Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-11-15
THE RECIPROCAL INFLUENCES OF RAILROADS
AND MANUFACTURES. lItT

PROM DEBows REvIEw ron sovEMBEa.
Ia Of the closing pages Of Mr. Macksys very clever
work the United States be remarks
"If the industry Of from twenty to thirty millions Of peo-
pie, with limited have raised England her presen
pinnacle Of greatness and glory what will the industry Of
one hundred and fifty millions Of people yet effect in Amsr-
ca, when brought to bear resources almost ilmiabe
We have turned coal and account and the world
has by turns wondered at and envied the result The Anne
can stock Of coal and iron y thirty times great
What will be the fabric Of naersl greatness which will
spring from resources thirty times great as ours I"
Six years ago Mr. Golden, the leader of the reeade par
y in Engsnd, whose opinions, statesman and paci-
cal manufacturer, entitled the highest
said an American calico printer sThe United States
have virtual monopoly of and the central cca
her great valley where materials power and sub
ssence can DO combined with the greatest possible economy
of human labor will attract capital and skill and be-
come the chief seats of the cotton manufacture"
10 the words Of Mr.. Webster, g the Mississippi valley
will soon be America"
Now, if We are to have such immense population in
this America and if to make such progress in the
chief departments of skilled industry is worth while to re-
gard closely the influences that will direct the location of this
population, and their artificial of communication and
interchange with each other and with other countries
As long Government offers millions Of aces Of fer
tile land for sale at the price of two labor for each
agricultural districts will not be peoped densely, and the
immensiy of agricultural surplus products, creating
Of supply demand will into the pro-
Of refining and condsnsng these products Even now
compelled to turn the grass beef and The into
pork We cannot much longer import salt from Liverpool
and send it back TO the point for SALE put 10
barrels Of beef and pork What of surplus bulky
must comprefs what is Pershable must change into
other forms By getting rid Of the refuse and pershabe parts
Of this surplus, BY improvements in refining TOOLS by
systematic division of labor and by shortening the routes Of
transit we can take the ultimate and therefore the BEST
kets of the world.
The physics Of valley clearly indicate that our north
ern districts will chiefly be appropriated to the production Of
the cereals and the southern that sugar and the brous
apes while the people of the CENTRE and where great
natural roads meet will be engaged in the combination
Of these rude staples with their rude Goals minerals and
subsistence The Goals iron ore, and grasses being
ponderou, will aac. the wheat the side and the
ton on the other Besides in northern attitudes the climate
Is too severe and the atmosphere too highly charged with
electricity for the easy manufacture Of textile fabrics and
in the southern audes the climate is too enervating for
continuous labor in mills and workshops.
Al THIS CENTRE then, towards which nearly all the great
rivers OF the valley converge, will be the presses the planes
the crucble and all the other reducing and purifying nsu
mens required IN the preparation Of surplus products for
distant markets. When We have winnowed out the chaH
when the dirt has fallen through the eve when have
taken of the bark and the sap when extensively using
labor saving and hand-mupying machines, shall find
our best markets with toe people who either will
| not such machines.
In the economy of nature, like has the strongest affinity
for unlike, and the most valuable results obtained from
their combination So in society," the strong associates with
the weak and the story Of the giant and the dwarf illustrates
the principle The of capital loans him who has less
than be needs and the Of skill exchanges with him who
lacks skill "Two of trade" says the proverb scan
BECAUSE indeed they have nothing to exchange
with each other and the marriage Of man with man would
not be more barren Of increase than the continuous
OF the energetic machincusng European with the equally
| energetic and machine using American
Our great advantages the convenience and excellence
our minerals, motive powers, and subsistence in light
and perfect security person and properly will enable
US to drive out all competition in home markets for all the
coarser metallic and textile fabrics. The surplus that
may have exchange for tea Coffee Spices and whatever
cannot be acclmaed at home, must be forwarded and dis
Iibuted with the utmost economy. We high
wages and profits to machinetende and to those who
furnish materials food and home carriers by perfecng
the instruments and shortening the Of transit In very
many instances we now employing far labor and
capital in extra transportation than would be required the
processes Of conversion at home
Our best markets. then, must be with the people who do not
use borsaving machinery and who have skill and
ergy equal These people live the southern
Atlantic, the Indian and the Pacific oceans They now
buy our cotton hemp and provisions and pay the heavy
cost Of circuous carriage and multiplied facorages. We
must and shall enlarge these markets ard sustain present
high rates Of capital and labor by reductions carriage and
In lcssenng the number Of middle men.
In this country the officers of Government with their
tanners, can never build up city and railroads
never be located chiefly facilitate military operations The
position OF both, the extent Of the and the profits of the
other will be the result Of material the exeon
of indivduas pursuing individual Objects and who look
support and profit in diminishing the Of production,
classif cation, carriage.
No city here expect great progress unless either fab
OF population for the commission business" of the Misss
spP valley. We send rude staples chiefly to
foreign port from which the vessels OF the carriers generally
return in ballast The products of these staples classified
and distributed at Liverpool and the equivalents of these
staples received 10 and assorted New York. and there
fore Liverpool and New York increase rapidly, and New
Orleans can hardly hold her own.
When we condense and combine these staples home,
our city factors will not only receive larger commissions
more valuable commodities, but will give employment to
host OF assortes and carriers The variety Of will
directly and speedily exchanged for equal variety Of
imports which, in the processes of assortment and dstibu
ton, will give equal profits, and employ equal amount Of
labor.
If these general views correct, cannot say with
some degree of certainty aF
First That the chief railroads in this level valley must
run norhwardy and souhwardy connect districts Of differ
ent climates and Of exchangeabe products and facilitate the
combination of Northern and Southern staples with the
venen GOALS minerals and subsistence the lower sections
OF the Ohio, Green, Wabash, Illinois, and Missouri rivers
that descend toward CENTRE and furnish the
cheapest possible means of transporting heavy bulky, and
cheap materials!
Second. Tat the roads made in progress from
the Atlantic seaboard westwady sufficient connexions
with that seaboard and with Europe and that our most
increase home of INSTRUMENTATION and inter-
change and then to connect manufacturing centre by the
shortest practicable route with best seaport the Pacc
Third. When natural highways improved, aud
the most suitable artificial highways have been constructed
when we have turned physical and skill to the
most account great cities will be the great workshops
and central coa6elds where all that
the greatest economy Of human labor and next one or
more points where the products Of those workshops gath
cred and assorted for distant markets
If our rivers not improved to cheaper freghs and