Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-04

this competition 10 the a6rlcultura,lSt would
be enormous, would unquestonably be- great,
and greater than any profit that could he dc.
rived from tariff But, then, the gentleman's
position WAS not that Lie stated that he was
combining himself to the question Of nlauufac.
lures
Sir, it would not he the interest OF Virginia
to become great manufacturing State at once.
Manufactures here, as elsewhere must have
their infancy their growth and their manhood.
But here is the point: That if there was dis
solution of the Union it is perfectly evident
that with the duty which We now have or
would have duty of is or 90 per cent-that
all the manufactures which Virginia now has,
and which hang by feeble thread, would he
encouraged.
Look at the article>of carriages and wagons !?
Does any one believe that England could com.
peto with Us with L duty Of twenty per cent
in our favorg Of Course not. Look at furni.
ture Why sir, remember seeing it stated,
that Dr. franklin mentioned that, when he
went to England, he carried his writing desk
with him, and when he was there, it became so
tight from the dampncss Of the atmosphere
that he could not use it and when he brought
it back to America, such was the drynesS of
the climate, that it aluoSt fell to pieces. So,
England could not compete wi h our own man.
uracturerS Of furniture. They must be made
at home. And besides, there is . strong ten
dency i'll individuals to buy things near at
home, rather than at Il distance. There is, al
So u nationality OF feeling to encourage home
industry, and national industry. Ard have
no doubt Sir, that every mandatory which
is now barely able to sustain ITSELF when it has
i protection OF ten, fifteen. or twenty per cent,
would flourish, and Virginia would take for
ward step in manufactures.
You cannot tell, no man can tell what effect
it would have, for Us 10 invite the manufac
tureIs Of Europe and the manufacturers OF the
North, to the South; for u protection even of
i've per cent, would be II mighty protection
to a large business And there is the point,
aud the weak point Of the argument OF the
gentleman FROM Augusta, (Mr. BALDWIN, | am
perfectly certain that, upon the manufactures
from abroad, you could save ten per cent, and
ten per cent is m immense profit on large
business In the wholesale dry goods business,
five per cent is large profit; and there is no
question that the only chance Of the Northern
manufacturer to compete with the English.
would be to come South and enjoy this small
protection. There would be no question about
that | think.
But we are told by the gentleman from Au-
6usta (Mr. BALpwIS) that Western Virginia,
with her cattle and her PROVISIONS would not
he benefited by it. At least, Mr.. Chairman,
it must he admitted BY the gentleman from
Augusta she would not be- aud could not be,
injured by it. And will tell him another
thing: that tile Western purt Of Virginia
would bc benefited; because there is natu
raj disposition in man to purchase FROM his
own people rather than from foreign people;
and, ultimately, under the present tariff, the
provisions from the county Of Augusta would
go to the South. 1t vii! be protected, if tue
principle upon which that Southern govern
ment is founded is the principle Of horizontal
duty, which will pr"t,ct every class.
But let ne tell the gentleman another
thing-and hnpc | will have the atten.
ton Of this body while ! urge it before
this Convention. Look at The tobacco III
tercst. We have for seventy years been stri
wing to get the duties taken off our tobacco,
and we have failed That will not Ec always
the case. But in country Ike the United
States is now constituted, with high duties, it
is impossible that they can get the duties on
tobacco reduced England has protective
duty, or rather taxa reTrnuc tax-upon
tobacco. don't know whether it is direct or
An Indirect tax, probably it is both-;hat
amounts to three shllings sterling, which
makes duty OF scventy.Gve cents 4 pound;
and this duty or this tax, instead of being
diminished, is continually going up, in spite Of
tho protection Of the General Government. II
you have u low tariff in the hands Of the
Southern Confederacy, tell you, sir, that they
-o,l1 to Law hn ii ,tv fol,
co. What would they dor They would say, ~;
you don't reduce the duty upon tobacco, wcwill
put duty upon your manufactures" aud this
Con(ederacy would not be in existence twelve
months before the tariff upon tobacco would BE-
lowered in c"ery part Of Europe, and wc would
have them in our own hanGs-Se would have
them under our control.
need not say TO this Committee tEat Eir
ginia is vitality Interested in this matter Of ~
bacco; and il is tremendous oppression that
we have not the ability to let tobacco in free
or with reasonable duties, TO all the nations IF
Europe When in Virginia We grow beyond
seventy thousand hogsheajs, it goes down, Oh
account of the obstruction Of the foreign tariff
and the profits of Virginia would he propor-
t!rnately increased by the removal Of this o5.
Stvuct!on. | would ike to know how any
gentleman can expect, and appeal TO com.
mercial men, and ask them how it is possible
that this Government, as now constituted, with
this c1travagant tariff, can bring any European
nation 10 reason upon the subject
Mr.. Choirman | have to say that no country,
unless it be all extremely tropical one, ever
grew rich by agriculture alone. Look at Po
land, which absolutely led Holland for CEN
tury-the first during all this time the poorest
nation in Europe, the Inter the richest lrc.
land has TO manufactures; it has no commerce,
and its population is starving in the midst Of
heavy exports Of grain, potatoes, beef and
pork Sir, losk at all the nati0ns Of the world,
and you will find that commercial and manu-
featuring industry are absolutely necessary for
their prosperity. And who Gun expect that
Virginia will ever be anything but an agricul
tural State so long as she has any connection
with this General Government The tariff
forbids it; it cannot he done; and her case is 2
hopeless one, unless you can have the industry
of Virginia protected see TO brilliant future
for Virginia She has no future. All she has
is in the past She is rich in memories, but
has no present, no future.
Mr.. Chairman, when We arc divided, md be.
come great commercial and manufacturing
people, then we shall fulfill tile destinies Of
Virginia Why, sir, look at Western Virginia.
Her minerals are buried in the ground, With
no hand to bring them up, doing no good 10
herself or to others, and will yet sleep there
Tor ages under the wing Of the protecting care
Of our General Government. 0! that We could
be that Virginia that We ought ~ br. U! that
we could cnj9y the blessings that Providence
has so bountfully showcrcd upon US. God
has done everything for us; man has done eve
rything against U.s. We have the finest coun-
try upon the face Of the earth; the finest eli
mate in the world every advantage that heart
could wish for OF mind concei7e Ct, but the
disadvantages which we are aboring under are
thrown in the way by the General Government.
I wspder at it. and admire the hopes of those
who can look forward to any greatness in the
future under the protecting wing of this Con
stituiion. What source Of hope have gentle.
men now which they have not always had ?
What il the rrospCct OF the future? Show il