New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-23


erts We sre reduced 20 condition that has DESTROYED
manufacturing interests, crippled our conmerre,
OvfrSh@mec US ~th debt, ard bronsh. tas great Re
public II the United States, that ought 70 shoo, far
ahead Of the mightiest in resources and wealth, 10
state of bankruptcy ia time Of profound peace, sni
which has 10 support tsef by leans and the iess
Of treasury notes or promises 10 pay which theyr
not sbe to redeem. Nov, what is poltloA economy
Nothing upon the face Of the earth bat domestic ecoo
ou1v on lsrgcr scsle the only difference being shs
a, me stc ecorouy is applied b Individuals asd fsua-
hes and political economy 70 poti :sl bodies or ssas
Now l.. az test this Giestion % political economy
by the more simple and familiar snsOgy Of wha. We
understand IS domestic economy.
Suppose Armer, hsviog very large estate, viii
lsborers enough 20 cultivate bis lands 20 great stya
race and by diyers;fying Their enp)yments, has
been enabled for series OF years, not only 20 suepy
al dererfent upou him with whatever was ocneuosa
upon The estate Int to lay mp large sprp.as Q; TIE
eud Of each year for the benefit OF his children. He
then engages manager 10 supeUntend hls oasiosss,
who has been Studying Adam Smiths theory OF Free
Trade, end h. concluies that his employer BAT beer
doirg very Improbable business, ss he coeli bay al
be consumed for lees money than IL c0st hum 70 aAte
Il: he enters into calculation and finds that Wills
costs him fifty cents buShe for Al the corn ne Gao
rrske some reighbors, whose lsLds more profsc-
tive and whose labor is cheaper than his vn, csnel
II fr fortyive cents that his p)t6toes cost him tony
oeu,s while bis reghbor sell for thirtyfve; tho
pork he raises costs him six collars per hundred
weight when he 'can buy for i've aud half; bis rot
u
nice; his shoes cost eighty cents pair and he csn
buv for seventyfve snd 80 on with wheat oats Der.
lev beans hay and rye, snc throughout the whole c.
taogue Of articles be could produce for himself; and
Re xere to conclude, this thing Of working my cen
fern, and giving employment 70 my own labor, al
humbug ard each years operation brings the estate
rearer ard nesrer 20 ruin. viii stop u, ana Try
Mr.. Adam Smiths plan Of free trade fo'
while, and buy where l can ouy chessst,
exce Il few srticles such as cotton and tobacco,
which TIE climate and soil Of my Deighbor VIII not
enable him 70 raise; and, az | cannot md msrket
for ell the cotton and tobacco the estate cOnd make
will employ Just enc half my force and leave the rsst
in iGeness to take care Of the neyes. SO he ssyste
his people, My good women, you msy burn yOur pin-
ning-wheels your looms for shall have no rnore
spinning and weaving done On this farm. Ny god
men, you can lsy aside your pows snd yoar wagons
ard carts sud shoves ard hoes, for shall raise no
more corn, nor potatoes, nor hogs, nor wheat, net
Gate nor hay, barley, nor beansi and one bali Of
you msy 90 about your business, az shali have no
use fer You during the year. To laboers ask, Wsh
master what sre we TO do how are We TO hive II yea
won't cultivate your fields and give as emplOyment
An gays be- tina, is your business; the psnistica 10
large enough 10 hold you all ard you mast SHIN TOR
yourselves as best You can, but you cannot do say
more work for me. But master. cannot hive with
out food and clothing, and You won't Jet us stay OF the
farm ard stsrve or 20 raked No of course rot but
] bad rather buy than make your food and clothing
for can get il cheaper elsewhere than can produce
il. So ne turns one half his land out Of cu.nyahen
and one half Of hs force out Unemployment.
