The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-04
9aniulI.
From Washington.

I
From Washington.
Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati. Gazette.
WAsHBGToS, March l.
The IROE MANUFACTURERS AND THE PREsl.
DENT.
The Iron and Steel Manufacturers
Association, presenting invested cap
ital of S40,0O0,000, and composed OF
gentlemen from Massachusetts, Ken
lucky, Vermont, Missouri, Ohio, Geor-
gia, Pennsylvania, Virginis, Michigan,
New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland and
Connecticut, visited the President at 3
p. N. to-day. Captain f. B. Ward, of
Detriot, Michigan, acted as chairman,
and made known the object and pur
poses of the association in the folloW4
ing language
"Mr President: have the pleasure
TO introduce to you the direct repre-
sentativeg of the manufacturers of iron
and steel in the United States. They
represent the immediate interests of
more than 10000 laboring men, who,
with their families, represent popula-
tation of 100000 souls, or more than
the who population of Cincinnati, Chi
cago and St Louis.
ave are here, Mr. President, in the
hope Of inducing Congress to foster our
efforts, and to protect US against Euro
pesn competition, until such time at
least as we can protect ourselves. We
believe that within a very few years
the Southern States will commence the
work of getting out and bringing into
active use the iron, coal and copper
which abounds with such profuseness
throughout their territory. We believe,
Mr.. President, that the Southern States
are as full of wealth as the Northern,
and that time will develop their re-
sources. The Southern States have
now at least two millions of poor whites
that could and should be converted in
to miners and manufacturers, and at
one dollar per day each, the aggregate
of one years industry alone would be
not less than six hundred million dol
lars, a sum which would soon tell upon
the prosperity of the country. Enter
tanning these opinions, we met together
last evening and passed some resolu-
tions expressing our views in reference
to the laboring interests of the country,
and | have TO say that have the honor
to present you with copy of the same.
Mr.. johnson replied as follows:
"All that can say, and all perhaps
that is prudent for me TO say at this
time, is, that am very much obliged
TO you for calling upon me, and thank
you for the compliment l sympsthize
with you to the utmost extent IN what
you propose to undertake and perform,
and might say that my whole life has
been. directed toward amelorating the
condition of the masses Of the people.
Every effort of my life has tended in
that direction; whether / have been
correct or not, is for others to deter
mine, and must be left with time. l
am gratitied TO meet you here, and
sympathize in the labors of your un-
dertaking; but while you are engaged
in adopting plans and schemes that
may result IN building up and strength
eniDg the manufacturing interests of
the country, you should be equally en-
gagged and interested in developing and
restoring the principles of the Union
and the Government, which | think
should be the precursor of what you are
undertaking. Tho -astOratinn of nur
peOpIe would be one Of the greatest
projections to our home industry that
could be given. Our currency has
reached a point of great imitation.
Many are apprehensive that we cannot
stand under such an enormous circula-
tlon of currency, and yet are fearful if
we attempt to contract, We shall be re-
duced to bankruptcy. All cur moves
should be directly to preserving the
currency and preventing expansion on
the one hand aud bankruptcy and re-
vulsiOn on the other. 1t seems to me
that in this work, which affects the
manufacturing, agricultural and Minis
ing interests of the country the first
thing to be done is to labor for the
restoration of the Government. If We
could enlarge the area ia which our
currency is to circulate, and increase
the number of hands in which it is to
pass, we should correspOndingly give it
a sounder basis without taking out
one dollar from the circulation. By
restoring the Government and the
industrial products of the South,
we thereby widen the area of
circulation, and along with it
bring into the markets of the
country millions of tobacco and cotton.
This is a very important item, and
would strengthen the country and in
crease the demand for all manufacture
ing productions. 1t seems to me that
the most powerful stimulus that could
be given to these interests would be to
restore our Government. 1t would IN
crease the demand for manufacturing
articles of all kinds. By restoring the
country YOU increase It's ability TO pay
taxes. You could leave the present rate
of tariff as it is if you could take away
this internal revenue tax. By gettingrid
of this internal revenue tax you would
correspondingly increase protection TO
your manufacturing and agricultural
interests. l think that as fast as We
can, we should get away from these in
ternal taxes that now rest so heavily
upon the industrial products of the
country. Anything l can do | will do
that will tend to strengthen the re-
sources of our country. | sympsthize
with you, snd ! trust and hope your
efforts will succeed and extend as our
country is restored and peace returns.
To these remarks, Captain Ward re-
sponded as follows; ave believe, Mr..
President, that the constant drain
upon US aud our resources is the vast
importation that comes from England.
We believe that that drain will produce
very disastrous results, unless the pres
ent tariff is increased. So far as the
currency is concerned, if it is greatly
reduced we believe it will result IN dis
aster and bankruptcy"
Mr. Johnson-As | have remarked,
| if we restore this Government, aud
? thus increase the demand for articles,
I our currency will be placed upon a
tirmer basis think this does away
with all arguments for dimuniuon OF
= the amount of circulation; bEt there Is
one thing Of q paramount consideration
let Us have Government; let US
have a united people, then we have got
q Government
Mr.. E. B. Ward-Mr President we
are here sill laboring under the belief
that we have Government
Mr.. Johnson--Theu let US have a
wide area for everything to be carried
on.