I j.TOD IIFTCIIIWSOX, Publisher.
I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT THAN PRESIDENT. IIexry Clay.
TPrM, (.00 PER AXXI M.
! I VOL. 1.
DIRECTORY.
rIEPAR: HXPHESSLY IOII "THE alleghanian.
I.SST OF POST OFFICES.
Pott Ojfices. Pott Matters. J)islricts.
lena'i Creek, Joseph Graham, Yoder.
Billiel Station, Joseph rt Mardis, Blacklick.
CVrolltown. Benjamin Wirtner, Carroll.
t'ii.- priSS Danl. Litzingcr, Chest.
John J. Iroxell, n Un'. n.
Mri. II. M'Cague, Ebeasijurg.
1 E'o-niburj.
; Fjuen Timber,
5 ('niao.ll,
Eemlock,
Jaliastowu,
i l.iretto,
) JLiiuoil Point,
t i'cri':.,',
i ?u::sviil3
I F. ..dial,'
S.-Jk'.p Level,
giai'-aerhiil,
i eaaimil,
Isaac lliompson, White.
J. M. Christy,
Gallitzin.
Jieph Gill,
ui. M'Gough,
ii. a. r.og-s,
W in. G winn,
E. Wissinger,
A. Durbin,
Francis Clement,
Andrew J. Ferr.i!
U. V. Bowman,
Joseph Hover,
George Conrad,
B. M'Colgau,
Win. Murray,
Miss M. Giilespie
Andrew Beck.,
Chest.
Washt'n.
Jolin.twn.
Loretto.
Conein'gh.
Minister.
Conem'gh.
S usq'han.
White.
Clearfield.
Richland.
Wa.dit'u.
Cro le.
Wash i'n.
Siuinerhill.
rnriit'!ii:s, mixisteiis, &.
i P'ul'jitriin Itsv. I). Harbison. Pastor.
j r.fio'aiaj every Sablu.lh inoruing at 10$
j '-'.'ck. and in the evening at 0 o'clock. S i-
tjt2 S .-Iio j! at 0 o'clock. A. M. Prayer uitet
j zj r.-ry Thursday evening at G o'clock.
J..Wu-; Episcopal Church Rev. J. Sl'ank.
1 rrt..h-?r in c'.ir.rge. Rev J. M. Smith, As-
r.it'.r.. I'r-" idling evcrv Sabbath, tilleruatelv
: ; st 1 Yl'K'k in the hiornia, or 7 in the
j s f:n:. Sabbath School at 9 o'clock, A. M.
I F.-.V'.r ::i :ctin every Thursday eveniag ut 7
I 'i'ii- M-yitflent Ret. Ll. R. Powelt..
j ; rnr. l'raaching every Sabbath Morning at
' ! ;'' vi -k. and in the evttmipj at G o'clock.
e- 'M'n School at 1 o'clock, i". M. Prayer
i c:-' fc' i the lirst Monday evening of each
js'.-.;!i; and oa every Tuesday, Thursday
; ini Friday evening", excepting the first week
h ch mouth.
(j C-.Vi!;i M.-t oditt Rev. Johx Williams,
j r.s:or. Prea.-hing every Sabbath evening at
1 a:ii C o'clock. Sabbath School at 10 o'clock,
i il. l'i ljcr meeting every i riday evening
ii 7 o'clo.-k. Society every Tuesday evening
t T o'clock.
Dci:.!fi Piit. Wm.Lloto, Pastor rrea:h
k$ eTfry Sabbath morning at 10 o'clock.
J'T'.icuiar B-jpLists Rev. Daviu Jbnkin?,
Fii'.ir. Preaching every Sabbath evening at
I o'cl jrk. Sabbath School at 1 o'clock, P. M.
CiihUe liar. M. J. Mitchell, Pastor
Eurico every Sabbath morning at 10 J o'clock
atl Vtiera at 4 o'clock in the evening.
MAILS ARRIVE.
Ltirn, J iily , at 11 o!
Tcitrn, "" at 101 '
ok.
M.
M.
MAILS CLOSE
i Bv;tra. daily, at 4j o'clock P. .'J.
