Yours of the 21st of August I received.--So I find you fall into the
commonplace notion of the English, that manufactories are forming here,
which will in a short time render all importation of british goods
unnecessary. Take my word for it, you have nothing of that kind to fear,
whilst the United States have so few inhabitants, and so _much_ of
their best land uncultivated. It is not their _interest_ to engage in
manufactories; and when the country is sufficiently populous, it will be
easier to conquer South America, and procure thence the _means_ of
purchasing commodities, than to go through the _drudgery_ of their
_fabrication_: but at present such is the cheapness of land, and the high
price of wheat, and other produce, that it has raised the value of labour
beyond the profits of almost any manufacture. If they could be established
with effect in any part of America, it would be in the _New England
states_, where the population is more than double those of the south; and
provision much cheaper; but the New Englanders, when they fancy themselves
too populous, rather than engage in a laborious trade, prefer emigration
to the _Genasee_[Footnote: The Genasee is a rich tract of country, a
considerable distance west of New York, much resorted to by New England
emigrants since the peace with the Six Nations. Kentucky is at least one
thousand miles from the nearest of the New England states, two hundred of
which are through a wilderness, which cannot be passed during an indian
war, without great danger.], or even Kentucky. The same restless,
enterprising spirit, which brought their ancestors from Europe, carries
them to these remote western settlements; and I have no doubt their
descendants will continue the same in that direction; till the Pacific
Ocean[Footnote: A distance of more than two thousand miles from the most
remote western settlement.] stops their further progress; unless, as I
before observed, lured by a _golden bait_, they go to the _south_: let the
Spaniard look to that.--The manufactories in this country that have fallen
under my observation are one of rifles at Lancaster, another of musquets
at Connecticut, and at German Town, in Pennsylvania, a peculiar sort of
winter stockings. An American has lately procured a patent from Congress,
for cutting brads out of sheet iron with an engine. The american iron is
of an excellent quality, and possesses a great degree of malleability,
which perhaps suggested the first idea of this invention. The following
extract from the advertisement of the patentee will enable you, to form
some judgment of this singular undertaking: "He begs leave to observe
their superiority to english-wrought brads consists in their being quite
regular in their shape, so much so, that ten thousand may be drove through
the thinnest pine board, without using a brad-awl, or splitting the board.
They have the advantage also of being cut _with the grain_ of the iron;
others are cut _against_ it. He has already three engines at work, which
can turn out two hundred thousand per day."
Another patent has been granted for making the teeth of cotton and wool
cards by an engine, which is supposed to be a similar process.
There are also manufactories of cotton, sail cloth, gun-powder, glass,
&c., but of no great consequence.
Their sawing-mills are numerous, and well constructed; this circumstance,
and the great quantity of timber, mast, spars, &c., with which this
country abounds, enable them to build vessels considerably under what you
can afford in England, though the wages of a shipwright are now two
dollars and a quarter per day. Theirs ships, in point of model and
sailing, if not superiour, are at least equal to the best european-built
vessels, and when constructed of _live oak_, and _red cedar_, are equally
durable. Vessels of this description are scarce. Live oak is rarely met
with north of the Carolinas: that used in the Boston ship-yards is brought
from Georgia; a distance of more than a thousand miles,
Yours sincerely, &c.
* * * * *
_Philadelphia, February 21st 1795._