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I'OL. HI.
*9 81 IV.fP.D WEEKLY
nr JOHN HODGE.
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ruoM ra sc natio « At. it* oisrica^
, ‘flu? rapid orogre* 1 * of dmvitsiia mn-
MfaetMtes, within a few years, in woollen
and cotton goods is astonishing.* The
Amencm patriot will w ft with in
terest and delight as the surest mca.’H
of enriching the country an<foJMfeu>i'ti»
independence, when r*>e mamlfactitre
t>f these mdivpensib! j ar.icles of
shall hsve extruded in a decree*’ i;;j nil
to the demand for home consumption
It has been stated'to one of the corn
-otitte.':.i of OptlgffcSM, {firing the ptw'd*
* For an account of the increase of
onr cotton manufactures see the report
of the committee of commerce and man
ufactures, published in our 4th number
pege 50. by which it appears tint in the
*hort space of fifteen years they have
increased from 500 to 90 000 bales ■> per
annum. The rrlative proportion be
tween the two extremes is as one to
180. In the first five years, from *&QO
.to 3805, when Commerce was unrestric
ted, the increase wr> on « to i\y » i
the next five years, f > n 1805 to 1810,
when commerce -mierrup eu . ‘
Kngh*h orders m counc !, French de
trees, and embargo, the increase was
i as one rote 133.) to 3315 inclu
ding a period of warof two years and
eight months, it was as one *o nine. It
is there stated |hat a capital of forty
millions of cloyars are now vested whicn
give employment to sixty six thousand
vromen and children ; and twenty .four
thousand boys, under seventeen years
©f age. These 90-,000 persons are put
into employment, and become useful
members of the community- ‘ i
For some account o r our woollen
manufactures see Cox’s statistical tabies
\of the manufactures of the United
States, publish *d under authority, .from
the secretary of the treasury. It is there
stated that in fourteen slates and three «•
territories in 1810, the only ones from
which returnes were made, there; were
manufactured in families 9 5 52ii,i06
yards of woollen cloth and in twenty
four manufactories 71,026 yards, making
an aggregate of nine million Joe hundred
and ninety-rune thousand) two hundred <J?
, ninety-two yards-
From the official returns made in
that year there were 431 iuli blooded
merino. 6.133 mixed bloods 759 broad
tailed, and 726,330 common sntrtp-—•
in ail 1,564>652. Hut the returns* of
-thtep are only from five states and one
territory, and very imperfect irom
r those, for in tance .• no return of sheep
whatever was made from the state of
jNcw York ,* but it appears there is man
ufaciuied in families in that state not
less than 3,257.8 1 2 yards of woollen
cloth in one year—nor was there any.
retutn of* merinos from Connecticut,
l although from the flock of general Hum
l |>hfeys alone many thousands had been
derived. M lt is believed front the facts
i staled, and considerations suggested on
the subject of wool,” says Mr. Cox that
<l the supply of 1812, does not full short
©f * twenty to twenty-two njillioas of
pounds. Not only have sheep been
multiplied, but their fleeces huve been
h increased in weight and much better
preserved. Avery few years must in
!■ crease our wool to forty, fifty or sixty
I millions of pounds, when the exporta
tion of woollens must take piacc-i-for
Kjs not doubted that our house*wives,
other manutactures and machinery will
>. continue fas they have for many years J
Bto make up all the woc4 uUi’ sheep will
i’yields 1 ic. Reg,
A 7 HENS, 7 HUE SI) AJUNE 1 3 , 1816
session, that there were five hundred
the lisa fid sr>ind!el in the U- States, em
ployed in spinning cotton I do not
recollect that the number employed in
wool has been mentioned—but it must
be considerable. Cloths and kersey
mires of domestic fabric, pud superior
CjitfiHly, are to be met with in almo-it e
very store throughout the country, for
s-ale at prices at least as cheap as those;
of like quality imported from abroad
The government appear* disposed to
afford protection to these establishments
and it may be hoped that a full supply
of woollen and cotton goods rimy at no
rerhoie period, be derived from our o s wn
looms. The best tr formed on this sub
a"c of opinion, that under complete pro
tection from fofeig i competition, four*
or five years wo ild be sufficient to en
able our manufactures to meet fully
| the home demand ; and that ttps might
! be done without any sensible subilucuon
from the labour of the field as the work
is performed in a great measure by
‘machinery, and the labor of women and
children.
Our country abounds with the raw
n>atcri;.ls for these manufactures ; ma
chinery to a considerable extent is al
ready employed on them ; and cohsid V
erable knowledge of the subject has been
acquired by many of our c.iizens.