AT the end of the year, instead Of having q well
regulated dsciph HE farm everything is In COZ
fusion-a gencr, insubordinatiOn prevails; the pnsn
ployed hands have been INDUCING in all sorts Of de
sipation and vice. drinking ard stealing, fighting AMI
fbusterDg, and whatever elsa Is likely to accompany
state Of idlsness and, instead Of having handsome
surplus Of money to hand over TO his employer the
cotton and tobacco he has made have not paid for
much than half he has had to buy; and he las,
consequently gone largely IN debt But, sti enamor.
ed with bis ireerade theory, lie continues the sysem
until the estate becomes impoverished and slnost
bankrupt. This is what would be callei domestic
economy or the economy OF an Individual the Tree
trade plan.
The employer now finds il necessary TO change HE
manager and he selects of good, sound practical
common sense, who relies more upon facts han
theories. and more upon experience than books. He
goes TO work and brings order cut Of confusion he @
al the hands the farm 10 work, brings all the land
be can into cultivation, diversie, the employment Of
his labor, produces not only enough for the eOhsanp
ton OF the whole estate, but 10 exchange for the
articles of tea and coffee, brandy and wines,
silks, aoes, satins velvsts, and such articles
ole used in the family aud cannot be made a. hons
and then haUds over, from the sun pins Of producoe
handsome sum of money TO bis employer, to be add
10 bis general stock. And this is wat is called dones.
tic economy, OF the economy Of individual on the
plan Of protection 10 home industry and home labor
Contrast the two and say under which system you
would prefer t. live, and which manager you vsult
prefer TO employ TO manage your estates.
Now, II the domestic economy D. acticed by the buy.
icg farmer leads him IL ruiz and the domestic ecosc
my practiced by the selling farmer leads him 10 aeh
when the example OF either is followed by neghbor ssi
Ieghbor and farmer after farmer until il has extesded
itself throughout the whole State and thu, becomes
what is termed the political economy Of tho State
And between the policy or economy Of these two sm-
ers, you have Illustrated, in a si1ipe and ineligible
form, the whole difference between the policy econ
Omy recommended by our best and wisest men, from
Washington to Henry Clay and Daniel WebsteE 90
the one hand, to Adam Smith and John c. Calhou. %
the other
Go with me one step further, and ina CINE that hs
great national farm, called the United States with ia
millions Of laboIers, all Of whom to be clothed and
ie0, whether ID employment or otherwise, should S
under the direction Of national steward or OVERSEE
such as Polk, Pierce or Buchanan VINO should have
tancy for the free trade buying abroad system md
tsst Great Britain, France, &c., are the neghlors
VINO raise and sell cheap, and the whole problea Of
free trade ard protection Is solved go that il car DO
by the most common understanding
But, II is maintained that our Government h0
nothing 10 do with the labor Of It's citizens, and that
Is violation Of its duty to protect its indasTy Yves
a greater falacy, or, to use a stronger term, wu
grosser absurdlty ever before elsewhere, uttered,
by men who claimed to be practical statesmen and
who assumed the high responsibility Of administering
a Government
What were the original objects in the formuim Of
Governments WGs il not in great part to pr,tect ,
the lives and the property Of the weaker from the
stronger members OF eocietyl And while all acxeow
edge the obligation TO protect the property ofssch
Individual citizen II is held 10 be violation ofdaty
20 protect the industry and labor Of the citizen which
q the foundation and source of all property.
Sach doctrines deserve to be characterized az dir
,Tedtable to an enlightened civilization and rs 6toay
or the darker and more barbaIous ages. England,
France, Austria, Prussia the Free Cities OF Germany,
Denmark, Sweden, Russia and even Chioa, ell npa-
date go visionary and rninous policy. Others take
xanple from the Lessons Of nature as exemphfsd IN
The workings OF the bee, that never permits dross 10
ncumber the hive, but requires eaca one 10 bssone
an active, industrious member Of society, not orly
supplying itself with honey during the Sammer, but
laying up common stock for the necessities Of Wiz