It should appear from a p...
It ahould appear froam a paragraph wllichl we inserted in yesterday's paper, that the French are under some appre- hension, since the almost free admission of raw silk into Et,ngland, that their manifacturers will be injured by the s,iperiority of the British loam: and4as if we could have no skill of our own, they think it must be to their work- men to whom the beauty of our productions is owing; whose emigration they are therefore attempting to stop, or. punisf. This is a folly of which we have, unluckily, set them the example. Amore enlightened period is, we hope, however,' at hand, in which we may see industry as well as commerce unfettered. If we should prove to have more skill than they in the manufacture of silk, which is doubtful, so much more of tbeir raw material will be worked up: or if we are equal, thie public of both nations will be better served., in consequence of the rivalry. It must be observed also, if we bave ret them an exarnple of ill, that we have set them an example of good ; for after a short period our ports will be open to their manu- factured silk. We would have the markets of every kintd open, as much as the unhappy demands of finance will ad- mit; and both nations will be the richer and happier for tbe freedom. It is not likely, with retpect to this very silk- tradle, that we should be ablc to receive the raw material from abroad, manufacture it, and sell at a lower price in the French markets than the native manufacturers ; but if such should prove to be the case, then should tho weavers of France turn their attention to thio cultivation of somn other branch of trade, in which they c;a at Icant beat the foreigner on Irenlch ground( ; and that natural branch of trade, thus rorced by cultivatim, whatever it may be, would soon rise to an importance which would do more than counterbalance tile supposed deeline in the nilk-trade. It is, however, more likely that tbeo French maniulfiactiurers, working upoin their own raw material, will be able to do more than vie with those of England, even in onr own markets ; anti if so, we would not have our manufac- ture of this Single article of silk kept ul) by artificiial means : wo hall rAther tlht theo porgowq OcCI)iell in it, or at lcast their ehihreni, should go ovor to other employinerntsi, from their industry in ivhicli the nation miay (ierivu ad- vantage, rat)ier tlain' thiat tleiy slhould )be u1pporledl il the attempt to force an unnatuiral trade, to the detriinwnt of the public.