Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-02-20
Manufacture of Leather.

MIR. EDITOR: me Legislature nave recently
incorporated Company for the purpose of
manufacturing leather in this city. 1t is to be
formed upon the principle of joint stock COM
Panies, and will be open for the subscription
of all, who may choose TO promote the enter
prise The manufacture of this article into
materials for ordinary use is becoming each
year business of more extensive and varied
Importance to our citizens. The consumption
of leather must increase with the multiplied
ton of our population and the wants of the
community. Hence, its shipment to this
point is annually increasing Vast sums of
money are yearly sent to the Eastern cities for
the purchase of this indispensable article. 1t
becomes a question of profound interest to
Tennessee, how long this state of dependence
shall continue. We believe that the attention
OF the people has never been properly directed
to the subject 1t is certainly not her policy
to send abroad for any commodity, which she
can produce within her own borders. Let her
be awake to The fact, that leather can be man
nfactnred just as well by her own citizens as
by the people of New York or Boston Or any
other city. There is no wisdom in sending
our raw hides to any one of those points for
sale, and then purchasing them again in an
improved condition. 1t is easy to see that a
greater price must be paid tor the manufac-
tured leather than for the raw hide. Tennes-
see must pay this difference. She does not
pay it out of the profits of the leather trade,
because the articles into which it is converted,
are not returned to the North for SALE This
difference, therefore, must be a total loss to
the State, and made good by some of its other
resources. The manufacture of the raw mate
rial on our own soil would afford q home.
market for it, and our mechanics would be
charge Of transportation end exchange. To be
sure, our forefathers were accustomed to rely
upon foreign market, but we will best show
ourselves worthy Of them by refusing to walk
in their footsteps in this respect. 1t is better
to improve upon the past than to follow eter-
naly in its wake. This is the only rule of
progress. 1t is fact as easy of demonstration
as any other in the circuit of economy, that
Tennessee could save to herself annually hun
dreds of thousands of dollars by the manufac-
ture of leather at home. The traffic in raw
hides is one, on which the commerce and pros
perity Of some countries almost entirely de-
pend. 1t would rapidly increase in Tennessee,
when our people saw that q good home market
was offered them. The production of hides
involves the production of various other com
modities of an agricultural character, and so
this business could be made to knit itself in
with many other important interests of the
State.
Independently of this view of the subject, it
is one of very great Importance in other as
poets. Thus, the establishment of such manu-
features would give a proper tendency to a
vast amount of capital, which is now either
idle and useless, or is engaged in the business
Of shaving aud positive oppression. The capt.
tai of a State can be used in no more wise and
judicious q manner than in developing its ma
tursl resources and giving employment to its
inhabitants. This is the result in an eminent
degree of the manufacturing interest Its re-
suits upon society are uniform and unvarying,
everywhere giving activity, energy, enterprise
and bread 20 the community.
What Nashville wants now is population.
This end will inevitably be achieved by the
multiplication of manufactures. They will
give employment to mechanics and induce the
influx of an industrious, intelligent and inval.
liable population. When such result shall
be fully consummated, and not till then, will
Nashville take her proper stand among the
powerful and progressive cities Of the Union.
r.