? sstdrn. "at 6 " A. M.
rriTTheMails from Tlutler.Indiana.Strongs-
V)fi. Ac. arrivo on Tuesday and Friday of
i ek. at 5 o'clock, P. M.
j Ii7o Kbcnsburg on Mondays and Thurs-
4 .t 3, at T o'clock, A. M.
1 Ji'i.Th'; Mail? from Newman's Mill?. Car-
t. i-.r:), x-'., arrive on Monday and Friday of
m-S Trck, at 3 o'clock. P. M. "
j Lve Ebensburg ou Tuesdays and Satur-
i-yii, M T o'clock, A. M.
j 3S3l. Post OSlce open on Sunday3 from 9
to 10 o'clock, A.M.
n ilLROAn SCI! EI) FEE.
W1LMOUE STATION.
Express Train, leaves at &.'? A. M
Mail Train, ' ?-07 P. M.
Express Train, " 7.18 P. M-
Fast bin, " 1312 P. M-
Hail Train, " 6.03 A. M-
t'Or.VTV OFFICES1S.
r,f th". Courts. President, Hon. Geo.
fr!ir. Huntingdon ; Arsociates, GeorgeW.
'w'ey, Richard Jones, Jr.
I'mtKonitary. Joseph M'Donald.
R'S tUr and Urcordrr. Michael Ilassor..
ltpuiy H'jisUr and Recorder. John acan-
S WiT.iiohnrt p. Linton.
I'-putu ah,riir r.i.-rr C K. Zahro.
1'y.rici Attorney. PCilip S. Noon.
Cj'in'y C):i"tiiinnrt. John Benrer, Abel
o? I. iMvid V. Storm.
CVi ir, C:mmi3iij?i'rt. George 0. K. Zahm.
' w I ti 'm.vii'-'K'U'ri. John S. Rhey.
rr.-(-,r.jolin A. Blair.
( j'1 H.,ut Jttrrrlort. David O Ilarro,
"Wl M'G'.iire. Jacob llornrr
fror ;.,,.. Trcaturrr. George C. K. Zahm.
i'-'r.r Unti.tf Siiwud. James J. Keylor.
-crsj,..;,,',. 1 r,j.rtVr. Thomas M' oruicll.
'v.;.,r.llciirv Hawk; John F- Mull. K.
i L -. . .
'- vf-y .-:-iri-rynr. E. A. Vickroy.
' oronrr J ameg S. Todd.
- ''.P'M.i'.'n -Unt of Cv'i'non
'".'loe.
Scho'jlt.T. A.
cr.si:i'K DOR. OFFZtT.RS.
Jurir,, tf) rate. David ll. Roberta,
fTMon Kinkead.
rjn. Audre-.v Lrwis.
. C-jun-i!. William Kittell, William K.
'-"t. "!irles Owens, J. C. Noon. Edward
CniT'tH. T, D. Litzinger.
ti-J
y'yfi :!,sUr. William Davis.'
-hinl iirrrlorr Kdward Gla.-"?. Villiuin
Iteose S. Movd. John J. Lloyd, M..nis
Fvam, Thoruas j". Davis. -
Tr"xturer of SrUotd Jlonrd Evan Morgan.
'if3,.;erKe Gurloy.
Collector. George Gurley. -
t,r. -'Rirhard T. Davis. iL
' i "
1 '
Evan.
Inas Krm.
?. Tihey, John J
"e .. Joatj
HON. SAMUEL S. BLAIR, OF FEKN'A.
Delivered in tlie U. S. House or
lieprescsitatives,JIay7,lS0.
concluded.
To accomplish this end, it was her con
stant effort, until recently, to cut off all
other nations from the means of improve
ment in manufacturing industry, which
they might derive from the skill of her
artisans, ller statute hooks ahound in
themosiarbitrary and illiberal enactments,
forbidding all persons from entering into
contracts with British operatives, who
were ingenious and skillful in any of the
various branches of manufactures, to go
into foreign countries, for the avowed
purpose, in almost every instance, of pre
venting foreign nations from availing
themselves of their knowledge, and there
by building up factories for themselves.
ller restrictions, however, did not stop
here; but, with the-same spirit and intent,
laws were enacted to prevent the exporta
tion of all tools :md machines used by her
manufacturers. Such restrictive and pro
hibitory laws for the encouragement of
trade, meet the eye so often, in turning
over the statutes of the last century, that
it would almost seom to have been t he
chief business of legislation, to build un
lr;tish ni'inuiaetures an 1 lntish ship
ping, and to counteract the- efforts of all
other nations to diversify their pursuits,
and supply themseives.
