The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-07-05
NO. 46.

the gravest anxiety, this outflow of specie
s still going on beyond all former exam
pie, so that, unless there is some effectual
relief, such as this bill will assuredly af-
ford, it is not difficult to perceive the ap-
proach Of another revulsion, more calami-
tous than that Of 1857. 1t has been urged,
however, that if each nation manufactured
everything for the supply of its own wants,
we would lose our commerce, with all its
civilizing influences. Now, Mr.. Chair
man, is it possible to point out country
on the face of the earth, where protection
has been adopted as system, whose COM
merce has not, at the same time, flourish
ed. On the contrary, sir, experience
justities the assertion that the commerce
of nations who have protected their labor
Including our own country during the
two protective tariffs of 1928 and 1872
has prospered, and those nations who have
exchanged their raw materials for the
manufactured goods of others have but a
limited commerce, or none at all. The
protected nation is rich, because the peo-
pie are employed and can therefore buy
while the nation whose laborers are idle is
poor, and cannot buy from others. If it
were possible that the people of every na-
tion werefully employed, so thatthey made
every talent to grow which the bounty of
Providence intrusted to them, commerce
true, legitimate commerce-wou,d Will
ten every see. Variety is the order of
Gods providence. He has made no two
men alike, either in physical or mental
endowments; and the same diversity is
found amongst nations. The countries in
which they are allotted differ in soil, eli
mate, and adaptation to particular pur-
suits; and as long as this diversity In both
nations and countries exists, there will be
variety in the productions of their labor,
and one which has not, will buy what the
/ other has TO sell; and thus there will al
ways be demand for ships and sailors.
The gentleman from Alabama Mr..
| MOORE in his argument against specific
duties, as being the protective feature of
! this bill, invoked us to follow the exam
! pies of England and France, In abandon
ing, as he supposed, the antiquated notions
of protection, by throwing open their ports
to the unrestricted commerce of the world.
-"AH honor" said he, '.to the rulers of
these two ancient and renowned Kingdoms
for the boldness with which they have ta-
ken their stand on the side of free trade"
these nations have abandoned, and in
many others have reduced, the duties on
foreign imports, but deny that they have
ever abandoned protection.
The agitation of free trade began in
England by some reduction of duties on
silks, under the lead of Mr. Huskisson,
but was carried on chiefly in the contro-
versy relative to the modification of the
corn laws, which has terminated in their
final repeal. That, sir, was measure of
merchants and manufacturers, designed to
advance the prosperity of manufactures
and trade. Its professed object was to
furnish cheap food, as means of ena-
bling them to maintain competition with
the manufacturers of other nations de-
structive of their interests. l cannot pre-
sent the real issue of that famous contro-
yersy better than by one or two extracts
from the arguments of those who are
called free traders. Colonel L. Wood, a
member Of Parliament, supported the
measure, and said: a v.-as.
E'It would contribute TO the general
prosperity of the country, but was a6so-
!, ltteLy necessary to the preservation of the
manufacturing interest" arEt errs
Again he says -E
"In certain districts of the country
there is superabundance of population,
: and no employment for them and unless
: they could increase the manufacturing
, prosperity Of the country, what chance
: had they for employment His impress
sion was that the supply of food was not
adequate to the demand, and supple.
should be realized from abroad. e-.-r
; Another advocate of free trade, Sir, W
: Clay, remarked: trz
r adopt the more widely the principle.
of free trade, and afford to our manufae
: turers the means of competing with 9th
t ers. All the great branches of manufac
: lures exported a considerable portion oi
their produce that portion could only
r, bear such price as would enable it t
y compete with the goods of our rivals, oao
o tie price Of the portion exported dbsoIute{,
n goper,ed tie price Of the home naarkat l
0 it was absolutely inevitable thai wage
r. should fall in order that the manufactu
n rers might meet their foreign rivals, how
). was the necessity to be met but by de
e crease in the price Of provisions ?"
e 1t is needless to multiply proofs of th,
IS purpose of this measure. But the move
n ment, / am aware, had not stopped viii
5, the repeal of the corn laws. 1t has beer
Il pushed much further, and the duties o,
e many articles formerly highly protects
II have been abandoned, but IN no case, ser