261 



employment, could not afford to consume its wines; and the lo'sof the 

 home market was not much more than compensated by gain in the for- 

 eign; and thus that nation lost entirely the tested advantages which it 

 had experienced for twenty years in combining manufacture with agri- 

 culture. England profited vastly; and by way of exemplifying the 

 difference between a nation promoting, and one regardless of domestic 

 industry, I extract from the British Merchant* as follows: 



" Our gain by our Portugal treaty, and our excess of exportations 

 on that account, is a vas' increase of the NatioiiiS treasure, the employ- 

 nietit and subsistence of great numbers of manufacturing people, an 

 augmentation of our rents, and the saving the landed interest from 

 the charge of maintaining such numbers of poor, as have subsisted 

 themselves by the excess of exportation^/^ again :f 



"During the twenty years prohibition, the Portuguese succeeded so 

 well in their woolen manufactures, that ive brought thence no gold or 

 silver; but after the talcing off that prohibition we brought away so 

 much of their silver, as to leave them very little for their necessary 

 occasions: and then ive began to bring away their gold." 



But, perhaps it may be objected that my remarks savor somewhat of 

 a partizan character, and are therefore improper on such an occasion. 

 But this I deny. Unfortunate for the country is it that party-spirit 

 ever ventured to tamper with the subject as a party measure. It is one 

 of equal concern to men of all parties — deeply aff.^cting the vital inter- 

 ests of the nation and of the whole people — it is an American question 

 — one in favor of enhancing the greatness and prosperity of the Amer- 

 can nation by means of the powerful union of American agriculture, 

 American commerce, and American manufacture. 



The general prosperity of a nation depends upon, not a concentration 

 of labor upon one or two particular occupations, but a proper diffusion 

 of it through the various branches required by civilized society; and as 

 government can have no higher or more important duty to perform than 

 that which shall secure to the people happiness and contentment, and, 

 at the same time promote the greatness, prosperity, power and wealth 

 of the nation, I must contend that it is highly improper that party 

 spirit should be permitted to distract its operations, an I mar the great 



•Vol III. Page ':5i. 

 fVol. Ill, Page 15. 