I present the following,
As an example,
passed in 17S0,
chapter :
"An act to prohibit the export of tools
and 'utensils made use of in the iron and
steel manufactures of tho Kingdom, and
to prevent the contracting with artisans
in these factories to go abroad." The
preamble read thus : ''Whereas the cx
poration of the several tools and utensils
made use of in preparing, working up,
and finishing iron and steel manufactures
of this Kingdom, will enable foreigners
to work at such manufacture-, and there
by greatly diminish the exportation of the
same from this Kingdom ; therefore, for
the preserving as much as possible the
benefits arising frruu those great and reli
able branches of trade and commerce,
be it enacted."
The act then proceeds to forbid the ex
port of machinery, such as rollers, moulds,
iun-;he-
enact3 heavy penalties for
its violation, besides a confiscation of the
n achinory when seized. An additional
preamble declares :
"And wherco.s, for the encouraging of
such manufactures in this Kingdom, it is
necessary that provision should be made
to prevent artificers and others employed
therein from departing," Sec. ; and then
follows the prohibitary provision against
seducing, soliciting, or contracting with
workmen to go into foreign countries.
There was not until recently an important
branch of industry in the Kingdom that
was not protected by enactments of
like extreme and abitrary severity. Yet
it was not enough to prevent foreigners
from employing their workmen and buy
ing their machiues; for other nations
would gradually din-ot their endeavors to
manufacture their own materials, unless
restrained. ut it has been her concurrent
policy, in perfect harmony with the laws
Ihmp" mentioned, to push her armies and
navies around the world, conquering em
pires upon which the sun never sets,
irliprftn her merchants may carry her
' - - f f
manufactures unmolested by competition.
It is uot for fame - that she has won her
most spleudld victories, so much as for
her markets. It is not so, much the love
of "lory that fires her. ambition, as the
calculation of the merchant, who sck? a
place to sell his woollens, his cottons, and
bis iron. For this, she wars with the
weak and intrigues with the strong. Iu
short, her design is to manufacture the
raw materials of her own and of other na
tions, not only for her own supply, but
for the supply of the. world. . The; chief
clement of her power to underwork other
,i.,tunn nnd sunnlv them with her fabrics
! is the low wages of her manufacturing
! operatives. Competition for employment
reduces wages as it reduces the prices of
I all other commodities; and the inquiry is
j presented, why it is that in a country
I where manufactures have been so highly fu
i vored, theconditionof theoperativesinthe
! manufacturing districts,' has so generally
excited the commiseration of the humane.
! Accustomed as men arc to associate pov
l or and dignity with the perpetuation .of
I huge landed estataos in families, cspecial
! lv where the spirit of fedualism ha been
infused into the framework ol society, as
was the case in Kngland, it is not to be
wondered at that the lands of the King-
1 dom were chiefly concentrated into the
: hands of the few. The titles
being
; gencrariv under family settlements,
; deeds, wills, .and other A-ssurauoos,
by
ve
EBENSBURG, PA., THURSDAY, JULY
the person having the right to the enjoy
ment of the laud, but an estate for his
own life, an estate which he could not
charge with debts or dispose of for a lon
ger period. Iu many cases the occupants
found themselves in possession of large
bodies of laud which required a liberal
expenditure of capital to render them pro
ductive. There was no inducement to
invest tho requisite sums on an estate
which might terminate at any moment
with his life, and then pass at once to an
other, who would enjoy its benefits with
out being at all subjected to the burden
of its improvement; and, for the same
reason, no one would lend money upon
mortgage or other security on such an
uncertain estate. From these and other
causes growing out of laud monopoly la
bor was excluded from a quantity of laud
sufficient in extent, if brought under a
thorough system of culture, to produce
food for the entire population. Agricul
ture had not its just proportion of capital
and labor employed iu its development, to
which it was entitled, if there had been a
natural
and equitable distribution ; and
the con
sequence was, an excessive supply
of both, for mechanical an I commercial
pursuits. The evil became s pressing
and alarming, that during the agitation
ior the repeal of tne corn laws, reforma
tory movem.uits were set on foot, enabling
capitalists to advauco money for drainage
purposes, to bo charge I ou the land, and
requiring the interest to be kept down by
e tenant for l:fr. I ha (rovcrumcnt,
too, has, in pursuance of various acts ot
Parliament, advanced on loan at three per.