It is probable that about thirty mil
lions of dollars is annually imported in ,
to the United States, in w *ollen and
cotton labr es ; now if these articles
were made in this country it would pro
duce the -most ‘beneficial i- suits* A sa
ving of at least tbiriy mdliocis m! dot Vr >
annually, from the use of ina•■!«. lery 1
and the labour of won n and cb klcen.
and agriculture of commerce would not
be interrupted pr diminished by -it. !
is said that in the steam works in B.d i
more, belonging to Messrs. Robert be
Alexander McK.ii)i where *OO persons
ar • employe J in carding Sad sptnn n *
hi t.on, there is but one man employed
‘about fifteen /women* and eignty or
ninety female children, from 8 to 12 or
fS ve rs of age. These i arn infm m and
manufacture about 27 j bales of raw cot
ton in the year averaging three bun
dred pounds per-bfc!e, making au aggre
gate oi 82,500 pounds, or 825 pounds
each. Grpst benefit would result from
having the capitalthus efcrvpicyed at
home—our citizens would rec /ve the
price of these suppl es ; cud, after they
are paid tor, the money would <still be
iij the country, passing from hand to
hand, diffusing life and activity through
every branch of our industry, j and
what is si'll more important, u< would
stop that drain of specie from the conn
try that has destroyed our circulating
medium.
A treasury report to congress, at the
present session shews au excess of im
ports beyond the amount of our entire ex
ports for the last year, of upwa ds of
seventeen millions of dollars ; our spe
c;\ as far as it could be procured, has
beeri sent out of the country to di.sch ?y e
tit balar ce due abroad—-this h; 8 des
troyed our medium of trader-deranged
every kind of business—and leave> ih j
industry of the present .year, mortgaged
for the debts of the past—to the amount
of seventeen millions of
a fatal error, to purchase from foreign
nations, more than we have so. sell to
them it is sure to involve the country
in poverty and distress ; and a country
that has no guards against this evil,
leaves its destiny at the disposal of its ;
worst enemies. Such has been our
case, but congress has now taken up
the subject, and a remedy may be hoped
for.
If manufacturing had been encoura
ged at home, by wholesome restraints’
on the importation of foreign fabrics,
our situation for the last year, would
probably have been nearly as follows ;
We should have furnished our own sup
plies of woollen and Cotton- goods, js*-/n
--cipaily by the aid of machinery, and the
labour of women and children* This
would have amounted to about
thirty millions of dollars; and would
have been a nett saving to the country
to that amount \ no other branch of our
industry would have suffered by it—no
thing would have been given in exchange
ior it—it would have arisen from* the 1
use of machinery, and brought iato sc-
tfon a species of labour, hitherto in a
gieat measure without employ.—.By
this coarse we should have avoided the
expense of 30,000 000 dollars in the
cost of goods purchased from foreign \
nations, and consequently have left the
exports of the year to that amount
less incumbered. In this event, having
thirty millions less to pay abroad instead
of a balance of seventeen due abroad,
beyond the entire product of our sur
plus produce, we should have bad a ba- j
lance due us from abroad, probably of
twenty six millions of dollars, for the
excess of our exports over our imports
—and instead of a drain of specie, we
would have had an influx of theprecious
metals .* and our paper medium thereby
supported in credit and useful ness,.
In tiie course we pur ued we lust by
the la t year’s industry, seventeen mil-1
lions of dollars* By manufacturing our j
own supples of woollen and cotton j
goods we would have gained twenty six
millions This difference then between
loosing seventeen millions and gaining
twenty-six millions, is forty-three mtl-
Tons of dollars* gained by manufacturing
these supplies, without taking into ac*
count the benefit that would restilt to i
the country, u from distributing thirty j
uinions of dollars am dog our own citi- i
Zens for the supplies, instead of sending j
it to foreign nations* >
The sums here taken, excepting,’ the ;
unfavorable balance on the last year’s
trade, are conjectural, and the difference
in Javour of munujacturing our
may be overrated s out if it should a- j
mount to only ope half the sum here
j-tated, it would make a most important
change in the circumstances .of the
country.
it may be objected to this scheme of
manujac luring our supplies that it cannot
he earned into effect without measures
nearly equal to an exclusion of foreign
goods oi tne kinds to be manufactured.,
at home j and in that event the manu*
lecturer would txiort unreasonable pri
ces. T his is an oojeciibn in some me a
s re well founded, but it ought not to
go for more than it is worth ; and al
lowing to it its greatest weight, it is not
au insupeiable objection ; we must ei
ther manufacture our clothing, or pro
duce it horn other countries;,and in ei
ther case the objection will meet us, but
with mure than double forte* it we rely on
foreign countries lor necessary supplies.
VV believer commerce is disturbed by
war, the price ot goods imported liorn
abroad will be enhanced ; we have seen
tiiem at three or four times their usual
pi icpfjdfyears from this cause;
and as.often as our comjiierce on the
ooeap, shall be disturbed by war, this
evil will reclir if we continue to rely on
foreign supplies j but if we manufacture
for ourselv.es, It can happen but onCe*
VV hen manufactories are established ni
exient equal tp the supply df our wai.ts,
the evil will cease, aod cannot recur ;
a competition tor the market will keep
the p;ioes moderate, so Uiiat whatever
toice there may be in this objection, it
bcais much more powerfully against re
ly nig on foreign countries for supplies,
tuan against making them at home.
