4303. LABOR, Distribution.—[continued].
I was once a doubter
whether the labor of the cultivator, aided by
the creative powers of the earth itself, would
not produce more value than that of the manufacturer,
alone and unassisted by the dead
subject on which he acted. In other words,
whether the more we could bring into action
of the energies of our boundless territory, in
addition to the labor of our citizens, the more
would not be our gain? But the inventions of
later times, by labor-saving machines, do as
much now for the manufacturer, as the earth
for the cultivator. Experience, too, has proved
that mine was but half the question. The other
half is whether dollars and cents are to be
weighed in the scale against real independence?
The whole question then is solved; at
least as far as respects our wants.—
To William Sampson.
Ford ed., x, 73.
(M.
1817)
See Manufactures.