cent, interest, for agricultural improve
ments, various sums amounting to about
twenty-live millions of dollars , and those
reforms have had a decidedly salutary
influence in ameliorating the condition of
agricultural labor, and advancing the pro
ductive ower of the improved land. lut
the mining and manufacturing laborers,
crowded in the districts where the works
arc carried on, and trained for generations
in the habits of their peculiar toil, and
consequently unfitted for other pursuits,
can experience lroui these movements but
little relief.
Thev
are still subjected- to
tue constant depressions, ot wages rcn
.1 i . s
dered necessarv in order to under-scll and
break down the laborers of every other
country who desire to set up for them
selves. It is obvious, then, that a coun
try possessing the advantages of such
cheap labor and cheap capital, and with
machinery advanced to the highest stage
of perfection, can manufacture at rates
that for all time to come will keen from
full employment the capital and labor of
a country like ours, unless the- are met
by restrictions adapted to the necessities
of the case. '
I have spoken of the progressive steps
by which manufactures ' are cheapened
when labor in the various pursuits of life
can lind employment, when producers have
at their doors-a market for the exchange
with each other of their respective products
aud where, as a laboring man lately speak
ing tome of tne effect ot protection, said,
"We mutually help each other." I have
spoken, too, of the improvement in the
machinery of production brought about by
a fair and free competition, by which the
cost of the article to the consumer is less-
cued. JJut the progress to such happy
results is opposed by the condition of labor
and capital in Kngland,! to which 7 have
alluded, and which' draws us within the
circle of an vnfair competition a compe
tition as unfair as would bo that between
a merchant who by fraud obtains his goods
below their value, and another who has
paid an honest price for what he has to
sell. The Englishman tells us to buy in
the cheapest market, ana prolieis to us
goods cheapeued by cruel exactions from
poor operatives, and deposited them mour
warenouses at prices nciow w nai must je
paid to American laborers alone for their
manufacture. We give hoed to the plau
sible and insidious advice, aad .dismiss
from employment our own. labor and cap
ital, aud for a time the. individual consu
mers procure their goods at a lower cost In
mdnev.'- 'But the foreign price is variable,
as it mast always be in a country depend
ing on the exchange of its manufactured
products for the raw materials of nations
all around the globe, and consequently we
are at once placed at the mercy of these
change. Besides this, we are f.t the merc
of (somhi nations among gigantic establish
ments to regulate; prices, as is irequeutiy
observed in the notices of 'meetings of
Staffordshire and Welsh ironmasters, where
they resolve upon an advance or depres
sion of price?," as may suit their purposes;
so that we soon discover, when the foreign
er- has obtained the exclusive costrol of
our. markets,, we are paying a largely in
creased price, by whiclr we are simply
helping 'him' to retrieve his losses in the
efforts that'tvere expended to break down
the home production. ,i We . are, iuvited,
however, to buy ourjrou and . other articles '
in this cheap market, for the further rea
son that it is the dearest market in which
to sell our breadstulTs, cotton and other
raw materials ; and this is the argument
by which American farmers have, been
induced b3r the abandonment of their pro
tective tariff of 1842, to discharge their own
manufacturers
abroad. Has
and employ those from
experience, the faithful
touchstone of truth, commended to their
judgments all the advantages of a foreign
market, which free trade pictured to their
imaginations? I think uot. They were
told that England was casting off the
shackles from commerce which a barbarous,
selfish, and anti-commercial spirit had im
posed, and, that inaugurating a new cri
of unrestricted international exchanges,
she was throwing open her ports for the
admission of our bread-stuffs, after lomr
aud wearisome contests with the protec
tionists. That was in the year IS I'd. The
protection afforded by the act of 1S42 had
infused so much of life and energy into
the country, that it was fast working its
way to commercial independence. Capital
that had been driven from active employ
ment by the disasters consequent on the
reduction of duties by the tariff of l'i.'i,
sought investment not only in the old, but
in new avenues of industry : laborers no
jnger looked for employers, but employ
ers lor them a condition ot tinners tnat
in u short time would have driven British
manufacturers from our markets, :md re
placed them with our own, on a basis so
tirm that they could have schmi maintained
their ground, unaided by protection. But
the sclfi.-hness lir.d avarice of liritish nmn-fa.;-turers,
shippers and merchants left
untried no means within their power to
compass tne ueieat ol our prosperity.
