The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-07
TIL E II EPU BLIC.
From The Plough, the Loom, and tie Anuit.
Tho MOrkin0 OF Hritiah Free Trnde

nal, IL has been our rule to lay the arguments Of
our opponents, and in their own words, before It's
readers; and the reason for doing has been, that
We have wished TO place them in position to think
and judge for themselves to the advantages or
disadvantages that have elsewhere resulted, and
must here result, from carrying into effect the
doctrine of Adam Smith, when hc taught that in
the natural course OF things the artisan went to
the place at which the food and the raw materials
were produced, there combining them together 50
as " fit them for cheap transportation to distant
markets, to the great advantage Of the farmer and
planterof Jefferson, when he taught that tho time
had come when the manufacturer should take his
place by the side of the agrioulturist of Madison
who taught that it was not only constitutional but
expedent to protect the farmers and planters Of the
country in their efforts 70 draw around them those
who would consume their food while driving the
shuttle and striking the hammer --and of jackson,
when he taught that had been "too long SUBJ
ject to British merchants" "it was time we
should become more Americanzed,' and that that
object was to be accomplished by aid Of "ade9uate
and fair protection"
Unlike our opponents, we desire to conceal no.
thing. We make no appeals to the ignorance of
our readers by presenting them with figures
ranged as to give to falsehood the appearance of
truth, and grouped together in such masses al
most TO defy examination, even by those most con-
versant with the real facts Of he On the
trary, We republish the figures and the words Of
opponents, letter for letter, inviting them do
the same by uH, and pledging ourselves. in return
therefor, 10 repubIish their arguments in disproof
OF ours; and this we do because we seek THE TRUTH
alone, and hold ourselves ready at any moment to
abandon the cause OF protection to the American
farmer and planter, laborer and mechanic, when
he shO hiatt fhat is af he tram he
short, the profitable, and the only road 10 perfect free
dom Of trade.
In accordance with our rule. we now repubsh
portion OF speech in Congress, recently delivered
by Hon. Robert Rantoul jr., member Of the House
Of Repress natives for Massa chusets, gentleman
who has but recently made his first appearance in
the general council Of the nation.
The question before the House at the time OF the
delivery OF this speech was that of appropriating
public lands in aid Of railroad be constructed
that the great trade OF this country was in future
to be between the Mississippi Valley and foreign
nations, and orcr the less favored lands of the At
lantic States, and that the prosperity OF the whole
Union was to be promoted by the most rapid ex-
tension OF the system Of western railroads, while
the West itself WAS TO be especially benefited by
the vast addition that would be made TO the value
OF its land by thus facilitating the exchange Of the
commodities its people had TO sell for those that they
required TO buy.
''What Makes" said the honorable member
'lhnOs nVe miles OIL more valuable
than those hundred or five hundred miles distant?
IL lie simply because the produce of that land has "a
market, and because the time and expense Of get
ting to that market lie comparatively email. Dirnin-
ish The time and expense OF reaching a market
from section of land in the State of Missouri, and
you raise the price Of that land instantly and
largely the moment you do SO. Now, cir, Of all
the inventons that science has struck out, good
railroad is the machine that shortens the time, and
Lessons the expense, and puls a market at your
door most efectually and most surely. That tins
bill proposes TO do for The inhabitants Of Missouri
along the line OF this road and proposes 10 do il IN
a manner which will not draw from the national
treasury one dollar, and which will not prevent
from passing into the treasury one single dollar;
for you will not in Missouri, you will not in any
State where railroad is necdcd-and, II IL is not
needed, II ought not to be constructed-l gay, you
will not fear, but may be certain that the demand
for land, at double prices, will be much more rapid
than AT the ordinary prices elsewhere"
"Oi all Inventions, good railroad most raises the
value Of land for" said the honorable gentleman,
'it enables the farmer TO go 20 market" Further
confederation might, we mink, have Satisfied him
that there was one still greater inventipn-thc one
described and recommended by Adam Smith--to
wit, that which brings the market TO the farmers
door, and thus destroys the need for transportation,
even ny railroad
Wba, s IL that makcs land vaunblci What has
made it evcry~hcrc valuablei Proximity q mar
ket bringing the consumer 10 the side of the pro.
doccr. The land Of Belgium is Of the highcet
ue Of any in the world, because there the
ion with each other. That OF France has
mously increased in value the consumer hns
more and mo taken his place by the side ol the
producer. So has II been with that Of Northern
Germany since the adoption Of efficient protection
has, 10 80 vast extent, enabled the makers Of
cloth aud of iron TO take their places by the side Of
The producer of corn and potatoes, and enabled the
latter enrich their land instead Of ,haustng IL,
ss they before bad done and ne do now in alJpost
every quarter Of the Union.
What destroys the value Of landl The sepafa-
ton Of the consumer from the producer; for that is
Invariably followed by exhaustion Of the land and
ito abandonment. For the last two centuries no
effort bas been spared 20 prevent them from
ing together on the land Of ireland; but all cfiorts
failed until, at the Union. provision ~ns made for
tho abolition Of all protection. the rcsuIt OF which
il in the fact that large portion OF that coUn
try 10 now on sale for the mere amount OF the mo-
ncys that In better times, lent 20 its owncrs
on mortgage security; while iaminc and disease
are gradually cstorminating the population In
India, Brif,sh frco trade has snnihilatod the do
mcstic manufacturer, and, with each step in the
progress Of the operation land has lost its value;
and II has done because in Ireland, the people
have been more ard more mpelled depend ON the
distant market. In Portugal, such, too, has been
the Gaze. British free trade having ruined the land
holders aud degraded the people, and rendered the
nation powcrls as 90 BE- nm object of pity every
where. So otoowith Turkey. There Brifish ffcetrsdo
prevais 90 n degree elsewhere unknown, and the
result is in the annihlaon OF the value Of both
labor and land, and the utter prosiraion OF the ma
owner becomes enriched ms the consumer is mere
and more brought 10 take his place by the side Of
the producer; and every where IL loscs its value
the producer IL more aud more compelled 20 de-
pend upon the distant market, because me cosf of
Han,porfat,on cOnshfufs The first tea 10 b, paid IN
both land and labor, and because the oost OF going
To market must be paid by the man who has either
labor or i products TO sell, be the latter either
ton or cotton cloth.
The object Of the tariff OF Is42 wa. that Of lcssrn
ing The distance OF the consumer from the producer
How far that object wac accomplished during he
briei period OF its existence s ia the fact that
the production of conl grew from one million one
hundred thou,and 10 three millions Of tone; that OF
iron from two hundred thousand to than eight
hundred thousand tons; that OF cotton cloth from
two hundred and sixty-scvcn thousnnd 20 half /
million OF bales; and that of woolleu cloth from fifty
90 eighty million OF pouuds while that OF railroad
iron, the manufacture Of which in 1912 had no 81,
istcncc bad attained in ls47 extent Of ono hun
drcd thousand tons To do ali this work hsd re- /
qured the opening Of numerous mines. the build
ing uf numerous furnaces and mills, the opening Of
numerous roads. the creation aud extension of nu-
Incrous viilag.s, and the erection Oi vast qUan-
iity OF spindics coms, steam cngines, and other
machinery; and the smsllest estimate that can be