The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1794-01-28 00:00:00, page 1

Two methods occur. i. By friendly
•rrangetnt nt« with the several nitions
with whom these reftriftions exist : Or,
1, By the feperate aft of our own le
gislatures for countervailing their es.
lefts. .
There can be no doubt, but that of
these twb, friendly arrangement is the
in oft eligible. Instead of embarrassing
commerce under piles of regulating laws,
duties, and prohibitions, could it be re
fayed from all its fhacltlcs in all part# of
the world—could every country be em
ployed in producing that which nature
hai btft fitted it to produte, and each be
fjee to exchange with Others mutual
fiyptuffes, for mutual wants, the greatest
mtffs possible would then be produced of
those things tvhith contribute to human
life and human happiness ; the number?
of mankind would be incrcafed,and their
condition bettered.
Would even a ftngle nation begin with
Our bread fluff is at molt times under
'prohibitory duties in England, and con
fiderahly dutied on re exportation from
Spain to her colonies.
Our tobaccoes are heavily dutied in
England, Sweden and France, and pro
hibited in Spain and Portugal. •
Our rice is heavily dutied in England
and Sweden-, and prohibited in “Portu
gal.
Our'fifh and failed provisions are pro
hibited in England, and under prohibi
tory duties in France.
Our whale*oils are prohibited in En
gland and Portugal.
And our veflitls rte denied naturaliza
tion in England and of late in France;
ad. In The Weft-Indies,
x All intercourse is prohibited with the
pofTeffiocs of Spain and Portugal.
Our faked provisions and fifhare pro
hibited by England.
Our Salted pork, and bread fluff (ex
cept maize) are received under tempora
ry laws only, in the dominions of France,
and bur fahed fifh pays there a weighty
duty.
3d. In The Article of Navigation,
Our own carriage of our own tobacco, is
heavily dutied in Sweden, and lately in
France.
In the American islands of the UNI
TED NETHERLANDS and SWE
DEN, our veflels and produce are iecei'.
cd, fubjed to duties not io heavy as to
have been complained of; but they are
heavier in the Dutch pofleflions on the
continent.
We can carry no article, not of our
own production, to the Bri.ifb ports in
Europe.
Nor even our ewin produce to her A
merican pofleflions.
Such being the reftriClionsonthecom-
Coerce and navigation of the United
States, the question is, in what way they
inay belt be removed,modified, or coun
tcra&ed ? *
As to commerce*
IN the DANISH-AMERICAN pof
rdfions a duty of five per cent, is le
vied on our corn, corn-meal, rice, to
bacco, wood, fahed fifh, indigo, horses,
mules, and live flock ; and of ten per
cent. on our flower, faked pork and beef,
tar, pitch and turpentine.
To sum up these ReflriCtions, so far
ts they are important :
ift. In Europe—
Os the Secretary of State, on the
P RIF ILEGES and RESTRICT 10 NS
on the COMMERCE of the United
States in Foreign Countries.
[Volume VIII.
CongreHional Hiftory.
Amcn^n Herald of Liberty.
EXETER. (New-HampJh ire) Printed and Publiihed by Sterns and Winslow, in Main-Street, at 6/8 per annum.
(Concluded.)
REPORT
Some nations, not yet ripe for free
commerce, in all its extent, m’ght still
be willing to molify its reflriCtions and
regulations for us in proportion to the
advantages, which an intercourse with us
might offer. Particularly they may
concur with us in reciproca.ing the du.
ties to be levied on each fide, or in
ccmpcnfating any excels of duty, by e
quivalent advantages of another nature.
Our commerce is certainly of a character
to entitle it to favor in most countries.
The commodities we offer, are either
necessaries of life, or materials for manu*
fadlure ; or etnvenient fubjeCts of reve
nue ; and we take in exchange, either
manufactures, when they have received
the last finifh of art and induflry, or
mere luxuries. Such cuflomers maj
reasonably expeCt welcome and friendly
treatment at every market : Cuflomers
too, whose demands increasing with their
wealth and population, must very short
ly give full imployment to the whole
induflry of any nation whatever, in any
line of supply they may get into the
habit of calling for, from it.