Biiti.-n intrigue and tnitihh gold wore
employed iu the work of destruction, and
n Administration was brought into pow
er by studiously and persistently assuring
the people that the law of 1S42, so fruitful
of blessings, should be religiously support
ed and preserved. England immediately
begun the repeal of many duties which
were utterly useless lor the protection of
i. (-,- -p..- tu. .:,,,in
111-1 1 till U--11 ) . 1 Ol HID Clill ML IJCtl LVOV Ul
atioi'iing an example ol ner
.111 V.V-llUl'lV ' ' 1 - tlitklf'U v.
abandonment of the protective policy, the
better to enable her to operate on the
minds of our own and of other people, and
theivby induce them to repeal duties that
were truly and substantially protective.
The modification of the corn laws, too, was
pushed to a speedy conclusion, for the
benefit of the manufacturers, and to recon
cile our farmers to the repeal of the act of
IS 12. Now, sir, what have the gained
by it '! What has been the result ?
From a table exhibiting the quantities
of wheat imported into Great Britain iu a
scries of years, which I find in the consu
lar returns of 1S55, I extract the follow
ing :
Wheat importl from tlf United Sfffrx.
In 1S4G, 803,178 quarters; in 1817, 1,
S:U,112 quarters; in 1848, 290,102 quar
ters; in 1840, 017,131 quarters; iu lSoO,
537,030 quarters; iu'1851, 911,855 quar
ters ; in .1852, 1 ,23 1,804 quarters.
Wheat imported from oilier countries.
In 18 1G, 1,520,030 quarters; in 1817, 2,
502,520 quarters; in 1848, 2,587,731
quarters; in 1840, 3,852,000 quarters; in
1850, 4,001,048 quarters; in 1851 , 4,340,
510 quarters; In 1852, 2,000,778 quarters.
The exports of wheat and wheat flour to
Great Britain for the year ending 30th
June, 1850, were as follows:
Rushels. ' Ylu.
Wheat, - -' 1,322,718 1,200.200
Wheat flour, - 232,308 1,051,051
I will not stop to dwell on the incon
siderable importance of the British mar
ket for this article. It is sufficient to say
that considering the incrc'ase of popula
tion in both 'countries, and the power of
-other nations to compete with us success
fully in the supply of bread-stuffs for that !
mai ket, it is not worth our care. And ii
we will but consider the improvements
in agriculture which of late have com
mantled bo large a share of public atten
tion in England, it will be obvious that
her market for our breadstulTs will continue
to diminish until, in a short time, we shall
be entirely excluded. I have already ad
verted to the difficulty, indeed impossibil
ity, of investing a proper share of capital
in English - agriculture. I would now
claim the attention of the Committee more
particularly to the reforms recently set
on foot for the remedy of this evil. The
Parliament, as early as 1810, took hold of
the matter, and passed an act enabling
persons having a limited interest in lauds
to charge them under certain restrictions
with debts contracted for improvements,
the spirit purpose of which is recited in the
preamble, as follows :
"Whereas much of the land in England
and ; Ireland would be rendered .perma
nently .more productive by improved
draining, and nevertheless, by. reason of
tho great- cxpeuse thereof, proprietors
hnviir- a limited interest in snch.laud ate
5, 1800.
unable to execute such draining ; aud
whereas it is expedient, as well for the
more abundant production of food as for
increased employment of farming labor
ers, aud the extended investment of -capital
in the permanent improvement of the
soil, that such proprietors should be re
lieved from this disability, eXc, be it enac
ted," iXC.
