10 



OUR MARKETS, THE HOME AND THE FOREIGN. 



There is no escape from the proofs offered by these figures. 

 They show, beyond room for doubt, that domestic exports and im- 

 port entries increased faster under Protection than they did under 

 partial Free Trade, even distributed per capita, the growth of com- 

 merce and trade being far more rapid than the growth of popula- 

 tion. The average per individual inhabitant, during the second 

 period of fourteen years, was greater by $3.37.9 of domestic exports, 

 equal to 37. 41 14 per cent, more ; and by $1.55. 7 of import entries, 

 equal to 15.57 per cent, increase. Are these evidences that the 

 Protective policy restricts either exports or imports, and tends to 

 scarcity? Rather, do they not contradict such a theory with all 

 the conclusive force of positive knowledge ? Our mathematical 

 refutation of the absurd dogma of the Free Traders is complete. 



Under the series of tariffs since 1861 we have sold more abroad, 

 and bought more abroad, of a wide range of commodities, than we 

 ever did before in a like term of years. The vastness of these ex- 

 changes may be made appreciable by a simple illustration. Our 

 domestic exports, from the beginning of the Government to June 30, 

 1861, amounted to $6.700,802,122; for the fourteen years ending 

 June 30, 1875, to $ 6 ;59#>94>453> the latter value being 98.4793 

 per cent, of the former, indicating a prodigious growth of export 

 power. ^ Further, our imports retained for consumption, during the 



