The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-23
Northern Manufactures.

good
Northern Manufactures.
The New York Tribune asserts and laments
the decline and ruin Of Northern manufactures.
The great rival of Lowell, the town of Law
renee, situated on the Merrimack, few miles
below, remains "a city Of magnificent distances
"The water-power there, obtained at a heavy
expense, is not half used, simply because no
one can use it there at profit" Yet Lawrence
is ''tbe focus of network of railroads, is an
hours ride from Boston, near the head of navi-
CATION on the Merrimack, and is every way most
eligibly situated for manufacturing. Holyoke,
formerly Hadley Falls, Massachusetts, is on the
Connecticut and g is by far the finest water
power yet improved in New England Several
of the largest and finest factories, and an extern
siye machine shop, &c, have been erected
The company is anxious to let these factories,
or to furnish water-power for any purpose, on
any terms that reasonable men would propose.
They have been most anxiously planning and
contriying for years to set their power at work,
30 as to render their investment productive yet
at this moment three fourths Of their gigantic
water-power, which of itself can hardly have
cost SO little as one million Of dollars, is running
to waste" The Mattawan works, in Fishkill,
Duchess county, New York, have become in
solvent. Their admirable and cheap water
power, machine-shop, several factories, dwell
lings, extensive grounds, &C., were long and
widely advertised, and at length sold Gin parcels)
at auction at less than half their cost" al
though the Hudson Railroad had recently been
finished, and they were thus within two hours
ride of New York. the iron interest, all
know, is virtually PROSTATE. In few favorite
localities iron is still made but two-thirds of the
works now in blast are barely kept going, in
hopes of better times"
And all this ia related by the Tribune in a
season Of great general prosperity, of peace, of
high prices, and unparalleled abundance of gold.
The present tariff affords protection to domes-
tic iron and cotton goods Of thirty per cent
and yet II appears they do not maintain sue
cessful competition with foreign fabrics.
The Tribune asserts that these enumerated
works were commenced under the tariff of 1912
and have been ruined by that Of 1916. With.
tut discussing the merits Of protection, we
commend the present condition Of Northern
manufactures to political moralists, as a result o.
bad faith-of violation Of a compromise. Tn,
law Of 1888, enacted and supported expressly
as inality" compromise, provided for the
ultimate remuneration of the protective system
In consideration Of this pledge of finality, the
Southern parties TO that compromise acquiesced
in the payment Of protective duties for nine
years. And precisely at the time when the
Southern part Of the compromise had been per-
formed-the compromise was broken. The
tariff Of ls42 passed, and gave powerful
stimulus 10 manufactures. The result is that
at least hundred millions, and, in our opinion
two hundred millions Of capital have been sunk
in the business.
But the tariff Of 1896 did not arrest the ten
dency, usually too great, towards manufactures
in this country. Since that period, an enter
prise Of the kind was shndertaken on the
otAt VI hNb ONO TNtfs hDOub one
hundred and twenty miles below Louisville
There was a coal mine near the surface O
The ground, and on the bank Of the stream
II was in the midst Of great grain and pro
vision-producing region, and within short dis
lance oftho cotton plant itself, and with nayiga
bic communications extending throughout IN,
whole Mississippi valley, Of more than twelv,
millions Of people. II was The very spot fo
Southern and Western and Northern capital aDC
skill and labopto unite. The enterprising pro
prietor Of the land, HAMILTON SMITH, esq, wrote
a number Of persuasive articles in behalf Of the
plan, and they were republished from the Louis
vile Journal by the National IateHigencer ard
many other papers. Companies were formed
stock subscribed North and South, and superb
stone cotton factory was erected at cost Of
s360,0Oo, and some four hundred Of the New
England girls were imported. The establish
ment was kept at work one year by the compa
ny, and then rented at some $1,000 per annum
about enough TO keep the machinery in repair
And yet we don't know Of any place South o
New England, combining greater advantages TO
such an undertaking
We don't believe manufactures pay anywher,
even in old England, much less in New, last o
all in the West and South, where labor and can
ial are DEAR and we wish will always renal
so.
A BLACK DELEeATE-The Jamaica legisl'
tive assembly has been occupied with pfopc
sition TO send delegates to London, TO represen
the distresses and needs Of Jamaica 10 the Brit
ish government. -Four gentlemen, members o
the assembly, were appointed on the mission
u was then proposed 10 add Mr.. McvrcKERs,
black man, also a member Of the assembly, {.
The dnlenntinr IT, -. l-l..-.... 49,.