The system, thus begun, was continued
by various subsequent acts, looking to its
perfection. And because, in the language
of that of 1st August, 18 10, it was "de
sirable that the works of dri'.inayc should
continue to be encouraged iu order to pro
mote the increased productiveness of land,"
it was provided that loans should be made
from the Treasury to accomplish the pur
pose. Now, sir, let us see how our agri
culturists, who set their hopes on the
English market for tne sa;e of their pro-
duce are affected
un 1 will continue to be
reform alone. From a
ir.
table presented to the Society of Arts, by
Mr. Denton, in December, It-oo, and pub
lished iu 1S5S, iu the oth vol. of Took's
History, it appears that of the oO,G02,00
acres of land in (I reat Brualu, do, Cm 7,0 'A
acres are cultivated and cultivable laud ;
and of this area, there are ',00,000
acres wet land, requiring drainage. And
from the returns then received of the op
eration of the drainage laws, there had
been drained 1,'-50-)0'.11J acres, leaving
'11, 'ylo ,()() acres yet undraincd nearly
one-half of the cultivable laud of the
Kingdom. These returns further show,
that in Some instances there has been an
increa-ea yield of one-fourth over that of
the same drainage, and in no instance did
it fall below four ha-diels to the acre.
Thus, if you take the lowest increase on
auy one acre as the .standard, the yield of
their agriculture would be increased
bd,000,UOO bushels per annum; and if we
regard other improvements in cultivation
adopted by the British farmers of all clas
ses, and the increased productions of Ire
land from the same causes, can there be a
doubt of their capacity to s-rpply a far
greater population than is there at pres
ent, and ol the ultimate success in these
endeavors to accomplish it? I believe
that these facts sufficiently show that
Great Britain, instead of suffering from
over-population, will yet demonstrate, by
a judicious investment of capital in agri
culture, that she can afford the moans of
subsistence to twice her population. Is it
not, then, sir, the part of wisdom in our
farmers to encourage whatever has a ten
dency to build up a home market for their
productions, and lessen their dependence
on a foreign market which at best is fluc
tuating and uncertain, and from which,
by every indication, they will be ultimate
ly excluded 't If it were even otherwise,
however, it is not well that we should
continue to send our raw produce to the
workshops of foreigners, burdened with
charges fur freight and commissions, to be
worked up iuto bars of iron "or webs of
cloth, when thousands at home arc anx
ious to do the work. I observed in the
market quotations, some time ago, the
price of corn in a Western town, at forty
cents per bushel, and in the same paper,
the price at l-ivcrpool was one aol
Y.r nor bushel. The producer must
then pay sixty bushels out of every hun
died to get that corn to this foreiirn mar
ket, to be exchanged for goods to be im
ported home. If he wants' a ton of rail
road iron, and had his corn in Liverpool,
he would give say forty bushels for it at
forty dollars per ton ; but, to do this, he
. . ii .lit
must send one hundred busneis to ie toiiea
bv freights, commissions, and other char-
-es, which every producer who is obliged
to send his pnoduee to a commission mer
chant for sale fully understands, as he
complains of the meagre balance on the
.icconnt of sales rendered. If we made
tliisn articles, and all others which we
have the means of making, but do not
make, the home market for agricultural
produce would be just as good as the for
eign, and a ton ot iron, even at a price
twelve or fifteen dollars higher than the
foreign iron, would still be tho cheaper
article of the two.
The advantages of having our manufac
tures at home, instead of abroad, are just
as palpable and appreciable as are the ad
vantages ot the farmer who can go to his
market town frequently during the day,
and return, over one who lives so far away
that he must spend a day in traveling to
the same place. It is a marvel that an
intelligent people will tamely submit to
such exacting demands upon their industry.
But, sir, we send something more than
our products in exchange for these: goods.
