330 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



Just at this time, however, the trade of Baltimore 

 and of the rest of America, is in an uncertain condi- 

 tion. The profitable trade in flour came to an end 

 with the peace ; and the prohibitions against the en- 

 trance of American vessels into their West Indian 

 possessions, issued by England, France, and Spain, 

 (a chance which America seemed hardly to expect 

 from the inimical Britain, and certainly not from the 

 amicable Gaul), must of necessity cause a certain 

 disarrangement in the commercial system here, plans 

 being thereby made idle which looked to the most 

 profitable outcome. However, the speculative and now 

 independent spirit of trade will shortly find new chan- 

 nels and new outlets. 



The object of the merchants of Baltimore, as of 

 American merchants generally, is exports and imports. 

 They neither intend nor desire to be manufacturers, 

 and do not care to see such among them or very much 

 to encourage them. For the more wares are fabri- 

 cated in the country itself, so much the less would the 

 merchant have to bring in. Increase of the popula- 

 tion generally, and of the planters particularly, is their 

 sole wish, or, what comes to the same thing, increase 

 in the consumption of foreign articles and in the pro- 

 duction of domestic. But in any event the manufactur- 

 ing of the finer wares, requiring time and labor, would 

 be as yet a fruitless undertaking, since the price of 

 labor is so high, the working hands are so few, and 

 those few so lazy. Certain branches of the heavier 

 manufactures, however, such as glass, iron &c, might 

 always be set up to better advantage in the southern 

 states where negroes, whose work is to be had for so 

 little, could be made use of under the direction of a few 

 white men. 



