The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1883-03-01

among them-especialE tile coarse
sort, and if some speedy and effectual
ways are not found to put stop to it
they will carry on great deal further,
and perhaps, in time, very much to
the prejudice of our manufactures at
home"
II n II II II y
I will not 60 on further with the
details of cotton, WOODEN, and linen
manufacture. The author, speaking
of the progress of it up to the Revo-
lutionary war, concludes by saying:
1t may be questioned If the people of
that day were not as really independent
of other countries for such necessaries as
their descendants . at present page 4e)
Furnaces, foundries, rolling-miIls,
blomaries, forge-hammers, nail works,
wire-mills, all had n solid basis and
rapid growth. Bells, firearms, sheet
iron for tin-ware, wire, &c, were made
in large quantities. Cut and ham
mered nails, spades, shovels, card
teeth, swords, scythes, metal buttons,
cannon balls, &C., were all at that
time articles of manufacture.
The Senator from Vermont fMr.
MoRRILL] boosted the other day
about the perfection to which the
American AK had been brought, and
| believe he said that Mr.. Gladstone
in making present to some associa-
ton, town, or city had selected an
American AK for that purpose. Let
me convince the Senator that the per-
fected American AK is the offspring
of the unprotected genius and skill
of Colonial manufacture, and not that
of the modern protected industry. On
page $50, volume l, of the author
quote, l find:
A dangerous rivalry to British iron in
terests was apprehended in the Ameri-
can States, not only in the production of
rough iron, from the cheapness of fuel,
and the quality of the iron, but also i'm
the articles of steel cutlery and other
finished products, from the dexterity of
Americans in the manufacture of scythes,
ares. nails, sc. In these they exceeded
the French and most European nations,
as well in the style and finish as in the
quality of their articles, being made from
the best iron, sc.
Wire drawing is also mentioned as
being an industry in the year 1868
of the Colonies.
can not go further with these de-
tails. Though exposed to the full
brunt Of British competition, these
iron industries as we'll as the wooden,
linen, and cotton industries not only
maintained themselves at home, but
they became the aggressors-they
literally"bearded the lion in his den,''
and exported their products to Eng
land. From 1928 to the Revolution,
pig and bar iron became articles of
regular export to the mother country.
Here are the tables which | believe
| will ask permission to print as a
part of these remarks. They are on
page 62S of Bishops History,volume,
While | am on the subject of ex-
ports, perhaps it may be as well to
say, for the benefit of my friend from
Nebraska, that the Colonies in ITO
were exporting large amount of
lumber, embracing boards, planks,
scantling, timber for masts, spars, and
buildings; slaves, heads, headings,
hoops, poles, frames of houses, &c.
The growth of these industries
was so rapid that they excited the
jealousy and apprehension of English
manufactures. Inconsistencies and
representations from iron masters show
that Colonial iron manufacture was
thus early regarded as a rival to that
of the mother country.
\ K
The navigation act of 1850 and
1851 confined the trade of the Colo
MES and all Colonial production to
British ports. BY the act of 1861
cotton and wool grown or manulac-
tured in the Colonies were forbidden
to be shipped to any port except
and in 1868 all wooden
manufactures were forbidden to be
exported to any place.
This concludes what | have to say,
sir, of our manufactures during our
Colonial period down to the Revolu-
ton, during which time the Colonies
grew and prospered not only unaided
by the Legislation of the mother coun-
try but in spite, as l said before, of
her unfriendly and prohibitory enact
ments. The only encouragement they
received was that of few bounties
and premiums from the local author
tiles such as our own States and
towns often give in these days.
All honor to the noble men in
whose patient toll, self-reliance, and
unconquerable energy were laid the
foundation of these great arts which
have done so much to adorn and
elevate and perfect the civilization Of
this continent.
During the Revolutionary War the
growth of manufactures was greatly
The effect of the close
Of the war was injurious to the bust
ness interests of the country at first.
All of its industries shared in the de-
preston. The manufacturing classes
being in cities and centers of popula-
ton could act in combination and get
up petitions and memorials setting
forth their sufferings and thus make
them more apparent than could the
agricultural classes, who were scat
tered and less able to move in con-
cert. But in truth all interests we're
by the long and impover-
ishing war.
Mr.. President, at the adoption of
the Constitution there can be no
doubt that the founders of our Repub-
lie were profoundly impressed with
the necessity of preserving our man
ufactures. We had just emerged
from a war in which our existence
was at stake. The nation was then
in tic IN foncv and ,yaaL in oil +ba