Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-12-20
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL
WILMINGTON, N. c.,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER go, 1866.
Manufactures VS.. Agriculture.


political economy, "that all nations must
be poor and weak who relied on their ex-
norris of produce and raw material to a dis
tant market, and that " manufacturing ma
lions grow rich" But we expressed the
opinion that this law was only true with
certain notifications these notifications
are to be found in race, natural advanta-
pes. emigration and the like differences
among nations, which make one pursuit
more profitable than another to the parti-
cular nation or people to whom the law is
to be applied. With such qualification we
may safely avow our faith in this law. Upon
the first clause of the above political max
i'm, we referred to the Southern and West
ern States of America as furnishing ample
proof that transportation to a distant mar
ket would always lessen the profits Of the
producer to the extent of the price of trans
portation; and that the greater the dis
lance to market, the greater must tae ex-
pense be. Hence the Southern and West
ern planters and farmers had remained
poor, while the sterile region of New Eng
land, by employing their capital in manu-
featuring, had been steadily growing rich,
and we cited some proofs of this.
We shall now take up the second section
of this economic law, viz that manu-
featuring nations grow rich" Perhaps no
country furnishes such irrefutable testi-
mony of this truth as Great Britain ; and
here again we must have reference to tho
modifying circumstance of race, to which
we before alluded, for we are devout be-
levers in the superior qualities of the Anglo
Saxon race their foresight, their prudence,
their love of home-of order-of patient
labor, has enabled them to erect a system
of government, in which the rights of all
classes are better protected than Ill any
European government and the virtues we
have alluded to, have alone continued to
them the protection of their rights amid
the most terrific commissions in the other
governments of Europe. Perhaps their IN
suLdr situation may also have contrl-
buted much to their defense against the
stormy agitations which from time to
time have unsettled and overthrown
the Continental systems of Government.
Whatever these qualifying circumstances
may be worth, in forming our estimate of
this law of political economy, it is certain
that in wealth and power Great Britain
exceeds not only all the present powers of
Europe, but Rome. "in her pride of place"
as mistress of the world, cannot be COM
pared to her. There must be reason for
this for Great Britain was not always
thus great and powerful. 1t has only been
within the last century and half that she
has $50 got the start of this majestic world"
as to "bear the palm alone" For, as we
shall see by a comparison with other ma
tons, France alone approaches her in
annual products We take the true secrets
of her success to be, first, that all her exports
are in the form of manufactured articles
and most generally these are in the shape
which will best bear transportation and
second, that every article manufactured by a
British hand is protected against competi-
ton.
She is the greatest exporter of manufac
lures in the world. She is also the richest
country in the world. These facts are es-
tablished by the statistics Of Europe. We
find them laid down in Hunts Magazine,
a work of high character. Now, these
facts have an intimate relation. Is it
not the relation between cause and effect
Great Britain exports annually six hun
bred millions of dollars worth of manufac-
tured goods, of which one hundred millions
are sent into the United States.
France exports annually about three
hundred and seventy millions dollars worth
of manufactured gools. She is next to
Great Britain in exports, and next to her
in wealth and here again the facts bear
such relation to each other as may be
called that between cause and consequence.
Now, what do the United States export
or, rather, what did they before the war
About three hundred and forty millions of
dollars worth of all things, and only thirty
millions dollars worth of manufactured
goods !! !! lie manufactures are SO clearly
the source of national wealth. does it not
behoove the Southern States to attempt the
erection of factories, both of cotton and
wool? Are the Southern States not better
situated for the first than any other part of
America ? Are they not as well situated for
the manufacture of wool as any other part
of the United States ? Without aUeaAh We
shall never have political consideration or
protection extended to any of our rights );
politicians may theorise on the sources of
national wealth till doom's day, but they
will never be able to reason d,0ay these
stubborn facts, that the wealthiest nations
are those employed in manufactures" and
I" that the poorest and weakest are such as
are Exclusively engaged in agricultural pur
suits"
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