IS 



government, sustain themselves against the skill, 

 and enterprise, and wealth of British manufacturers. 

 The comparative cheapness of production in Eu- 

 rope at that time, added to the settled determina- 

 tion of British merchants to monopolize our markets 

 at any sacrifice, involved our unprotected establish- 

 ments in utter ruin. The cotton mills, however, 

 having received early aid, and excelling in their 

 machinery, have been able not only to sustain them- 

 selves, but to drive the foreign manufacturer from 

 our markets, and make large dividends on the cap- 

 ital invested. The manufacture of woollens proved 

 more disastrous, and many of our most enterprising 

 countrymen, who entered this business with bright 

 hopes, lost both labor and capital. So far as agri- 

 culture is concerned, the establishment of woollen 

 manufactures is far more important, than that of 

 cotton. The cotton manufacture promotes agricul- 

 ture chiefly as it furnishes an increased demand for 

 provisions, while the woollen contributes equally to 

 the establishment of a domestic market, and stimu- 

 lates the industry of the farmer, by paying him 

 liberally for his wool. Was the demand for wool 

 commensurate with the capacity of our lands for 

 producing it, the rapid increase in wealth of the 

 New -England farmer, would be matter of astonish- 

 ment even to himself. 



It early became a grave question among our leg- 

 islators, whether manufactures should be abandoned 

 to their fate, or be so far protected by the imposi- 

 tion of discriminating duties, as to enable them to 

 compete successfully with foreign fabrics. Much 

 angry and intemperate discussion was elicited by 



