The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-15
Exports and Imports Manu-
features.

Ing evidences OF returning prosperity. 1t
is the natural result of the rigid system of
economy practised throughout tho land
for IA period of nearly three years. com
bined with the abundant crops of the last
four years, which have enabled us TO in
crease our expectations. The diminished
consumption of foreign goods denotes an
actual ,saving to the country at large,
amounting TO the aggregate value of the
total decrease In imports during the period
of depression. This saving will 20 far to-
ward bringing about "A general revival of
trade aud restoring our various industries
to their wonted activity.
1t is objected by one of our contempo-
rares, who mixes up religion aud political
economy in a very curious manner, THAT
we do not benefit ourselves by injurng
our neighbors." While we have never
heard the theory advanced in this part of
the world, if we cross the water and
examine the history of England, the
neighbor" more especially referred TO,
we find u succession of wars for trade,
continual and steady warfare upon all tn,
nations of the earth, for preventing in
other countries the growth of that domes-
SMITH so greatly desired to impress on his
own countrymen. One hundred years
ago the cotton gin, the steamship, the rail
road the telegraph, the reaping, sowing,
and modern printing machines, and nu-
merous other inventions of scarcely less
value To our business and happiness, were
entirely unknown. In all this vast terri
tory Of the United States manufactures
scarcely existed even In name In those
halcyon days, when we were under ex-
elusive British control, all our wants in the
way of manufactured goods were supplied
| by the mother country. II was since the
beginning OF the present century thatG
| Britain. furnished by WATT and ARK
WRIGHT with the means Of underworld
ing the world, deliberately crushed
out the manufactures of India, for the
| purpose of creating and maintaining
market for English cottons among
population numbering now two hun
dred and forty millions, bein. greater
than that of all Europe, If Russia is omit
ted. How admirably she has succeeded is
| told in the total humiliation of cotton
manufacture throughout the region of
country extending from Bombay to Box
| hara, from smyrna to Samarcand, with II
ruin unparalleled In the annals OF com
merce. This surely was no part OF the
| scheme OF the Creator" to which our con-
temporary so piously alludes.
The extraordinary effect produced in
our country 10y II resort to diversified oc-
cupatious has built up market for the
products of fertile lands distant from the
scaboard and from the foreign markets Of
| the world. The American system OF locat-
ing various aud extensive manufactures
next to the plough and the pasture, and
adding connecting railroads and steam
boats, has produced IN our distant interior
regions n result noticeable by the ntelli-
gent portion of all commercial countries
| 1t is owing to this system, which has so
greatly developed our agricultural, min
eral, and industrial resources that this
nation finds itself enabled to contribute
| largely To the commerce OF tho world and
more especially TO furnish Great Britain
so profusely with the things she most
needs. There were in 1870 more than two
millions of persons in the United States
engaged in manufactures, producing more
| than two billion one hundred million dol
lars OF products in amount annually, n
sum nearly equal To our national debt
During this last year the cotton here
| converted into cloth has amounted
| TO no less than 6O0,000.00O pounds.
or the cloth thus produced, the export was
small, and so was the import OF foreign
cottons the balance either way being ~
| important. The consumption by our own
forty-three millions of people may there
| -. toll asw
pounds, giving fourteen pounds. or an
average Of probably fifty yards, for every
man, woman. and child in the Union ;
that, too, IN period of serious CONNER
clal crisis. Meantime the quantity of cot
ton worked up in Great Britain for the
supply OF her thirty-three millions OF
people and her foreign markets all over
the world was but little more than double
the quantity actually consumed here,
say pa ,OOO, OOJ pounds. OF this cotton
India furnished 25l 900 900 pounds, the
equivalent Of a little over half II million
American bales, while the United state,
substantially furnished the remainder.
Nearly every pound OF raw mate
rral-silk, flax, hemp, jute, wool, cot
ton - entering into the composition
! VI iPliilSh AtAtINS cApOlltu Dtcu
brought from distant countries to be paid
Tor 10 foreign planters and farmers So
too, with great part, Mt least fifty per
cent. of the wheat the cheese, the eggs.
the poultry, and other food consumed by
the men who work up such materials
England draws largely on France for food
and certain products, rs will be seen when
we state that the exports of France 10
England in the first three months OF the
current year amounted 20 ESQ O00, 900 those
Of Great Britain TO France 10 SIS, 900, 90
The declared value of British produce and
manufactures exported was in millions
of dollars as follows;
ls72 ........,.,......I2 $50 1874 200
......l27b ls1t.....,.... .....l, ljl
This shows 800, 900, 900 less in 1875 than IN
ls12' while-we take here the figures of our
Gontemporary-ou domestic exports ex-
elusive Of gold and silver. for the fouI
years ending June 80, 1875, will average
about t5l7 ,O00, 900, thus showing AN average
yearly increase of tl40. 900, 900 over the -four
years ending June 30, 1872 and that during
a period OF great commercial denrassion