The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-05-20

vert 10 uef Olu HedSuTe Oh prOtectlOn, ana we
can at once safely return to ours.
The honorable Senator from Virginia tells
us that it is wise TO give up now, because the
system being Improbable, we shall be obliged
TO give up at last But this is only tempo
rary contest not yet fully decided, and grow
ing in success Colinss contract has eight
years to run. Long before that time, Atlantic
steam navigation will prove itself to be either
selfsustaining or not self-sustaining In either
case, Great Britain will withdraw her patron
age from her line, and we can then safely dis
continue our contributions to our line
The honorable Senator from Virginia seeks
to divide us on this question, by presenting the
claims of what he calls the poorer cities for a
share in the benefits of this policy, now concen-
trated upon New York. | learn that bill is
near its third reading in the Legislature of the
Old Dominion, having for it's object to establish
line of iirst-eass steamships between Norfolk
and Antwerp. Sir, | assure the honorable
Senator that when proposition shall come be-
fore us for material aid to the trade Of any of
our Atlantic cities which shall at the same
time be benetcent to the whole Union-wheth-
er that city be Boston, or Philadelphia, or
Baltimore or Norfolk, or Charleston, or New
Orleans shall greet it with no reluctant
hearing But in the mean time the field of
battle is chosen, not by us, but by the enemy;
it is not a provincial contest for provincial OBJ
iects, but it is "a national one. We must meet
our adversary on that field, not elsewhere; and
we must meet him or surrender the whole ma
tons cause without blow.
And now pray honorable Senators to con-
slider what it is that we are invited to sur
render. 1t is no less than the proud CONNER
cial and political position we have gained by
two wars with Great Britain and by the vigor-
GUS and well-directed enterprise of our country
men through period now reaching to three
quarters of a century.
Next, | pray you to consider what position
we must take after that surrender-the posi-
ton of Mexico of the Canadas. and of the
South American States. Surely there is moth
ing attractive in such change in such a de-
scent
| q | conjure you to consider, moreover, that
| England, without waiting for, and, | am sure,
without expecting, so inglorious a retreat on
our part, is completing vast web of ocean
steam navigation based on postage and COM
merce, that will connect all the European ports
all our own ports all the South American ports,
all the ports in the West Indies, all the ports
of Asia and Oceanica with her great CONNER
cial capital Thus the world is to become
great commercial system, ramifed by thou
sand nerves projecting from the one head at
London. Yet, stupendous as the scheme is, our
own merchants, conscious of equal capacity and
equal resources, and relying On experience for
success, stand here beseeching us to allow them
to counteract its fulflment and ask of us facil-
tiles and aid equal to those yielded by the Brit
ish Government to its citizens. While our COM
mercial history is full of presages of successful
| ito,, io in Habf
| We are free from debt Great Britain is Op-
pressed with armies and costly aristocratic in
situations; industry among us is unfettered and
free. But it is contest depending not on
armies nor even on wealth, but chiefly on in
yenton and industry. And how stands the
national account in those respects The cotton
gin, the planning machine, steam navigation
and electrical communication these are old
achievements England only year ago in
vited the nations to bring their inventions and
compare them together in palace of iron and
| glass In all the devices for the increase of
luxury and indulgence America was surpassed,
not only by refined England and by chivalrOus
France, but even by semibarbarian Russia
Not until after all the modification which
| such a result necessarily produced, did the COM
parison of utilitarian inventions begin. Then
our countrymen exhibited Dicks Anti-frctiou
Press-a machine that moved power greater
by 240 tons than could be raised by the Drama
Hydraulic Press, which, having been used by
Sir John Stevenson in erecting the tubular
bridge over the Straits of Menai, had been
brought forward by the British artisans as
contrivance Of unrivalled merit for the genera
ton of direct power.
Next was submitted, on our behalf the two
inventions of St John, the Variation Compass,
az Ia m.
at any place, resulting from local causes; and
the Velocimeter which tells at any time the
actual speed of the vessel bearing it. and its
distance from the port Of departure inven-
tons adopted at once by the Admiralty Of
Great Britain. Then, to say nothing Of the in
genousiy reconstructed locks exhibited by Hobbs,
which defed the skill of the British artisans.
while he opened all Of theirs at pleasure, there
was Bigelow's Power-loom, which has brought
down ingram and Brussels carpets within the
reach OF the British mechanic and farmer
While the American Flows took precedence of
all others McCormick's Reaper was acknowl-
edged to be contribution to the agriculture Of
England, surprising IN value the cost Of the
Crystal Palace. Nor were We dishonored in
the Fine Arts, fcr a well-,leseryed need was
awarded to Hughes for his successful incorpO.
ration in marble Of the ideal Oliver Twist and
the palm was conferred on Powers for his i'm
mortal statue Of the Greek Slave When these
Successes had turned away the tide of derision
from our country, the yacht America entered
the Thames. Skiliul architects saw that she
combined in before unknown proportions the
elements of grace and motion, and her modest
challenge was reluctantly accepted, and even
then only for a tenth part of the prize she pro-
posed. The trial was graced by the presence
OF the Queen and her Court and watched with
an interest created by national pride and am
biton, and yet the triumph was complete,
In the very hour of this, of ITSELF conclusive
demonstration of American superiority in uti-
tartan Inventions and in the art that leads
to nautical dominion" a further and irresistible
confirmation was given by the arrival of Amer
lean clippers from India, freghted Mt advanced
rates with shipments, consigned by the agents
of the East India Company at Calcutta to their
own warehouses in London. Such and so recent
are the proofs that in the capital element of
invention we are equal to the contest for the
supremacy of the seas. When consider them
and consider our resources, of which those of
Pennsylvania, or of the valley of the Mssissip-
pi or of California, alone exceed the entire
native wealth of Great Britain when con-
slider, moreover, our yet unelicited manufacture
ing capacity - our great population, already
nearly equal to that of the British islands, and
multiplying at a rate unknown in human pro-
gress by accessions from both of the old con-
tinents when consider the advantages of our
geographical position, midway between them
! and when ! consider, above all, the Expanding
and elevating influence Of freedom upon the
genius of our people, feel quite assured that
their enterprise will be adequate to the glorious
conflict il it be only sustained by o0nstancy
and perseverance on the part Of their Govern
ment. do not know that we shall prevail in
that conflict; but for myself like the modest