New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-24
Free Trade, Navigation, &c.
WASHINGTON, Thursdsy, Feb.


| r, ~ Rsssr ef Tzs n T. ritss-s. -,
SIR: must ask OF you the favor OF brel
nos;ce Of your reply % my letter on the CoAsins
You right 10 suprosns that ! am h'roasa so.ns
advocate OF Protection, for the sake o. proecaon
But you are wrong in suPposEg my course on this seo
ect Is dctsted by spleen, or any such dog IN the uis
ger feeling as YOU suggest
advocate protection 70 home industry AMI domestic
manufactures manly for two reasons flrsf; FOR tas
purpose OF sustaining infani manufacturing establish
efts against the products Of the psupr labor and more
perfect machinery. and immense capital embarked n
he branches Of industry in Europe.
This Comedies thSt for time the foreign product
can be sold for lower money price than the dom esse
snd hence temporary protection Is Necessary
assumes thss when this protection has oeSh sl9ris'
ong enough 10 acquire peruanenee, stfesta am SIS
bIiry By inviting into Il large masses OF capital ana
securing the largest advantages thst can resu IRON m
provements machinery snd processes OF mslaiac'ar
! inc tbs, protection viii no longer be Necessary
Tina. the advantages Of perhaps cheaper provisions
snd raw materials, with domestic consumption ma,
saves the expenses Of ian, rans poTtaon may oe sur
fcient to couaferhaIce the difference IL tAe "a
labor and enable the domestic manufacturer u seh MS
commodity IS low money pries as the importer
But second II this cannot be done. stu Proteetoa
4 desirable because by building up manufacturing es
tsbsbmspts sufficient in W. e;y and extent % produce
al the MANUFACTURED fabrics sdspted to our soil and
clinste which are consumed in this country you make
such division of labor creates suitcient uisrSe.
for Re raw spd bulky products Of agriculture and
thereby cave the expense of distant transportation
Ar that II your domestic fabric costs higher money
l
Yet you than compensated TOR 'hs ~ 'he in
/ creased price OF the commodity which you stiL
The shipping interest has had steady, adequate, and
uniform protection for more than atty years nov ony N
its monopoly Of the coastins trade, bus by our
laws eyJing discrin ating duties on goois imported
in foreign vessels. bourtes 10 the fisheries, &c SC
Its very clear therefore that ifit Is not nov able TO
sustnin itseg agsnst foreign competition 70 never WIZ
b. Il csn no longer clam protection on the ground
that Il il infan; enterprise asking temporary proec
ton 70 enable il utm.Cy to sustain itseh IL Il claims
protection therefore upon any claim OF corresponding
benefits 10 those who taxed for s support II "a upon
the ground that - consumer Of the products OF oth
err, srd the rely enhsDces their price.
IL is clear. however thar nothing short OF general
system OF protection can be sustained on this ground
so long as the home demand for the produc OF ssr
culture i not equal very nearly equal TO the supply
il cannot control the price The price pad tor tae sur
plus VII. "a exported settles the price Of what Is con
umod at home. The shipping interest nor no other IN
terest alone can furnish sufficient demand TO affect
the price Of raw agricultural products But we coui
have a general system Of protection applicable 20 all
branches Of industry adapted 10 our sou and cnmate
would exert controlling influence over the price oil al
agricultural products.
Bul this the shipping interest is opposed TO- while L
insists not only protection, but upon absolute proh
bition for its own benefit.
nfreschts cosstwise OF oreiga would be reduced by
throwing open the trade 10 foreign vessels, IL clear
that the farmers and planters who consume the cargoes
upon which the freight is charged would be benefited
Ii treights would not be reduced, then the American
shipper would not be injured and no harm would Dc
You say that produce can now be shipped for export
foreign vessels without paying any charge or duty ON
account Of die national character of the vessel.
That may be true. If YOU can ind foreign vessel az
the time and place, when and where you want to snip
your cargo.
But foreign vessels like American vessels, only so
where they can be probably employed.
And Ia consequence OF their being excluded rom the
eoastng trade they only so to the leading ports tor
foreign trade.
An English merchant weasel comes 10 NewYork
freighted with iron from Birmingham, and cloth from
Manchester and she wants wheat Hour cotton rice AID
sunar for a return cergo She cannot get perhaps In
New-York, but there Is heavy stock IN New-Orleans
gathered in the of the winter from the Valley OF
the Mississippi She is excluded from the coa-ng trade
ard must run from New-NOrk to New Orleans In ballast
and then take ia her cargo and clear direct for Liver
pool Now who does not know that this vessel must
charge from 10 10 20 per cent more for freight both
ways than would have done II she could have taken
a cargo from NewIOrk TO New Orleans and the inter
mediate ports You say It is not generally the shipping
interest but the importing interest that avOr5 free
trade All know Is that the free trade interest seems
10 predominant in the commercial cities and that with
very few exceptions they send free trade representa-
tvcs 10 Congress. They make vigorous and uureent
ing war upon protection manufacturers, and have
probably succeeded in finally oyerhrOwing It. They
have Invested the doctrine OF protection at its national
character, and made mere scramble OF special In
terest for special privileges will have no hand IN any
such scramble
will have a general system OF protection. or none az
all For any other is partial, unequal and unjust
Yours, sc =
Remarks