Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-01-18
THE FUTURE.

eress aftor the next census, and the decline
which would be observable in the relative
numerical strength of New Englaad. We may
expect, thereafter, that the system Of legIsla-.
lion so long pursued to The exclusive advantage
of the Eastern and Middle States will be
definitely Abandoned. Our navigation laws
will be so far modified as to break up Yankee
monopoly of the coasting trade; fishing boun>
tiesswill no longer be endured and last, but
not least, the odious system of protection will
give way to the regenerating influences of
Free Trade. What will be the effect of these
reforms on the different sections of the Re-
n1blic? Even with this system of class leg
,i:lation, as it now exists, the prosperity of
New England, seems on the wane. Some
twelve months ago the "Shipbuilders' and
Shipoyuers' Association of Maine" COM
menced an appeal for Congressional interfer>
ence in the following significant language:
"When we consider the present depressed
~>-esadition of the shipbuiding business in the
urited States and compare it with the state
of things few years ago, what vast ana
melancholy contrast is exhibited. Then, all
orr sb;nvards resounded with the busy hum
of industry. Joy and hope shone in every
countenance. Opportunity of labor was en-
loved by all, and you had the proud satiSiac>
ton not only of giving employment to your
fellow-citizens but of sending forth to the "oriu
the finest specimens Of naval architecture
to the honor of your country and the increase
of individual and national wealth. Our mer-
camille marine was then of such magnitude,
that the necessary supply to keep up lis etec'
tive force against disaster and decay was am
ply sufficient to keep your ship yards in con-
slant activity; and it was steadily increasing
and giving abundant promise that We should
become soon tue leading commercial nation OF
the world Now our tonnage is reduced one
half while other nations have vastly IN
creased theirs and the present operations In
our ship wards are insufficient to keep M even
this small amount. Many yards lie idle, and
grass has grown where formerly was the bu-
eiest tread of the workmen; aud the ability
of our maritime community to contribute IN
relief of the national burdens is thus material
" reduced"
Now. let these fellows be deprived of the
unjust monopoly of the coasting trade and
the effect may be imagined upon the shipping
and shipbuildiuy interests of New England.
But why do we call this monopoly unjust 2
Because the West and South the shippers,
and the Yankees are the carriers and If the
last reap gain from their monopoly of carrying,
that gain is the exact measure of the loss
which the other two sections sustain by being
debarred the benefit of foreign competition.
So in the matter of important duties The
Northern manufacturers secure monopoly of
Southern aud Western trade by taxing foreign
importations Of manufactured articles. On
many classes of goods the duty amounts to
prohibition. Tie Government says to the
other sections, you must buy from the North,
or you shall not buy at all. In regard to the
raw material, however, the whole world is al
lowed to come into unrestricted competition
with the producing sections. Not only so,
but an export duty was imposed on cotton, the
great staple of the G ulf States, for the pur-
pose of giving double operation to New
EngIand's monopoly. Not only were they
prohibited from buying the manufactured
article, but they should not sell the raw ma
terial, elsewhere than at the North Tho lat
ter might buy the material, however,
whence they pleased, without consulting any
interest but their own. And UT, notwith-
standing all this machinery of sectional leg
islation. the manufacturing interests of New
England have reached point Of com parative
stagnatlOu.
Within the past month, VIC are told that
"the Lowell cotton mills endeavoring to
close then establishments for three weeks, in
order that stocks may be diminished, and prl-
ces advanced to a remunerating rate" Ac>
counts from other parts of the North as TO
this, and other branches Of manufactures, are
equally dscouraging. Not even protection
can longer avail to keep up her manufacture
ing prosperity. The true reason is her great
Southern involuntary customer positively re-
fuses to buy to the same extent as iurmerly.-
She will manufacture for herself Hereafter
the great magnet to draw skilled labor will
gradually eravitate Southwark Since the
war the States of Virginia and West Virginia
alone have probably absorbed not less than ten
million dollars of Northern capital. The
South is slowly but surely working out the
problem Of her commercial independence
In the last two years she has manufactured
one hundred and forty thousand Of her own
cotton bales Georgia alone has not less than
one hundred cotton. mills in successful OPP
Grafton. Tennessee turns out annually over
100000 worth Of manufactured goods
In 1868 the South received over twenty-five
hundred foreign emigrnnts. Let her political
relations be once more restored to pros
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