The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-06

dian is not satisfied with two markets.
He needs third; and the reason is, that
both of those he has are worthless. "He
must" to use the words of Sir Francis
Head-which we take from Mr.. Skin
ner's excellent journal, The Plough, the
Loom, and the .AnviI-s'eat all he raises,
for ID purchaser can be found" eX-
cspt for the few articles that will bear
transportation to distant markets; for the
system of SLOW duties" has so efectually
confined the people of Canada to agricul-
tural labors that they are all producers, and
there are no consumers near them to give
value to either labor or land; and labor
flies from land, which, therefore, dimin-
ishes in value.
Very slight observation might have sat-
isfed the Secretary that such must neces-
sarily be the case. There is not man in
the community that does not know that
when England has surplus of iron for
which size IS forcedto seek market abroad,
the price here is far lower than when her
own consumption is large, and ,oe are
forced to seek supply abroad; and so with
cloth, coffee, or sugar. When our own
consumption of cotton goods is large, the
price is high, and we therefore export
few ; and so with flour and grain, as was
shown in the case of 1886, referred to
some days since.
When our own consumption is small,
prices are low, and we export much, but
that export is an evidence that wages are
low, the power of consumption small, and
the farmers badly paid for their labor and
for the use of their land. Were -four now
seven dollars barrel, we should import
largely, yet our farmers would grow rich,
because OF needing but one market. Were
it four dollars, we should export it, yet
our farmers would grow poor, because of
being forced to avail themselves of the ad-
vantage-inestimable as it is in the eyes
of the Secretary-of two markets. Com.
mon sense teaches every one that the
nearer the place Of consumption to the
place of production, the better is the pro-
Queer paid, yet the whole theory of the
Secretary is based upon the idea that the
larger the number Of ships and wagons re-
CURED to perform the exchanges between
the producer and the consumer, the
more rapidly will the wealth of both in
crease, and therefore it is that he desires
to seize on "the commerce of JAPAN"
while closing mines and furnaces and
| mills, at which there would be more ex-
changes made in year than with Japan
in a century.
Canada is forced to seek a market abroad,
and therefore, like our cotton planters,
compelled to sell at the lowest price. Our
farmers are not, this gear, forced to seek a
market abroad, and therefore it is that
they sell at higher price than is obtain
able in any country of Europe. Why it is
so, this year, is easily explained. Last
year, the crop was exceedingly short, and
immigration was large. The whole guam
tity of wheat likely to come forward from
all the ports on Lake Michigan is stated
by the Milwaukee Wisconsian at 900, 900
bushels, against 3,277, 900 last year. Add
to this the deficiency of Ohio, Indiana,
and the nearer portions of Illinois and
Michigan, and it will be readily under
stood why existing prices are maintained;
and when it is seen how low they are,
notwithstanding that the deficiency was so
great, some estimate may be formed of
the probable state of things next autumn,
with large crop, diminished immigration,
and diminished power of consumption
among the miners of coal, the smelters Of
iron ore, the makers of cloth, and the
builders of ships.
In this state of things it is that Cana
da, forced to seek market abroad, and
finding the total failure Of that of Eu-
rope, turns to us for relief; and yet, to OBJ
tain that European market, which was to
ego on augmenting" from the time when
it had reached-and that, too, in the face
of '1arge crops abroad"-the point Of
thirty-seven millions of dollars, we have
sacrificed the men engaged in consuming
food and cotton, while producing coal and
iron and cloth to give in exchange for
them. She turns to us, the great food
producers of the world, in hopes to obtain
market for that "surplus of food" which
tshe might now, under Glow dutiss," so
advantageously exchange with Europe for
her "cbeaper fabrics;" and, as it is in ac-
cordance with the "benign" system Of Mr..
WALKER, his friends in Congress will,
doubtless, grant her the boon demanded.
Thenceforth, the men who mine coal and
make iron and cloth, will have two mar
kets in which they may buy, and their
| l.