The republic., 1851-08-12
protsonon 70 Homs 1naustrx.


RAILROAD IRoS.-About 900 tons of railroad
iron have arrived from Wales for the Alabama and
Tennessee River Railroad, and will soon be shipped
to Selma Mobile Herald, judy IL.
To pay for the above iron $40 900 in specie had
10 be carried to England Every week we notice
simiar arrivals of iron at all the principal porsin
the country, and in connexion with each ia simi-
lar export Of our specie. And all this time we have
hundreds of furnaces, and billions of tons of iron
in our mountains; we have vast number of but
half employed workmen, and a great scarcity of
money! Why do we not keep our money, employ
our own people, and use our own iron2 Because
the mischievous spirit of democracy falsely so
called has practically established the doctrine that
it is more democratic tosencosrage foreign than
home labor.
In the Boston A1as, wi hich has come in since the
above written, we find these two items:
Ex-Governor James c. Jones, of Tennessee, is
about TO visit England for the purpose of purohas
ing railroad iron for the Memphis and Charleston
railroad, of which he is president.
The steamship Atlantic left New York yesterday
Tor Liverpool, with seventy passengers and $780,
900 in American gold.
A friend points out to US the following in the AL
bany Journal:
Out of the two hundred and ninety. eight fur
naces in Pennsylvania, one hundred and forty nine
(jus one-h halD have stopped within the last eigh-
teen months, and the workmen thrown out of EN-
ployment! And yet every vessel that arrives in
this country from England is loaded with railroad
iron. So much for 30 much.
These l49 furnaces, when in full blast employ
on average, directly and indirectly,) at least
80 men each One half of them would earn So
day; but, for the purpose of making low estimate,
we will suppose them all to earn, when employed,
81 day; the whole number of men would be
450; at S day, would earn, per week, S46, 200.
Aggregate annual earnings S2,426 400.
There are at least an equal number of furnaces
out of blast in other States; and the aggregate sum
lost to the iron-workers of the country, not dol
lar below MiLLIoNs.
These five millions, which, but for the unwise
and anti American policy of the Locofoco party,
would go into the pockets of American mechanics,
is now sent from this country in gold and silver,
and in State or corporation bonds, and paid to the
iron workers of England, Scotland, Russia, and
Wales.
We call on working men to think candidly
this subject, to forget all party and preudics,
and to make up their minds whether they can do
their duty to their country, their families, and
hemselpes, by Withholding their full and cordial
support from the Whig party.
Laurence (1fass.) Courier.
The above indicates but trfiing amount of
the extent to which the importation of foreign
iron has been carried. 1t is probable that more
than 1000 tons of railroad iron is annually
required in the Southern States alone, all of
which will be imported direct. We cordially
unite with the Courier in its coincidence with
the manufacturing interest. That interest has
suffered more severely by the late conflicts of
opinion than any other whatsoever. The pro-
tracted session of 1850, Improbable, except
that it adopted compromise of opinion, was
fatal to the hopesof the industrial interests which
relied upon legislative protection against the
pauper labor and mammoth capitalists of Europe.
But the distraction and distress of that ses-
son and the little short of civil war which
followed it, has been fatal heretofore to all
conference or cooperation. Northern Wings
have been infuriated against each other.
Southern Wings have been excited against
the North, and unwilling to ex pose them
selves to the reproach of giving bounties to
their sectional and political enemies We may
hope better day, however, for the depressed
interests of the manufacturing operatives when
an universal acquiescence in the present rela-
tions between the North and South shall allow
some modification of the present tariff, mode
rate, stable, and so adjusted as to secure the
largest amount of revenue and the protection of
the great interests TO which the Courier has ad-
verted.