Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-06-05

900 of imports; for from anseSport trade al
present Of sl5,s3s POI, Charleston receives i'm
ports to the amount of s2O,000,0 600. If then
the State in her commercial intercourse should
be cut off from the other Southern States (Which
can never be the CASEY Charleston might expert
cncc, for few years, q falling off of s5,ooo'ooo
in her imports. But this would cause no loss 70
that city; for, at least half thsimports that reach
her harbor belong to Merchants in the interior,
having been purchased at New York, and are
simply conveyed through Charleston to their
place of destination, with very slight proilt 10
any interest in the city. 81
But it is said four-ffths. or $4,000, 600 out Of
the s2O,OO0,OOO of imports into Charl eston are
sold to Merchants in other states--only one-hfth
or s5 900 900 being consumed in South Caroli-
ma. How is this possible I Does South Carolina
actually consume no more than s5,Ooo,ooo OF
imports What then becomes Of her annual
produce2 Her sI2,0oO,0 600; Of exports bring
into the United States not lessft than 100000
of imports. Allow $1,000, ,0gofOr government
revenue and profits of Northern trade-what is
done with the remaining $4,000, ,oOof If we
consume but half, we should get the other half
in specie; but everybody knows that we 90 not
There is no escape from the sfact-we consume
the $40 900, 900, and would consume, in some
way or other, the whole $4,000, 600, if allowed
to enjoy them. Only about SO, OOo,ooo' there
fore, pass as Merchandise the other States.
But of this s1O,OOo,OOO Of Merchandise scarce
ly half is purchased in Charleston-the larger
part probably, having been purchased BY South
ern Merchants at the North merely pass, as we
have said, through the port and streets of Char
lesion. And the same is truein regard to the
commodities for South Carolina consumption.
Probably two-thirds of the Merchants in Upper
Carolina now purchase theirgoods in New York.
It is fair TO- assume that Of the $40 100000 Of
imports consumed in the State, half arc pur-
chased at the North.
This would leave Charleston at present with
mercantile profits upon only $40 900, 1000 of her
$40 100000 of imports. And this we take to be
a just estimate of her tradess We leave out, Of
course, her profits upon exports.
How would the matter stand if South Carroll
ma had separate government in successful ope-
ration1 With the S., ,O0O,0 00of imports, which
now pass to the North by means of the Tariff
and Northern trade, and which would be certain
to come to us in commodities of some sort, our
imports would reach about sI5,OOo,OoO. Char
lesion would have the re-seIingsof the whole
for the merchants and planters Of the interior
would find it greatly to disadvantage to buy
there, to say nothing Of the difficulties in trading
at other places cut of thef State. Charleston
would then derive mercantile profits upon s5,-
600 900 of imports more than she does atpresent
Will It, in reply to this, basaid, that the State
could not consume the $1,000, 900; Of imports
The difficulty with most nations is to make pro-
duction equal consumption but we, it seems,
are to constitute exesRlionso general sl rule
But let ussee. The consg apS9n of the State, Of
R5sssst ha Ataaatsia the means
at hand, how much more could the State profta-
bly, consume in improving her ssprescnt methods
!, of industry and even in creating new ones that
would add largely to. her wealth. It scarce
admits of calculation. But we are limited in
our capacity to bug, and hence we consume no
more than we do.
It's fact in the. progress Of nations, that in
proportion as consumption is cheapened, it is
also multiplied; and that the more a nation pro-
duces, unless under o bad government, the more
it consumes, from the fact thatit is more able to
purchase Opulent, civilized and industrious ma
tions, being greater producers, are always great
or consumers than poor ones; and they usually
consume unproductiuely the greater part Of
their revenues, whether derived from industry,
capital or land.s This much at all events, may
be assumed with safety. Either productivity or
unproductiucly, nation always consumes its
products sooner or later. And. on investigation.
It will be found. that the imports Of every nation,
which carries on profitable trade, always equal
| ana OlleH eHcecu itS eAPott'' L S' "As'""s N'
wealthy. 1t is great mistake to suppose that
the increase of wealth consists in the mere heap
ing up of specie nation may accumulate
capital, or grow in wealth, by exchanging pro-
ducts. which may be superAuous with it, for
others, which may be employed as reproductive
captal. Commerce, indeed. is but the exchange
of the labor of one man or nation, for the labor
of another man or nation One hundred dollars
or its equivalent in produce, exchanged for
horse. by which new capital is produced, is but
an exchange of values. in which the SlOO and
the horse are consumed, but in such manner as
to add to the wealth of both parties concerned in
the barter. So of all machinery and implements
bought with view to increase production They
contribute to the more rapid accumulation OF capl-
tal They create wealth This is what Political
Economists term Reproductive consumption, by
which industrious and thriving nations add much
to their wealth and prosperity.
If this view of the subject be not correct, what
becomes of the exported products Of a nation9
A State sends out Sl2,OOO,OO0 of exports-if
she do not receive back $12, 100000; of imports,
what becomes of the remaindcr7 Will it be
| ,o;J sho ,r;1I rooo;yo e IN enao;n2 What nation