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ness, required in producing and manufacturing the articles of necessity, comfort and luxury, which at this time are required, and consumed in this country; and in proportion as the articles which may conveniently be grown in our climate, or manufactured from our raw materials, shall be grown, or made at home, and not imported from abroad.

In communities where labour and capital are equally distributed among all the trades and professions, to produce the necessaries, comforts, and luxuries, which that community requires for its support, very little embarrassment is ever found; but in those, where, from whatever cause, only a part, or small proportion of those trades and professions are found, and those the more coarse or common, leaving the wealthy and more fashionable part of the community, to be supplied by foreign importations, great embarrassments are frequent; attributable to the causes already noticed.-Those communities are, moreover, comparatively poor; because the rich and fashionable, who command whatever money or means there may be in the country, apply that money or means at any required sacrifice, as it relates to the other classes, to the support of the artizans, productions, and manufactures of other countries. As a general rule, the wealth, comfort and strength of a community, are augmented or depressed, in proportion as it possesses a knowledge of all the arts and sciences, required in producing every article of its consumption, to which its climate is adapted, and in proportion to the industry with which those arts and sciences are prosecuted by that community.

The rude tribes of this country possessed extensive territories of fertile land; but they were ignorant of the arts of cultivation; their numbers and comforts were small, and their power insignificant. The Tartar, or cattle-raising regions, are more numerous. They have a surplus of cattle and horses, but nothing else. They feed on their flesh, and are clothed with their skins, and exchange a small proportion for implements of war. The people of this country have advanced one step beyond them. We have a surplus of cattle, bread-stuffs, provisions, and raw materials, with a few rude artizans; and here we stop, unless we take in the productions of the sea and of commerce. But we still remain dependent upon foreigners for nearly all the finer fabrics of woollen goods, to the amount of $8,000,000of cotton, to nearly $6,000,000-of silk, more than $5,000,000— cutlery, hardware, iron, steel, &c. nearly $5,000,000; and a vast amount of other manufactured articles, exceeding altogether, $31, 000,000.

A nation can never be rich, let the extent of its territory, the fertility of its soil, and number of its people be what they may, if its labour and capital are limited to the production of but a small proportion of the commodities required for its consumption. For although it may produce a great surplus of some particular articles, which, at particular times, may possess fair exchangeablevalues, still it cannot be certain of the necessary exchanges; and it sometimes happens, that the exchange cannot be made on any terms. Its surplus articles then become of little value, while it remains in great want of the articles for which the exchange was intended. Mean

time, the subject upon which its capital and labour had been expended in producing the surplus, is neglected and goes to decay.

We have the land, and understand the art of raising bread-stuffs, provisions, and other landed products adapted to our climate; but our principal customers for those articles have forsaken us. They will not allow many of our articles to be consumed in their countries on any conditions. We have no control over them. They consult their own interests. If we had, however, the artizans for converting only one of the raw materials which we raise, and which we might readily raise to any required extent, (I mean the article of wool,) into the manufactured articles of that kind, now imported, it would afford great relief to the country.

But it is unfortunately our case, that the large space between the landed interest on the one hand, and mercantile and monied on the other, which in all well ordered communities is filled with artizans and manufacturers, is left nearly vacant in this; and we, the landed interest, feel at this time most sensibly the want of that class. We want it as the consumers of our bread-stuffs and provisions, and for the purpose, moreover, of converting our wool, hemp, flax, cotton, iron, and other raw materials, into the manufactured articles for which we have heretofore exchanged those raw materials with foreigners. Our rent-receiving, and interest-receiving gentlemen, our officers of government, professional and mercantile gentlemen, will not receive our products in the shape of raw materials, at adequate prices, for their demands against us, nor in the shape of coarse fabrics, into which some few of them may be converted by the half learned artizans of our country, while they have the option of taking these, or the finer and handsomer fabrics of foreign countries. But were the eight millions of dollars, now annually paid to foreigners by this country, for woollen goods, to be distributed among our own people; to the farmer in part for the wool, and for the bread-stuffs and provisions consumed by the artizans while converting the wool into articles now imported, it cannot be doubted but that great relief would be afforded thereby to the farming or landed interest. The same may be said in respect to all the manufactured articles now imported.