After exportiug our raw materials, the
product of the land, the forast, and the
eea, and what little manufactured goods
other people buy from us, we have becu
obliged to send out, in the last ton years,
jiboiit four hundred millions of dollars, in
gold and silver, over our imports :
1 same metals, t-. And what, should oc
of the
occasion
NO. 40.
the gravest anxiety, this outflow of speeie
s still going on beyond all former exam
ple, so that, unless there is some effectual
relief, such as this bill will assuredly af
ford, it is not difficult to perceive the ap
proach of another revulsion, more calami
tous than that of 1857. It has been urged,
however, that if each nation manufactured
everything for the supply of its own wants,
wc would lose our commerce, with all its
civilizing influences. Now, Mr. Chair
man, is it possible to point out a country
on the face of the earth, where protection
has been adopted as a system, whose com
merce has not, at the same time, flourish
ed. On the contrary, sir, experience
justifies the assertion that the commerce
of nations who have protected their labor
including our own country during the
two protective tariff of 1828 and 1842
has prospered, aud those nations who have
exchanged their raw materials for the
manufactured goods of others have but a
limited commerce, or none at all. The
protected nation is rich, because the peo
ple arc caiplovcd, and can therefore buy:
while tho nation whose laborers are idle is
loor, and cannot buy from others. If it
were possible that the people of every na
tion were fully employed, so that they made
every talent to grow which the bounty of
;....;. ii
luuut-'iicu luii usieu 10 iucui, cuuiiucicu
-true, legitimate commerce would whi
ten every see. v anety is the order of
God's providence. He has made no two
men alike, cither in physical or mental
endowments ; and the same diversity 19
found amongst nations. The countries in
w hich they are allotted differ in soil, cli
mate, and adaptation to particular pur
suits ; and as long as this diversity in both
nations and countries exists, there will be
variety in the productions of their labor,
inu one which has not, will buy what the
other has to sell: and thus there will al
ways be a demand for ships and sailor.
1 he gentleman from Alabama 3Ir.
MooitK.l in his argument against specific
duties, as biing the protective feature of
this bill, invoked us to follow the exam
ples of England and France, in abandon
ing, as he supposed, the antiquated notions
of protection, by throwing open their porta
to the unrestricted commerce of the world.
"All honor," said he, "to the rulers of
these two ancient and renowned Kingdoms
for the boldness with which they have ta
ken their stand on the side of free trade."
Sir, it is true that, in many instances,
these nations have abandoned, and in
many others have reduced, tho duties on
foreign imports, but I deny that they have
ever abandoned protection.
i ne agitation or iree trade began in
England by some reduction of duties on
silks, under the lead of Mr. Huskisson,
but was carried on chiefly in the contro
versy relative to the modification of tho
corn laws, which has terminated in their
fiual repeal. That, sir, was a measure of
merchauts and manufacturers, designed to
advance the prosperity of manufactures
and trade. Its professed object was to
furnish cheap food, as a means , of ena
bling them to maintain a competition with
the manufacturers of other nations de
structive of their interests. I cannot pre
sent the real issue of that famous contro
versy better than by one or two extracts
from the arguments of thoso who are
called free traders. Colonel T. Wood, a
member of Parliament, supported the
measure, aud said :
"It would contribute to the general
prosperity of the country, but was abso
lutely necessary to the preservation of the
manufacturing interest." " .; t .
Again he says :
. "In certain districts of the country
there is a superabundance of population,
aud no employment for them; and unless
they could increase the . manufacturing
prosperity of the country, what chance
had they for employment ? Ilia impres
sion was that the supply-of food was not
adequate to the demand, and supplies
should be realized from abroad." -
Another advocate of free trade, Sir, W.
Clay, remarked :
"Adopt the more widely the principles
of froe trade, and afford to our manufac
turers the means of competing with oth
ers. All the great branches of manufac
tures exported a considerable portion of
their produce ; that portion couhl only
bear such a price would enable it to
compete with tho goods of our rivalr., and
the price of tlte portion expmtcd abioluUli
governed, iJie price of the Jwme market. ,lf
it was absolutely inevitable that , wages
should fall, in order that the maoufactu
rers might meet their foreign rivals, how
was the necessity to bo met but by a da
crease ia the price of provisions V
It is needless to multiply proofs of the
purpose of this measure. But the move
ment, . I am aware, had jiot stopped with
the repeal of the corn laws. It has been
pushed much further, and the duties ou
many article? formerly highly, protected
have been ab?ndcncd, but in no casa, weta
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