Manufactures . 301 
domestic offices. It seems to me that order and expedition can- 
not be preserved without something of the kind, but perhaps we 
are not yet ripe for it. Howover* under these impressions I sub- 
mit to your consideration the folloy/ing remarks. Your’s, &c. 
L R. 
May 22, 1814. 
ON MANUFACTURES. 
Sir— I find it much more difficult to express on paper, in any- 
thing like methodical order, ideas on manufactures, commerce, and 
political economy, than to talk about them ; but it is pretty evident, 
and of course easily said, that the country that has its productive 
powers of labour and capital, duly apportioned into the three 
grand divisions of social employment, agriculture, manufactures, 
and commerce, will be the most independent of foreign nations ; 
and its citizens will, in the most perfect manner, not rival, but 
support each other. On the contrary, a country all agricultural 
or commercial, while dependent on foreign nations for necessaries 
and comforts, has all its citizens rivals to each other. Farmers have 
little occasion to buy wheat and potatoes from each other ; but the 
weaver, spinner, and smith, must purchase these articles ; and 
their labour produces shovels, yarn, and cloth, with which they 
directly pay the farmer for his grain, beef, cotton, See. or have the 
operation done through the merchant, as the common agent or 
factor. 
As the United States, heretofore, have been occupied chicfly 
with agriculture and commerce, the country has been too depend- 
ent on foreign nations, and the people rivals to each other. The 
consequences of which have been very considerable. The inte^ 
rior is drained of its increase, to pay for foreign necessaries ; the 
product of the farmer sells at a price reduced, in proportion to the 
expense of conveying it to the consumer ; which on heavy or 
bulkly articles, such as flour and cotton, must be very great, when 
the producing places are at Boston, Pittsburgh, or Augusta, and 
the consuming places Paisley, Birmingham, or Madrid. The 
commercial class is too numerous ; and their rivalship unduly rais- 
es the price of domestic articles at home, and lowers them abroad ; 
the consequence of which is, that three fifths of the merchants on 
an average during the presidencies of Messrs. Washington, 
Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, have, either in the course of their 