The cause of this great depression of agriculture is obvious. That branch of business, compared with every other, is overdone. Above eighty per cent. of our population, is fixed, and, from habit and education, confined to that profession. A due proportion, compared with other and better organised countries, in this respect, would be much less, and that of artizans much greater. The proportion in each should be nearly equal; and there is no other way in which the board of agriculture or agricultural societies, can as well promote the farming interest, as by facilitating the introduction, rise, and increase of artizans, within this state, until their numbers shall be adequate to the demands of the country, and to the consumption of the agricultural productions raised in it. To effect this object, it will require not only the most vigorous efforts of this board, of the county societies, and of all good citizens, but the aid and protection of government. For it is most certain, that manufactures cannot be usefully and readily commenced in a country, which has been in the

practice of receiving its supplies from foreign countries, let its popu lation be what it may, unless they are protected, and defended from the interference of foreigners, until they have passed through the initiatory state, and have become acquainted with, and instructed in, the different arts and processes, indispensable to their profitable and useful prosecution.

It is asked by the objectors to the protection required, why the capital and labour which is now employed in the land, are not devoted to manufactures, if they afford better employment ?

It may be answered, that the difficulties and losses to be encountered, at the commencement of any newly set up branch of manufacturing business, in a country where but very few of the mechanic arts have arrived at maturity, are much greater than meets the eye of a casual observer, and which cannot be overcome by any thing short of direct protection, or causes incidental and tantamount to that protection.

It is not only a knowledge of the practical operation, and application of the particular parts of a trade, about to be set up, which is to be learned, but the aid of other and distinct branches is to be called in, upon which the principal branch is incidentally dependent. The tools, implements and machines of the branch intended to be put into operation, are to be made by another, or several other different branches. If the manufacturers of these tools are not already located within the country for want of employment, (and they probably are not,) the tools, or the workmen to make them, are to be imported from abroad. But should these difficulties be surmounted, the articles manufactured in the principal branch, must be made in as workmanlike a manner, not only in every substantial particular, but as neat and fashionable as the article imported, or the foreign article will have the preference in the market.

It can hardly be expected, that new beginners can rival, at the commencement, old establishments in all these particulars. But should these difficulties be surmounted, there still remain further and more important embarrassments to be overcome. The old country manufacturers, English in particular, who have been in the practice of supplying, say woollen goods, to this country, have their workshops and machinery erected for that purpose. The owners of these works, and the workmen attached to them, depend for their daily bread upon sales in this country. The wool-grower, the merchant, and the shipper, all depend upon sales to be made here. The usual quantities, to supply the ordinary demand, are therefore made. If orders for them are diminished, the articles accumulate in the hands of the manufacturer, and in the absence of orders, they are sent out by the manufacturers themselves, in succeeding years. These goods are met in our market by the like articles made in this country. The market is overstocked. One, or a part of each of the quantities must be withdrawn, or both are to be sold at a sacrifice. Traders will never voluntarily agree to withdraw. Their necessities may compel them to sell. The older establishments, with greater experience and larger capitals, hold on to their accustomed markets. Not so with our new beginners. All their calculations have been made upon

obtaining the usual market price of the article. If they cannot obtain that, they are ruined. Their small establishments are stopped, and broken down; and the adventurers become the victims of their patriotism or their credulity.

England, from the earliest times, supplied our southern states with coarse woollen cloths, called negro-cloths.-For a few years, the English were excluded from these markets by the late embargo and war, and manufactories for making cloths, as substitutes, were established in the New England states, and some in this state. At first, these cloths sold for about seventy-five cents per yard; but at less, before the close of the war. After the war, they were met in those markets by large supplies from England, and they fell to below fifty cents. Orders were less frequent, or for diminished quantities, to England. The usual quantities continued to be made there and accumulated. The market continued to be pressed with both descriptions of cloths. The price declined to forty, to thirty-five, and thirty cents. In 1823-4, an immense mass, probably the entire accumulated quantity in England, was sent out, and being still met by cloths made here, fell to twenty-five, twenty, and even seventeen cents. That operation broke down our manufacturers; they gave up the markets to the English, who, unless the tariff of last year shall prevent them, will again take the market at former prices. The cotton bagging manufacturers of Kentncky, I am informed, met a similar fate in the decline and fall of their establishments.

