The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-12-19

nothing 10 justify such apprehension il the Official
reports ss correct a. presume they are What doe.
the President tell In his last message lie tha,
The imports during the last amounted 10 $2o7 aio.
l0l 10 which add the specie imported so2 5a3, and
The total imports were soos TAI lhe exports ex,
disc re-exported, Si7a04,o2o specie, i9o07 ,2S5-na
king d total OF c209.ol3,2l2.
Sir, the returns Of lpe preceding year exhibit ? like
cess OF the imports to be only xs,y29522 from
which infer that have still large credit in Europe
upon The transactions OF The 4s year, the exports being
greatly than enough 10 settle The apparent balance
against us.
II may be said that although there is of only
So OF imports the exports this because
large proportion OF the exports has been IN specie
Ii we 10 the Presidents message will find that
the exports OF specie have been only s4@oOo0O0 and
the imports $4,000. showing an excess OF exports over
imports Of 1877 900, 000 which amount greatly be-
low the products OF the California gold mines Al this
day according the Official statement Of the President OF
The United States, have larger amount ot specie
the country than had at the commencement OF the
fiscal year have not been able to obtain any ac
curale statement OF the products of the California
Mines but presume they have been least large
those OF the mines OF Australia and we know that dur
ing the last year $50 100000 have been produced from
those mines | take il tor granted, therefore, that
$50 900 have been produced from the mines OF Cali
iornia What, then, do we see We have exported
forRa mines 800 100000 leaving large surplus bal
remaining in the country beyond the quantity We
had at the beginning of the year Now, say thai. we
should probably have been IN q more wholesome TJAf,
ton if still larger quantities OF gold had been sent away
We might MOI then have had that expansion OF prices
which has produced such alteration in the relations
between debtor and CREDITOR and has caused much
convenience and even DISTRESS among many OF the work
ing classes
But sir as 10 this of imports exports, APP
pearng in official returns, IL has always been the
case From the foundation OF our government to the
present time our statistics will show that there las been
an apparent excess OF imports over exports OF several
hundred millions OF dollars The late returns give US
no reason to appehend that what is called the balance OF
trade has been against during the present the past
year The value of the exports will always in he Off
cal returns fall below lns value OF me imports mas
There are many credits TO which entitled that
cancel these apparent balances against us. but which
never appear IN the oiicia returns Of our exports
Freight and commercial profits in themselves amount
considerable sums MIR Walker, in of his reports to
Congress, says that the products OF whale fisheries
included in the list OF imports TO the aAount OF
several millions yearly. t3
But suppose it true that our imports die far ex-
ceed our exports Ii is the fashion of the day reconsider
this very disastrous state Of things Even MIR Walker
seems TO have fallen into the prevailing error, if il be
one-for speak of eminent authority with all pos.
sibe dhdenCe-o supposing that # the imports of
ton greatly above the exports, il would be avery
happy condition OF affairs Now, am not treating the
subject in its moral relations, and in its conneion with
good faith and honesty, but a question OF pollti
cal economy ! say that il for long series o. years
nation receives more than re,urns the wealth added
to il exceeds that taken from tour sympathies would
be somewhat misapplied if should bewail hs condi-
ton. II she should never pay the balance all, we
might he excused perhaps Tor sympathiziag with those
unfortunate creditors who hold unsatsied demands
against her. | know that the effort to pay and the
consequent decline OF prices often occasion real distress
but am speaking of the condition OF country that
should always receive more than IT gave, II, indeed,
such state OF things was ever known.
But will go on with the Presidents message. He
SAYS
" In the second place, manufacturing establish
capital invested in them is lost thousands Of honest and
industrious citizens thrown of employment and the
farmer that extent deprived home market Tor the
sale OF his surplus produce"
The President here complains FIRST that thousands OF
citizens thrown out OF employment; and, secondly
that the farmer loses tbs home markeha, IL 10 say be
longer sell anything 10 those thousands OF cil
who are thrown out OF employment
Now, to the first head OF complaint, the President
ciey TO give employment to labor without regard to its
poduc,ivsness, bur merely for the sake OF lie employ
men might say, ia reply that i is one OF the objects
OF civilization 10 throw labor out oil employment al least
temporarily, and that this is always done when
labor saving machine is invenied The world generally
regards him the greatest benefacior Of bis spe
cies who. IN this way, succeeds 10 throwing the
laryes, number of out of employment. Would
it be deemed il national calamity if some person
should invent machine By which one man was en-
abled to do the work of fifty We know thai every
such machine though lis first effect to deprive men of
employ ment only adds 10 the demand for human labor
The great object 10 make labor profitable, and 10 dis
win ali mat is III IL De Uue,
that opening markets TO foreign competition will
have The effect OF enabling US TO dispense with the I'M
profitable labor OF any portion OF our own population, II
would be subject OF regret than II such labor
had been superseded by The invention Of some ma
chine Sir If il the object OF society TO give employ
meni to labor however Improbable might be- il could
be very readily accomplished You need do nothing
than destroy all your labor saving machines But you
wish 10 employ your neighbor in preference TO foreign
ers. And so do l, where his labor is productive. But
the world would soon stand st--nay, would speedily
reirogrsdeif you should foster unpToducve industry
merely because it was your neighbors Would you EN-,
poy your 10 cut down your harvest with knives
instead OF scyihes for the sake OF employing the largest
number and for the longest time Would you call in
your neghbor doctor prescribe for you when you
no, sick. when simple reol would cure you OF your
ameni, for the benevolent purpose OF giving bin some
thing to do No sir Ii may be iruel hope II is true
that By the abolition OF protective duties you throw out
Of employment engaged in the production oil articles
for which they not fitted and II that not the
i've duties That is the end contemplaed-hat is the
end designed For whenever there are men who, BY
legislative means are enabled to compel the people OF
this country to pay for any article than il worth,
desire that the market should be opened to competition
even though they might thus be thrown out OF employ
men, The grea, object should be 10 give employment
productive and useful lahor The increasing population
OF the world demands corresponding increase in the pro-
duciveness of human labor Destroy your aborsaving
machines abandon the Of horses mnes, and other
labor which competition with the labor Of man
and tbe large population now upon the gob% world per
ish mserably They could not be sustained
In order to secure employment TO Improbable labor,
you must tax the country TO an amount greatly exceeding
The b.ne, resulting the parties protected and It would
be better for those who have 10 bear The burdenso these
taxes 10 make no fund sufficient 10 support these nm
profitable aborers In absolute dleness, provided they