of continent, insignificant as
they compared to the natural laws which call
trade into existence, must gI'e way and vanish,
and the governments that are 70 extremely busy
in imposing them, will be unable to escape the con-
vIction that they have done much present evil
without efiecting the future coed they contem-
plated Such has, in fact, been the course in past
times. Systems Of commercial and hscal restric-
ton have never attained the end proposed, and
they always have inflicted much injury society
as long as they have existed
The facts relative TO Lowell seem to US more in
structive for proectionsts than alarming for Man
chester They show that our little arrangements
are the results Of system that has affected the
United States as well as Europe. No people are
more distinguished for commercial acuteness and
mechanical ingenuity than the Americans. IL pro-
tectiDg a business can make it flourish anywhere,
it will have that effect in the United States.
But il has failed. The protected cotton mills
at Lowell have stopped. while the unprotoct-
ed mills at Manchester are running. There 10
not enough Of other things produced to pay
for the excessive production of manufactured
fallen much in price. A considerable portion ofthe
industry Of the people which would have been d-
rected but for the artificial system, to growing food
or building ships, has been directed TO produce cot
tons, for which there Is no longer an adequate
market. and the mills stop. Something Of the same
lection. Ii is partial, and from its very nature smu
lates the production OF commodities unequally,
some being continually in excess and others
deficient. But all real exchange is Of commod-
ties for one another, Of the products OF one species
Of labor for those Of another-and thus the
partial nature OF protection-and to make il
universal and equal is utterly impossible-de-
ranges production, lessons the quantity OF commo-
dities TO be exchanged for the protected commo-
dity. and impedes its prosperity, as We see in the
agriculture Of Old England, and In the Gotten ma
nufactures of New England. The stoppaqe of Sc
veral cotton mills at Lowell in spite Of a protcc-
ton their produce amounting to thirty per cent,
appears TO decisive Of the fate OF the protective
~ siem all over the world. When the government
and people Of the United States cannot make it
succeed, no other government and people can; and
il must, from the thorough conviction OF its being
an error-hke the belief in witchcrait, or the no.
ton that the globe was liked point, the centre OF
creaton-fall into oblivion, or become, like thcso
absolute errors, the scorn and mockey Of all the
intelligent and the wise.