Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-18
DAILY NATIONAL ERA.

y
ing premiums for silk, for ships built, for wool
len and linen cloth, homemade. Two acres
of corn, or one Of wheat, was to be cultivated
for every tithable; and a farmhouse, with cur
riers and shoemakers attached, was to be
established at the public expense in each
county, hides being received at fixed price,
to be manufactured into shoes, and sold ut
rates prescribed in the statute
The next effort was, to force the growth of
towns. An act was passed, for converting the
hamlet Of jamestown into town of thirty-two
brick houses, each Of the counties being re-
quired to build one house, for which laborers
might be impressed, at certain rates. TO en-
courage the building Of the others, each indi-
yidual who built house was to receive from
the public ton thousand pounds Of tobacco and
all persons settling in the town were TO be
privileged from arrest for two years. This
scheme was extended 50 as to embrace projects
of other towns.
In 1865, an arrangement was Effected, by
which acts were passed by the Assemblies Of
both Maryland and Virginia, ordering "a ces-
sation," that il, an omission to plant tobacco
for one year, so as to raise its price! The pro-
prietary Of Maryland vetoed the Maryland act,
and the project failing new legislative efforts
were made for the production Of manufactures.
Every county was to set up loom, at it's own
expense, and to provide weaver"
In 1852, the price Of tobacco had fallen to
ba lu hur
common necessaries New efforts were made
to counteract the natural workings Of their
rude system of labor. Towns, trade, and man.
uhcturoa, We're to be built up by Legislative
enactment. Each county was directed to bny
fifty acres of land, and lay it ont for a town
and store house; all tobacco and other export
able goods were to he carried to these towns
for sale and shipment and all imported goods
to be there landed.
Another cessation y was demanded by the
planters but, as the Assembly proceeded no
further than to petition the King to order it,
The planters assembled unanimously, and cut
up the tobacco plants.
And 80 they staggered along, devoting them
selves to the cultivation Of single staple, when
their coil was susceptible Of every variety Of
product; and fostering system Of labor, the
legitimate effects of which they constantly
labored, although in vain, to connteract by un-
reasonable Legislation.
The policy Of the Colony is reproduced in
the State. One might imagine that the spirits
OF the old Legislators, who fancied they could
increase the wealth of country by destroy
ing half its crops, or regulate tho natural laws
Of production and trade, by Legislative declara-
ton, had taken possession of the politicians
who figure in these Southern Conventions.
For the last twenty-five years, these Conven-
tons havo been resolving that the slave States
are superior to the free States in natural re-
sources that their labors ought to be diversi-
fed; that they ought to supply their own
breadstuff, do their own manufacturing, have
their own shipping carry on their own trade !;
but their resolves have been as fruitless rs
were the old colonial enactments of kindred
character.
As pretty fair illustration of the influence
Of Conventional declarations Of opinion on the
question OF direct trade with Europe, take the
following facts:
IMPORTS
In 1870 In 1852.
In the Slave States, Sl9,s5s,7oi S24, 722,573
In the Free States, s7,2s3,2ls ls3,575,342
Increase in twelve years
Free States 500, 290,124
Slave States, 4,s63,s72
Difference in favor Of the FREQ States:
In 1910, Sb7 ,425,5O7
ln 1882, l5S,S5O,769
EXPORTS.
From Slave States, S77,5l0,2s3 $97, 296, 256
From Free States, 81 sos 500 i3,362,7I3
Increase in twelve years
From Free States, SIS, $50
From Slave States 19,785,973 !
Difference against tho Froe States
In 1910, S22 1874 APO
Difference in favor Of
In 1850, 16,066,457
So much for the direct trade on which these
Slayeholding politicians have resolved on 30 ire
mendonsly 10 twelve years, the Free States
have increased their imports ninety six millions,
and tho Slave States not quite five millions.
In 1910, the import trade Of the former was
sxty-seven and half millions greater, in
1852, nearly ono hundred and ffty-nine millions
greater than the import trade Of the latter.
In twelve years, the Free States increased
their exports nearly ffty-nine millions the
Slave States, nearly twenty millions.
In 1910, the exports Of the latter exceeded
those Of the former by twenty-threc millions I;
in 1850, they wore sixteen millions less And,
let it be remembered, the export as well as i'm
port trade of tho South is carried on chiefly
in Northern bottoms, by Northern men.
In the Convention that has just adjourned,
the subject Of direct trade occupied rather a
subordinate place, the attention Of the mem.
bcrs being cngrosscd by projects for railroad