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and is probably adequate to every purpose, except where the nice tact of long experience is necessary. In manufactures of glass they appear to have succeeded perfectly. Their plain cottons are often excellent and beautiful fabrics; and it is stated, that they have recently brought the stamping of calicoes nearly to as great perfection as in England. Some of their manufactories produce cloths equal to the finest seen on this side of the Atlantic; but they do not usually succeed well in their dyes. For cutlery and fine metallic articles; porcelain, and the finer earthenware; muslins, silks, and many other articles, chiefly of luxury, and for which the demand increases with the progress of refinement-they are still, and long must be, indebted to Great Britain and other countries of Europe. They are probably in a great measure independent as to the articles of necessity; and very heavy duties have recently been imposed on foreign manufactures, with the view of encouraging this branch of national industry still farther. Whether the results will be favourable admits of question.

257. COMMERCE. -The exports of the United States are distinguished in the official statements into, 1. produce of the forest; 2. produce of the field; 3. produce of the sea; 4. of manufactured articles; and 5. of foreign articles re-exported.

258. From the abundance of forests it is obvious that there can be no limit to the amount of the first, except the demand. They consist of lumber of all kinds-naval stores, or the tar, pitch, turpentine, and resin, obtained from the pine-forests; pot and pearl-ashes, procured by the burning of the timber in clearing the land; oak bark, and other dyes; ginseng, and the

skins and furs of wild animals. The official value of the exports of these various articles was as follows:

Lumber, 1803 to 1807, annually

Naval stores

Dollars. 2,500,000

500,000

800,000

1,630,000

225,000

139,000

Ditto, in 1816 Pot and pearl-ashes in 1816 Oak and other bark and wood for tanning and dyeing, 1803 Ginseng, chiefly to China, 1806 Skins and furs, 1804 to 1807, annually 900,000 259. The products of agriculture form the most important and valuable portion of the exports of the United States. Cotton is the first of these in importance; it constitutes one-fourth of the whole exports, and forms the staple of all the states south of 37° latitude. Next in value are wheat, maize, and rye, raised chiefly in the northern and middle states, and forming, in some years, nearly as large a part of the value of exports as cotton. Tobacco is the great staple of Virginia and Maryland, and has an importance among the articles of export which we should by no means anticipate, amounting often to 10,000,000 dollars in a year. Rice, which is found in the same parts of the country as cotton, is next to tobacco, but is now less attended to than formerly, in consequence of the superior value of cotton. Indigo, which was formerly an export of some value, has been abandoned for the same reason.

260. The following table shows the relative proportion of the different articles which were exported at several periods :

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261. The products of the sea are derived chiefly from the cod and whale fisheries. Both are carried on almost exclusively from the eastern states and New York; and a large proportion of the tonnage employed belongs to the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The amount of this branch of exports is much less than either of the preceding, as the home market requires a large supply of such articles; but the produce of this branch of national industry, compared with the capital invested, is very considerable. The whole amount of exports of the produce of the sea has not generally equalled the single article of rice, varying from one to three millions of dollars. The manufactured articles of export are made both from foreign and domestic materials, and are equivalent in value to the products of the sea on the average. Soap and tallow, distilled spirits, and furniture, coaches, and

other manufactures of wood, are the most important articles of this class.

262. A very important branch of the commerce of the United States consists in the importation of foreign manufactures and produce, and their re-exportation to the West Indies and South America, usually called the carrying trade. It has in some years exceeded in value the trade in domestic articles, producing great increase of public revenue, as well as of private wealth and commercial tonnage. Sugar and coffee are the principal articles in amount. The duties in this case are paid by the foreign consumers, forming a clear gain to the country, which, in some years, amounts to one-ninth of the whole revenue from the customs. In the years 1806 and 1807 the freight of the sugars imported and re-exported amounted to three or four millions of dollars, and must of course have been paid in

the same way, by foreign countries, to the owners of the American carrying ships.

263. The most distinct view of this subject will be derived from an examination of the following tables of exports, in which the several articles are divided into classes, with the amount and the proportion which every foreign country receives. The amount of foreign articles exported shows the extent of the carrying trade directly from the country. But there is a considerable portion of the trade carried on from one foreign port to another which never appears

upon the books of the custom-house. Thus a number of ships are constantly employed in procuring furs from the north-west coast, and sandal-wood from the Sandwich Islands, and carrying them to China in exchange for teas, silks, &c. In the year 1803 the furs entered at Canton in this manner were valued at half a million of dollars. The ships of the United States are also frequently employed in coasting voyages between the various ports on the Pacific coast of America.

