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nationality as it manifests itself to-day. In the year 1770, Lord 

 Chatham, in common Avith many other English statesmen, became 

 alarmed at the first attempt of New England to engage in manu- 

 facturing, — declared that " the colonies ought not to be allowed 

 to make so much as a hob-nail ;" and, twenty years before that 

 time, in 1750, a manufactory of hats, in this State, excited the 

 jealousy of Parliament. 



From all the States, not excepting New York and South Caro- 

 lina, petitions were addressed to the first Congress for the protec- 

 tion of home industry. Washington appeared, on the day of his 

 inauguration, in a coat of domestic cloth, and in his message of 

 1791, he congratulated the nation on the flourishing state of its 

 manufactures, its agriculture and its commerce. 



There were two causes, which, at this early period of our na- 

 tional existence, were promoting our prosperity. 1st. The sub- 

 division of the landed property ; and, 2d. The introduction of 

 manufactures. The first encouraged agriculture, the last stimu- 

 lated the inventive genius of the people and supplied their 

 numerous wants. It is now but a little more than one hundred 

 years since the facts just stated occurred. And now that little 

 colony has grown by her industry to be the model State in the 

 Union, and the fairest exposition of her productive power shows 

 that in 1856 she realized $295,000,000, and that she has $120,- 

 000,000 invested in manufacturing capital ; the cash value of the 

 farms are $109,000,000, the implements of husbandry are worth 

 $3,200,000 ; the live stock exceeds $9,647,000, and she employs 

 245,908 laborers. 



The area of the United States, at the peace of 1783, contained 

 820,000 square miles ; by various treaties and purchases the area 

 is 2,963,666 square miles, and is now ten times as large as 

 Great Britain and France combined. In 1856 the products of 

 the United States were immense. By the official returns at the 

 Patent Office we learn that the crop of Indian corn for that year 

 was $360,000,000 ; the wheat was valued at $247,500,000 ; the 

 hay $160,000,000 ; the cotton crop $136,000,000,— to these add 

 the animal and vegetable products, and we have five times as 

 much more in money value to add to the sums enumerated. The 

 United States has five times as many acres in cultivation as Eng- 

 land, and if the same skill were used, we could support five times 