It will also be objected that tne mea
sures necessary to the introduction of
home manuiactures, would lead ( to
smuglmg, and destroy the morals of our
people. This top has some weight, it
lies also against all duties and restric
tions on imports for the support of the
tiea'iury : but shall this objection be al*
mwed to deprive nation of an an
nual benefit of forty t iree millions of
dollars The individual that would al
low it such weight, in the management
oi his private concerns, would be thought
a fit tenant for a mad house. Many
other objections oi [some weight might
be against manufacturing our supplies
of clothing at home. But when put in
competition with the benefit to be deri
ved from it by the nation, and by indi
viduals, they will deserve but little con
sideration.
It would be a most desirable object
it some eligible mode could be adapted,
of keeping our imports within the a
mount of our exports, or of extending
exports, so as fairly to Countervail our
imports. Without this we will always
be subject to occasional drawing of spe
cie, that Will fender e'urj circulating
1 medium ffuctyfeting and insecure ; and
no mode appears more likely to secure
this object, than such measures as will
insure the manufacture of a cnnsiderbie
portion of our supplies at hotpe On
this subject we probably might borrow
principals of action from jEngland with
advantage—the leading |maxim r.f her
internal policy is, to permi’ the con
su nation of nothing ip the counity, that
she»an make at home, or do without.
So strictly has she adhered to this prin
ciple, that she wil| not permit tie use,
even of foreign bread stuffs, until the
price has risen to a point that threatens
starvation. But she encourages expor
tation and'naanufactorers to the utmost
extent in her power, by bounties, draw*
baciis and debentures /. and the wisdom
of this course is evinced.bv the increase
of that wealth and which has accured to
the nation from rt. W.e have b es* 1
inclined to follow the footsteps of ‘that
nation, in mdny branches, of her inter
nal policy : and why we should differ
from her in this particular, is not t-asy
to be accounted for, reconciled with
the public interests of the country. A_
nationdoes not prosper so much bybuying
cheap bargains, as by selling much and
buying little ; and a nation that contin
ues to buy more it sells, although it,
gels great bargains in all it buys, will
soon be involved in misery and distress.
This is mentioned to rebut an argu
ment in favour of unrestrained impor
tations founded on the idea of the coun
try procuring cheap supplies—supplies
are now 1 cheap, if we regard only the
money paid tor them ; but when all cir
cumstances are considered, it is believ
ed We are paying very dearly for this
nominal cheapness*
* J ■
’•, T- ■■
” Lexington, Ken* May 8*
Tho manufacturing establishment in
and near this town, have reached an
eminence which ensures their perma
nent prosperity and usefulness. The
Lexington woollen manufactory, owned
Messrs. Prentiss’s & Cos. and Mr. San
derr's cotton and woolen manufactory,
are in succesful operation, besides nu-,
merous othef establishmehts, on a smal
ler of cotton, hemp, &c. We
understand that at Mr. ganders’* about
150 hanjds are employed, who produce
in manufactured articles the value 175.
dollars per- day, or 1050 dqllars per ‘
week consisting of cotton yarns* sheeting,
shirting , bed tickihg i counterpanes , table
cloths i thambraySi casinetts, sattinets
snd woollen cords, &c,
*r|L'•‘Hr V Til - - v - jfe •''s*/ ‘
:,r At the Lexington woollen factory are
manufactured broad cloths, casstmeres ,
flannels , and blankets—‘lso hands are
employed ; and it has also a steam pa
per mill connected with it which pro
duces that articly of very superior qual
ity ; a general supply, both of wiring
and printing, is always op hand An
other steem paper mill in the vicinity
owned by Messrs. Stephens, Dullam
and Cos. is also under good management
and rivals the best establishments of the
kindin the United States. The three
steam mills for the manufacture of dour
and corn meal are so T extensive as to en
sure a constant supply of those articles
for our own and other markets.
’ V
The people at large will be much ben-,
efiled by these institutions ; and the cit
izens ofthis town snd heighbourhood.
have reason to be proud of them. We
rejoice at their success—and hope they
will be supported by our fellow citizens
generally, as they regard ttte wealth and
prosperity of the Whole state. The,
patriotic gentlemen concerned in erect
ing them, deserve the highest praise
for the enterprize and perseverance
, which they have displayed in surmount
ing The numerous difficulties they have
had to contend with.
We expect soon to be enabled to pre
sent the public with .a more complete
view of the manufacturing establishment
of this town ; which we are persuaded
will shew that we progress in works
conducing to the general prosperity and
real independence of our country as
fust as any other town in the United
Stales*
NO. 16