Protection of Home Industry, 
45 
trebled , and our producing population has more than 
quadrupled l The exportation of pork has somewhat 
increased, but the aggregate of beef and pork exported is 
less than three four Iks its average amount half a century 
since-. 
Of flour exported to England within the last 20 
years, the testimony of several of the heaviest dealers 
in this city, established the fact, that more than two- 
thirds of the whole shipments during that period, had 
been disastrous. The semblance of relief held out to 
the American producer by the proposed change of 
the corn laws of England, is unworthy of our notice. 
The knowing ones in Parliament, scout the idea that 
it will, under any other circumstances than the star¬ 
vation of the country, admit the importation of foreign 
grain to any amount. They persist in adhering to 
the sliding scalef which renders the importation of 
the staff of life no better than a gambler’s occupation. 
Thousands of barrels are still held there in bond, 
which were sent last year from this port, under 
the delusive temptations of high prices and low du¬ 
ties, but which, even under the meliorating influence 
of the proposed law, will result in a loss to the Ame¬ 
rican shipper of one to two dollars per barrel 1 And 
whenever the necessities of England compel her to 
admit foreign grain? to avoid starvation at home, the 
market on the Continent, which is always well sup¬ 
plied, can be reached in 36 hours, and returns made 
in England to satiety in a week! What chance then 
lias America of furnishing England with bread 1 — 
None, none whatever , and the sooner we abandon this 
delusion the better. 
As to our pork market, we could wish we were 
Ignorant of the last and present years’ transactions. 
They are too deeply disastrous to talk of with pa¬ 
tience. We cannot state the disheartening losses to 
their full extent. Suffice it to say, that the farmer 
who sold his well fed carcasses at 1 1-2 to 2 cts. per 
lb.. last winter in the extreme West, got twice the priee 
they would now bring in any market, after deducting 
all necessary charges. These are solemn, unvar¬ 
nished, incontesiible facts. 
How is it with our shipping interest, our com¬ 
merce, hitherto the pride and boast of our country ? 
That too is faltering. It has stopped in its glorious 
career, and other nations are fast gaining on us, even 
in the poor privilege of bringing their own worthless 
wares to our already overcharged warehouses. Two 
hundred vessels are now lying rotting at our wharves, 
their crews discharged, and with not the slightest 
prospect of employment. And our merchants, how 
fare they in this scene of almost unmingled disaster 1 
Othello’s occupation’s gone” even with them. They 
are fairly turned out of their own counting rooms, 
and ’tis with difficulty some of them could get a por¬ 
ter’s birth from their "foreign masters. The astound¬ 
ing fact has been shown from Custom House and 
other documents, that over four-fifths of all the English 
goods, and eleven-twelfths of all the French and Continental 
goods sent to this market , are sold by persons owing alle¬ 
giance to foreign countries, and not naturalized in our 
own! They will not pay us even the poor compli¬ 
ment of allowing us a commission on their goods ; 
but they import them in their own ships, store them 
in their own warehouses, and then hold them out to 
us with one hand, while they grasp our gold in the 
other; which is instantly sent back to the govern¬ 
ments of the old world, to pamper their already bloat¬ 
ed luxuries, and still further augment their strength. 
To such a length has this system proceeded, that 
the merchants, and the shippers, have at last, as 
well as the mechanics and manufacturers, come in 
solid phalanx, to join the farmers of the country in 
asking for some relief; a relief, that is now equally 
demanded by every class in the community. And 
! this brings us to the second division of our subject— 
the remedy for our grievances. 
This is ready to our hands—we have only to will it, 
and the siren bands of Free 'Trade (free to all the 
world as regards the privilege of selling their products 
■ to us, and equally free in prohibiting ours from finding 
a market with them,) that have bound us so long in 
ignominious bondage, will fall, like Samson’s cords, 
from our limbs. There is but one remedy, but thank 
i Heaven, that is potent for good, and is entirely within 
our reach. II is simply , to Lay such a, duty on all foreign 
fabrics that we can produce at home , as will afford ample 
protection to Home Industry. Go to the halls of Con¬ 
gress, and tell them in tones that shall make the deaf 
, to hear, that we will not have American labor de¬ 
graded by being placed on a par with the paupers of 
Europe, who work for 5 to 25 cts. for adults per day; 
and if possible, even worse than that, the semi-barba- 
rianism of India, at 3 to 10 cts. per day. Tell them, 
; where there is no reciprocity there shall be no intercourse ; 
that is, that intercourse and interchange shall cease at the 
point where reciprocity and mutual advomtage terminates. 
Give us a “ judicious tariffWe ask for no monopoly , 
but we demand protection. With this talisman once 
adopted, every vocation would start at once into new 
life and vigor; every trade would be resuscitated, 
and every department of industry again filled ; and 
the now crowded granaries of the farmer would be 
relieved of its surplus, and his pockets replenished 
by remunerating prices for what is now unsaleable. 
We are not disciples of that school that preach mo¬ 
nopoly or would foster one interest of the country at 
the charge or expense of any other. No such petty 
view influences our visual organs. But we do profess 
to wish to protect our own countrymen, whether na¬ 
tive or adopted, in that reward we think they ought to 
receive for their persevering and well directed labor. 
We do profess to wish to sustain that, and lift it high 
above the degrading condition of European and Hea¬ 
then tcil. 
We have been prating of currency, currency, cur¬ 
rency, till we have reached that point where we have 
no currency; where we can have none, till we cease 
to run in debt beyond our means to pay. Heaven has 
graciously vouchsafed us laws, whose operations, 
while most benignant, are for the time being, most 
loudly deprecated. While we had a currency—that 
is, a circulating medium, whether gold or silver, or 
Bank paper, stock-s, and state and other bonds, and 
we had them all, and we can any of us tell how much 
too good they were in public estimation, while they 
lasted—we were plunging fearfully deep in debt, 
“ w r here fathom line could never reach.” Now we 
have next to none, little gold or silver, almost as little 
good Bank paper, and as to stocks and bonds once in 
such high repute, we think we shall be excused for 
not classing them as currency. The country is groan¬ 
ing under repletion from foreign goods; abstinence is 
the only remedy. Sound legislation, sound sense, 
and sound habits on the part of this nation, in one 
word— temperance in business matters, would have 
saved us from this deep disease of the body politic, 
and their prompt adoption and unflinching exercise, 
would soon remove it now: but in the mean time, the 
absence of all money and all credit by restraining 
importations, is the only present remedy in operation 
for restoring the ultimate means of affording both. 
The agriculturists of this country hold three-fourths 
of the legislative power and at least an equal propor¬ 
tion of sound intelligence, and sterling worth, and a 
combination of their influence would carry any mea¬ 
sure they chose to sustain ; but unfortunately, the cun - 
ning and intrigue of a portion of the remaining fourth, 
defeats the adoption of much of that policy by which 
alone they can hope for any security. 
