Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-06-24

steadily improved the credit of our bank.
and that of the State and General Govern.
ment were restored and there was degree
of quie, prosperity such as never had be.
fore been seen in any portion of the world
Confidence in the future precaiied through.
out the whOle range of society.
Under the tariff of 1916, we have closed
cotton-mills, and driven down the mauufac-
ture ofcolton from COG, 600 TO l67 900 bales.
and have, IN the last three years, decreased
the consumption of cloth, foreign and do
nestle, per head, twenty-five per cent.
We have closed wooden mills, and have,
in tie last three years, diminished the con-
sumption of cloth, foreign aud domestic,
twenty per cent.
We have closed mines and furnaces,
and have diminished by fifty per cent. the
production of iron and the consumption
of iron, foreign and domestic, has fallen
from nineiy-eight to seventy pounds per
head
We have closed rolling mills until we
have almost annihilated the manufacture of
railroad iron, and destroyed the competition
for the sale ofan article so necessary for the
cheap transportation to market of our pro-
ducts.
We have diminished the export of lead
from 500 600 to BOG, 600 pigs that OF hemp
from 90 900 to 10, 200 bales and the pro-
duet of wool at least 10, 600, 900 lbs.
The manufacture of corn and hay into
beef and pork, butter, cheese and lard, de-
clines daily, and the value of exports from
the West to the East has fallen from SOP
per ton III 1915 to $40 per ton IN 1851.
" We have thus diminished the market for
cotton and have placed ourselves under the
necessity for exporting more, the conse-
quence of which Is seen Ia the fact that 1t
has fallen even below the price Of the reve-
nue. tariff of 1910, '42-then the lowest that
had ever been known--with a certainty of
great further decline, should the crops prove
large.
q" We have diminished the domestic mar
kct for food to be consumed by the growers
Of wool and of hemp, aud the producers of
cloth and of iron, coal and lead, and that
dliuiuution cannot be estimated at less than
$50 600 600 per annum aud yet our ability
10 supply food to the world declines from
from year to year, as the manufacture of
corn aud hay into pork, beef, butter, cheese
oliI loihi ANtiiH'of nhh ho We O'~biAiS iSAS
dependent upon foreign nations for wool,
aud hemp lead, cloth aud iron.
1.-The import of fish now exceeds the
export, that ofrice has fallen in both quanti-
ty and price, and that of naval stores has
Increased in quantity while it has declined in
amount"
There is another question that lies
back, and stretches on far beyond all
these What will be the effect of the
revenue system on the interests of ag-
rlculture That is, and ought to be,
and always will be, the leading inter
est OF this county. Ii we were shut
up IN a contracted island, the mercan-
tile, manufacturing and maratime III
terests might predominant but in a
country stretching from zone to zone,
and from ocean to ocean, we ought to
ask what will contribute most to the
prosperity Of the great mass who own
and till the soil. Are the men Of this
nation to be engaged in digging gold
in raising cotton, and wool, and grain,
and beef and pork, with which TO pay
for the manufactures of the Old World
If we had not the natural power, or the
materials, or the skill, there would be
a necessity for it. But when there is
scattered all over the land an album
dance of gold and silver, of iron and
copper, and lead, and every other met
al necessary for the use of man -
when we have all the elements of nat
ural and physical, and political, and
mental power, It would seem as If the
Creator, in his works and providence
had designed to furnish one nation
with the means of entire independence
Shall we use these means or, casting
reproach on our Creator for making
these needless deposits, shall we follow
a system sure to render us as depend
ent as if we We're colonial vassali
tramping over barren land II is jus
as certain as if declared by Omniscience
and the evidence is more tangible be
cause It appeals to our senses-thai
+ under our present system, our LEADING
manufacturers cannot lire. When on
establishments are crushed. our labor
ers are scattered, and our skilled hand
have forgotten their cunning the aug
mented prices of British manufacture
will bring us to our senses. | knoN
the ready answer of the gentleman fror
Massachusetts When that tim
/ comes we will go to manutacturln
again" Who will do that VIII
will reft his shattered ships, and pit
to sea on the faith of a Governmer
that has left him prey to every fore
ign spoiler? Who, in this or the ger
, Grafton to come, will invest his prope
ty or expend his labor on the pledge I
a Government that saw him or his f
: theirs dying by slow tortures, an
y would not lift hand to help him
| will now introduce some facts
: show the effect of our presen: syste
n on agriculture and will say, fran
!. ly, in advance, that all facts, gatherC
n by the gentleman from Massachusett
l. or myself, in a short portion of tim
d though moulded into the imposing for
of tables, are very liable TO mislea
y, A philosopher who clearly sees OF
- fully developed fact, may be prepar'