Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-03-15

be proved by hundreds oi "il'ies''' '
he had been initiated into all their secrets
and WAS at the time one Of the head devils III
their midnight orgies. BY which, a gentle
man. would not only deny his membership but
unite in abusing the order, that he might tint
ont from his friend what were the prospects OF
the Democratic party, and reveal the Informal
ton he obtained, to c%ircuinvent and destroy
them. This was destruction of confidence
with a vengeance.
.sThat trade has been paralysed,' and yet,
paradoxical as it may appear, is more vigorous
and healthy from the paralysis, than from the
plethora that induced it. That overtrading ex-
listed and required partial paralysis to check ii;
that the system of bloated credit required de-
~pletion, and that while loss was sustained from
incautious confidence, yet the mercantile com
nunity will ultimately be benefited. But
if the paralysis took place under Democratic
Administrations, the energy and vigor which
preceded it took place also during the same
period and the more vigorous and healthy
condition is still under the SAINT system.
\ healthy man exposes himself to malaria, in
dulges his appetite and becomes u glutton' in
dulges his thirst and becomes a beast, INDUCES
his passions and becomes diseased; then exerts
his mind and his faculties, sees the error Of his
ways, reforms his habits, and becomes again
vigorous and energetic, and it all happens while
his father is alive, does that prove that his
father is censurable for his course: The true
principle of Government is to leave trade free
to manage its own concerns.
.'Manufactories closed and sold out under the
sheriff $ hammer" Wcinay say with equal truth,
new manufactures have been established in
other parts of the country and are purchasing
the sheriffs hammer out Of his hands.
THAT vessels arc rotting at your wharvcs
for want of employment Yes, and other YES
sells are building in your docks, and cannot be
expedited fast enough for the employment that
is pressing. That houses are falling down in
some places for the wan: Of occupants, while
other houses are being pulled down in other
places, because they won't tumble down fast
enough; being pulled down to make them
larger, to give more space for others and 4
greater number of occupants, and for a larger
number. and much more valuable products
Being built up, six and seven stories high, and
down, three or four pairs Of cellars, because
lots arc so scarce, and prices range SO high,
| that men cannot afford to purchase them.
To show how rapidly vessels arc rotting at
the wharves for want Of employment, we will
simply state, that in lS+S, the American
tonnage engaged in foreign trade was about
two million and a half Of tons, while in 1856,
| the last tabular statement to which we have it
in orr power to refer, the American tonnage
engaged in the same trade was upwards Of four
million anda half of tons. How many vessels
rottcd we arc unable to say, but certainly the
tonnage increased in the eight years nearly
double, and we find that in the latter year the
number Of new vessels built was upwards Of
LOO, and their tonnage nearly half u million.
TO show whether trade has been paralyzcd
during Democratic administrations, We will
merely state that in lS4S the value Of the en-
ports was a little upwards Of Sl54,0 600, 600, and
the value ofthe imports was nearly 1855, 600, 600,
making of both, $500, oOo, 900; while in 1856
the value OF exports was nearly $3.50 o0, 900
and of imports nearly 1915, oo0, 900, making
in all 5000, 900, 600, an increase in the eight
years, giving an aggregate of more than double
What an energetic paralysis!
THAT labor is unemployed" Yes, labor is
a very general expression, and that some labor
is unemployed we arc not prepared to deny,
neither would Mr.. Bolts, we imagine deny thai
labor is employed. Whatever may be the
clse elsewhere, we all know that here in vir-
| ginia, il is 80 much in demand, that the most
! enormous prices are asked and obtained foi
every species Of labor, and it is with difficulty
procured even then. That slave labor is be.
coming so exorbitantly high, that hiring now
is almost equivalent to Purchasing in former
days, and purchasing, except by men Of wealth.
next to impossible. That white labor is scarce
and in mlny places not to be hal at all, ana
when employed is at a price three fold what
was in former times. That twenty years az
labor could be obtained at fifty cents a day
while now one dollar and fifty cents is frequent
" demanded and obtained. If labor undo
such circumstances is unemployed, it is becau>
the laborcr prefers idlcncss or begging to WORK
or is not willing to receive a fair equivalent 70
his labor.
THAT the people arc impoverished" Inan'
swer to this, we might simply say, this is un
adulterated slang.whangins, and nothing else
the people know better. That the popu
lation Of the United States has rapidly in
creased, and with the Increase of people tn
property which they have accumulated ha'
increased in a fair proportion, the cen
sus will undoubtedly show. That the az
crecate amount Of wealth, therefore, is mucl
greater, everybody perceives; that individuals
as n general rule have about the same amour;
of property, the weather. classes arc INDUCING
in the same extravaganza, the middle classe'
enjoying about the same comforts. and the
poorer classes s%cuffling along just about aS
usual, is palpable to any observer; but money,
from its supcrabundancc, has deprecated, ana
every species of property in the same ratio has
appreciated, and, therefore, as to each Individ'
ual the property is about the same, tho nomi'
nal value of the property is much greater, and
instead Of being impoverished, his nominal
wealth would be apparently greater. But we
do not contend for this, because it requires
each individual to acquire more money to pur'
chase the same amount Of property, and there
fore i, is about as broad as it is long. The
statistics of the country, however, show that
so fur from being impoverished, the value Of
the productions have increased beyond what
.;..l. ho oooouptod for hy the cunerabundaDt