There are several sets of articles, particularly all those made from wool and cotton, which might be made here, to the extent of the home demand, if not for exportation, if assurance should be given that the present prices would be maintained. There is no want of capital. The requisite stock of artizans would soon appear. But adventurers in these pursuits are deterred, and dare not undertake them; partly from the apprehension, that the present protection, by way of duties, may be abated; but much more so, from a dread of the competition which they well know must ensue between themselves and the foreigners, who have hitherto supplied the country with these articles. The consequence to the farming and landed interest is, that the wool is grown in foreign countries, instead of this, to clothe nearly all the rich and fashionable part of the community, and even labourers and servants. The provisions and bread-stuff's required to feed the artizans, while converting these articles into manufactured and saleable goods, are also supplied by foreigners. The consequences to the country and treasury are, that we are thereby disabled to pay for, and import, other articles which we want, and should, in that case, import, to the full amount of all we could and should make of these. In this state, we have now more than five hundred thousand persons, clothed in the woollen and cotton goods made in foreign countries, and of foreign raw materials, except part of the raw cotton. The importations of woollen and cotton, exceed sixteen millions; and the consumption, fourteen millions. The proportion of our people who consume them is immense.

These particulars are stated, to illustrate the position, that manufacturing establishments, commensurate with the wants of the com

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munity, cannot for a long time be expected to rise in this country, unless they be shielded and protected in their infancy by government; but that they may, with that protection, some of them, soon be expected to rise, without prejudice to the treasury, or the consumers of foreign goods, except, perhaps, a temporary rise in their price at the commencement. By gradually taking up and protecting particular articles in succession, such as could probably be supplied in the country, the whole would be ultimately taken up, protected, and made at home. Wool, cotton, and hemp, may claim the preference at the present; afterwards, iron, steel, and other goods, from time to time, until the whole catalogue of foreign manufactured articles are included. The farming interest and receipts into the treasury, would, at every step, be found to be promoted and advanced. The farming interest would soon find a home consumption, and home markets for all their productions; and in these, irresistible inducements for further improvements in their modes of cultivation. The capacity of the country to pay for larger quantities of the foreign articles, still remaining to be imported, charged with the payment of duties, would fill the treasury to overflowing.

I am aware, that I have given but a very inadequate view of the embarrassments and difficulties which attend the commencement of manufactures, in countries where the arts have been neglected. It is not so much from the want of hands, such as they are, or from the want of capital, that manufacturing is not commenced, as from the absence of the arts, and professions; or some one, or all of them, upon which a particular branch is dependent. The unskilfulness of workmen, and want of competition among them; and above all, the powerful, but inevitable competition, which the new beginner must meet with in the foreigner, who has before supplied the market. These difficulties and discouragements in the commencement of manufactures, are altogether such, in regard to many of them, as the uniform experience of every country has found it impracticable to overcome, without the aid of the powerful shield of government to protect them against foreign competition in their infancy.

My recollection may fail me in an attempt to suggest the numerous objections which have been urged, against granting the protection to manufactures required of government, or the different interests and professions by which they are made.

Among others it is held, that the country is not capable of furnishing the necessary stock and variety of raw materials; and, in particular, that it cannot supply the wool for woollen manufactures:

That a certain loss of revenue, derived from imports, must be sustained, and direct taxation, to make good the deficiency, must be a consequence of this protection:

That we have not the hands to spare from the other more healthful and profitable employments:

That congress are not authorized to grant the required protection, by taxing the many, for the benefit of the few; nor to cherish and elevate one class, to the prejudice of others, and particularly of the shipping interest, which is already established, and in successful ope

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