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W. Indies generally.

Beef Tallow, &c.

Flax-seed

Butter and Cheese
Horses, Mules, &c.

Wax

Hops

Total

Manufactured Ar-
ticles.

Soap and Candles
Wood, including Car-
riages, &c.
Leather, Shoes, &c.
Tobacco

Iron

1,400,000 W. Indies, 3. British America, 1. and S. America.

840,000 French W. Indies, . Cuba, 1. W. Indies, 1. British Ame

rica,. England, A.

400,000 Ireland, 3. England more than 1.

220,000 W. Indies, 3. British America, 1.

100,000 French W. Indies, . W. Indies generally. British America, 1.

93,000 England, 1. France, d. Brazil,. Spain,

23,000 Germany, 3. Denmark, France, Russia, Sweden.

41,276,000 Cotton and Tobacco, Europe; remainder, W. Indies and S.

America.

800,000 W. Indies, &. S. America, & nearly.

500,000 Cuba, . W. Indies generally. S. America, & nearly. 400,000 Cuba, 3. West Indies generally, 1. British America, 160,000 West Indies, nearly. Gibraltar, . S. America, f. British

America, China,

130,000 Cuba,. West Indies generally. S. America, 1.

264. EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES, 1822 -Continued.

Articles.

Value.

Country to which exported.

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DOLLARS.

120,000 S. America, 1. Cuba, nearly. W. Indies, 1. E. Indies, 1. 86,000 Cuba,. W. In lies generally. S. America, 1.

82,000 W. Indies, 3. S. America, . Africa,.

60,000 Africa,. Denmark and Norway, 1. S. America, 1. Teneriffe,

44,000 Cuba,. West Indies generally, 4. England, d. Germany

and France, 1.

34,000 South America, 1.

28,000 W. Indies and S. America.

26,000 S. America, more than 1. W. Indies, t. Gibraltar, .

50,000,000 W. Indies and S. America.

10,800,000 China, 1. East Indies, 1. Asia generally, and England.

France,

1,700,000 Holland, f. Germany, . Turkish Dominions, Russia,

Italy, France, Austria, each

1,200,000 Holland, more than. Germany, . France, . Italy & Malta, 1,000,000 Holland, 3. Italy and Malta, f. Gibraltar, Austria, each

Germany, France, Russia,

700,000 Germany, . France, 1. Gibraltar, 1. Holland, .
450,000 Holland, 1. France, . Italy and Malta, . Germany, Russia.
250,000 England, 1. Russia, d. Germany, 1. Holland, . Sweden,
Italy,

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17,000,000 Europe.

200,000 Italy and Malta, 4. Spain, 1. Gibraltar and France, each 1.

Exports of Domes

tic Articles

Products of Agriculture, of Forests, of Manufac

50,000,000{ tures,of Sea,

Exports of Foreign 17,000,000 Gold and Silver,. Tropical products, 1. Manufactures, 1.

Articles

Total

67,000,000

265. It is obvious from the accounts we have given, that the imports of the United States must consist chiefly of manufactured articles, and the products of warm climates. Most other articles of importance to be found within their limits, and even these are supplied to some extent from their own resources. The following

table shows the various articles imported, arranged in the order of their value, with the countries from which they are procured, and the amount of each re-exported. The manufactured articles are distinguished by the letter m; and the products of warm climates by an asterisk (*) prefixed.

266. TABLE OF IMPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR 1822.

IN THE ORDER OF THEIR VALUE.

Coin, & Bullion

Spirits

2,500,000

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m Woollen Goods

Im Cotton ditto

m Silk ditto

*Coffee

m Iron and Steel

* Sugar

m Linen Goods

Gold and Silver

12,200,000 200,000 England, 8.

10,300,000 1,700,000 Great Britain, . China,

6,800,000 1,000,000 France, 3. China, 4. British E. Indies, .

