The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-24

cause in speculative way against Othel
states which have no such prospects
and at whose expense, perhaps, some O
these magnificent destinies may be ulti.
mately accomplished. But though there
is nothing surprising in this mutual at
traction, there is something far less in
telligible in another agreement which
the speakers at the Moscow banquet
protested with equal unanimity. Boil
Russia and America, it seems, have
resolved OH rejecting the doctrines o
free trade and embracing those OF pro
lection. These principles of politica
economy were deliberately advancedant
deliberately advocated by both hosts ant
guests. Russia is great empire, ant
America is "a great empire. Each coun
try has boundless territory, an mex
haustible score of raw materials
and unlimited room for population
Each, therefore, has direct and
manifest interest in working up its
own materials for its own people, and
thus preserving from foreign hands
those profits of manufacturing which
would otherwise be lost. This was the
general theory laid down, and the argu
ment was continued on the assumption
that there was something debasing as
well as unthrifty in the mere production
of raw materials for other people to
manufacture. The United States and
Russia inApplying hemp and cotton
for the use of foreign mills, were chew
ers of wood and drawers of water in the
household of civilized nations"-a posi-
ton not to be endured, and which,
indeed, the two countries had now be-
come enlightened enough to repudiate.
The Russians spoke very strongly on
this point, and General Cassius Clay
unbesitatingly adopted their views.
"Russia and America" he said, "were
they to comply with the request (of the
free-traders), would, it was manifest,
become tributary to France and Eng
land for all time to GOMEZ 1t is really
curious to see such doctrines so gravely
advocated. General Cassius Clay ought,
at least, TO know that the dependence In
this commercial connection was as much
on our side as OH his. Manufacturers
are as deeply indebted to producers OF
raw material AS those producers can
ever he to manufacturers. We never
made the least secret Of our reliance on
America for cotton. We always thought
and talked as if she held our prosperity
in her hands, and as if the stOppage OF
supplies from her ports would be our
commercial ruin. The event did not
prove quite SO terrible as we expected
but it was calamitous enough, neverthe.
less, and to this day we have not right.
ed ourselves entirely. Why should it be
more undignified or degrading to
grow cotton for the spinners than to
spin it for the growers? General
Cassius Clay conceived himself to be
proving the case when he asked bis
hearers to follow the migration of a
pound of cotton on the system of free
trade. 1t was grown in Louisiana ; il
was sent from the plantation to an agent
and by the agent to the port of shipping;
it was then shipped aud carried across
the ocean to Liverpool, there sold and
forwarded to Manchester, whence it was
returned again, years afterwards, to
Louisiana, in a manufactured state, for
sale at "a hundred times its original cost.
"Now," continued the general, ''let us
imagine that spinning and weaving ma.
chimes had been put mp close to the
plantation on which the cotton was
grown, an0we shall be obliged to admi,
That nine tenths or ninety nine hum
dredths of the price at which the manu-.
featured article was eventually sold in
Louisiana might lave been saved by
the country and its inhabitants" To
this demonstration we can only reply
that the experiment suggested is en-
tirely at the discretion ofthe Americans
without TIE least infraction offree trade
or its doctrines. BY all means let tho
people of Louisiana set up their owl
cotton plantations, and if they can saw,
ninety, or even nine, per cent. upon til,
article by ehus manufacturing it on tn,
spot, they will be very foolish people t
go OH buying it from us. Only OH til,
very face of the case this plan canno
require the aid of n protective tariff
There cannot be any necessity for exclu
ding from the American market an arti
Gle presumed to be dearer and worse
than the article produced at home
If the Americans can spin cotton
so much more cheaply than WI
can they need not be afraid of our com
petition. We acknowledge that W,
have against us all those burdens ant
disadvantages which General Cassiu
Clay enumerates. We have to fetch tn,
material from distance, to pay for thu
carriage, aud to satisfy all the charges
intermediate between the first growth
and the ultimate manufacture. w,
only say that, with all this to content
against, we are ready to offer our pro
duce to the American customer, and j
he does not find it better and cheaper
thai his own, he need not buy it. On
this the General would remark that til,
home ministry must he lnyeloued,
before it can be exposed to competition
The organization of manufacturing
power is the work of time, and must III
protected during the imperfections o
its infancy. Very good; BUT how Ions
is this infancy to last, and what becomes
of the consumers in the meantime
General Clay happened actually to state
that !" it had taken France and EnglNhC
many centuries to collect the capital, the
skill and the experience they now en-
+ loy i'm the milIs.o Will it take Amer
lea as long, and are the people to pay
( for the experiment all the while? Al
this moment Americans in England buy
as much clothing as they can to take
back with them to their own country
because they can get it at about half thu
price. If they would allow us, wewould
lake these cheap stufs to their doors fol
them, and give them the benefit of thai
perfection which capital, skill and ex.
perience" have wrought for US. In re-
turn we could take from them whatever
their natural capabilities enabled them
to produce to advantage, and that ex-
change, we think, would be to the credit
and benefit of both nations alike. We
mt only tIiuk an htlt Wn n 70 oonv;r md