5,600,000 1,700,000 Cuba, 4. Hayti,. Brazil, . E. & W. Indies. generally.
5,200,000 300,000 Man. England, 18. Crude, Sweden,. Russia.
5,000,000 1,000,000 Cuba, . Danish W. Indies, 1. and other W. Indies.
4,100,000
400,000 England and Scotland, 4. Ireland, 1. Germany, .
3,400,000 more exp't'd America, . Cuba, 1. Other W. Indies, 4. Hol-

S.

land and Italy.

200,000 France,. Danish W. Indies, 4. Holland, 1.

4,000 Cuba,. French W. Indies, 4. Dutch W. Indies,

40,000 S. America,. W. Indies, .

200,000 Spain, 4. France, 1. Teneriffe, 1. Portugal, .

Madeira, A. Azores, Sicily,.

1,200,000 British E. Indies, §. W. Indies and S. America.

50,000 Man. England, Unwrought, England, 1. S. America,

From what Countries Imported.

m Earthen and Stone

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Sweden, Germany, J.

Alum

11,000

Burr Mill Stones

11,000

France.

Total

83,000,000 22,000,000

267. The following Table, compiled from the two preceding, will show the comparative Value of Exports and Imports, and the Countries with which the United States are connected in commerce:

COMPARATIVE TABLE OF EXPORTS AND. IMPORTS, 1822.

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Great Britain and dominions

39,500,000 48 26,400,000 3,400,000 29,800,000 36

Spain and dominions 12,400,000 15 5,300,000 3,100,000 8,400,000 10

9,700,000

4,000,000

France and dominions 7,000,000 8

China

5,200,000 64

5,700,000 1,300,000 7,000,000 81
400,000 5,500,000 5,900,000 7

700,000

Russia

3,300,000 4

200,000 400,000 600,000 2,700,000

Holland & dominions 2,700,000 34

3,100,000 2,700,000 5,800,000 7

3,100,000

Denmark & dominions 2,500,000 3 1,600,000

800,000 2,400,000 3

100,000

Portugal & dominions 2,400,000 3 1,600,000

300,000 1,900,000 24

500,000

Hayti

2,300,000 24 1,700,000

400,000 2,100,000 2

200,000

Germany

Italy and Malta

1,600,000 2 1,600,000 1,600,000

900,000 2,500,000 3

900,000

2

600,000

900,000 1,500,000 1 100,000

Sweden & dominions

1,500,000 1 750,000

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Barbary States

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It appears from an examination of this table, that about half the imports of the United States are from Great Britain and her dominions, and nearly half the exports find a market in this country and her colonies. The greater part of the remaining trade is with Spain, France, and their colonies, and with China. It is obvious that commercial interests unite America with Great Britain more strongly than with any other power, and that her trade with us is too valuable to be sacrificed on slight grounds.

268. The exports of the United States appear to have doubled every eighteen years since 1769; and in 1816 they exceeded those of any other nation except Great Britain.

269. From a view of the whole subject, it will be found that the United States are at present the second commercial nation in the world. The following data are taken from the statistical work of Mr. Pitkin, whose accuracy is so well known: 'In 1807 the tonnage of British vessels which entered the ports of Great Britain from all parts of the world, (including the repeated voyages,) was about 1,482,000 tons. The tonnage of American vessels employed in foreign trade, which entered the ports of the United -States, (including their repeated voyages,) was a little more than 1,100,000 in the same year.'

18,000,000

Pitkin's Statistics, p. 431. In 1800 the French vessels which entered France from foreign voyages, amounted only to 98,304 tons.

270. The whole amount of tonnage owned by citizens in the United States in 1810 was 1,424,781 tons, as entered on the custom-housebooks; but, deducting for losses and old ships, it must be estimated at one million and a quarter, 1,250,000. In 1800, the commercial tonnage of England was estimated at 1,269,329 tons. In 1787 France possesed but 300,000 tons of shipping. In 1804 the whole tonnage of all the nations and states around the Baltic, including Norway, was 493,417 tons, or less than half that of America.

The

271. In the following page will be found a table, showing the amount of tonnage in the respective states, arranged in the order of superiority in this respect; and indicating how far each is actively concerned in commerce. single state of Massachusetts owns a greater amount of tonnage than was owned in England in 1700. The increase of the American tonnage is not less remarkable than its actual amount. The registered tonnage was doubled in the fourteen years between 1795 and 1809, and nearly tripled in the twenty years between 1795 and 1815, although this included a period of war.

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