But should any nation, contrary to
our wishes, suppose it may better find
its advantage by continuing its system of
prohibitions, duties, and regulations,
it behoves us to proted our citizens their
commerce and navigation, by counter
prohibitions, duties, and regulations, al
io. Free commerce and navigation are
not to be given in exchange for restric
tions and vexations ; nor are they like
ly to produce a relaxation of them.
Our navigation involves Hilf higher
confederations. As a branch of induflry,
it is valuable । but as a resource cl de
fence, eflential. »
Its value, as a branch of induflry r is
inhanced by rhe dependance of so ma
ny other branches on it In times of
general peace, it multiples competitors
for employment in transportation, and
so keeps that at its propejjevel ; and in
times of war; that is to lay, when thole
nations who may be our principal carri
ers, Ihall be at war with each other, if
"tve have not within ourselves the means
of transportation, our produce must be
exported in belligerent veflels at the
increased expence of war freight and
insurance, and the articles which will
not bear that, must perilh on bur hands.
But it is a resource for defence that
our navigation wiH admit neither ne
gled nor forbearance. The petition find
circumstance of the United States leave
them toothing to fear on their latod
board, and nothing to desire beyond their
prefect rights. But, on their lea board,
they are open to injury, and they have
there too, a commerce which must be
protected. This can only be dohe by
poflefling a refpeAable body of ci'izen
feamen, and of artists and establishments
in readiness for (hip building. »
Were the ocean, which is the com
mon property of all, so chat every per
son and vessel should be free to take em
ployment wherever it could be found,
the United States would certainly not
set the example of appropriating to »bem
felves, exclutively, any portion of the
common stock of occnpatipn. They
would rely bn the enterprise and activ
ity of their citizens for a due participa*
tion of the benefits of the feafaring bu
siness, ahd for keeping the marine daft
the United States this fyflem of free
commerce, it would be advisable to be
gin it with that nation ; since it is one
by one only, that it can be extended to
all. Where the circumftancesof either
party render it expedient to levy a rev
enue. byway of import, on commerce,
its freedom might be mortified, in that
particular by mutual and equivalent
measures, preferring it entire in all oth
ers.
TUESDAY, January 28, 1794.
2d. Where a nation refutes permiflion to
our merchants and fadois to reside with
in certain parts of their dominions, vve
may, if it should be thought expedient,
fefufe residence to theirs in any and ev
ery part of ours* or,modify their c. ahfac
tion.
ift. Where a nation imposes high du
ties on our productions,or prohibits them
altogether, it may be proper for us to do
the fame by theirs j firft burthening or ex
cluding thole pioduCiions whch they
bring here, in competition Urich our own
of the fame kind ; (electing next such
manufactures as we take from them in
greatest quantity, and which at the fame
time we could the fooreft ftirnifh to our
klves,or obtain from other countries; im
posing on them duties, lighter at firft ;
but heavier and heavier ^afterwards, as
other channels of supply open, Such
duties having the tfftCi of indued en
couragement to domestic manufactures
of the fame kind, may induce the manu
facturer to come himfelf into these Rates $
where cheaper fubtiftence, eqaul laws,
and a vent of his wares, free of duty
may ensure him the highest profits f>om
his /kill and industry. And here it
would Be in the power of the State gov
ernments to co-operate efientially, by
opening the resources of encouragement
which are under their controul, exten
ding them liberally to artists in those
particular braches of manufacture, for
which their foil,climate, population, and
o her circumfUnces have matured thim,
and foftering the precious efforts and
progress of houfhold manufacture by
fame patronage suited to. the nature of its
obje&s, guided by the local informations
they poflefs, and guarded against abuse
by their prefehce and attentions. The
oppressions on our agriculture in foreign
poits, would thus be made the occasion
Os relieving it from a dependence on the
councils and ccnduCt of others, and of
prombting arts, manufactures and pop
ulation at Home.
3d. Where a nation refufes to receive
in our veflels any productions but our
own, we may refufe to receive in chevs
any but their own pioduftiotos. Ihe
firft and second clauses of the bill repor
ted by the committee, are well formed
CO effect this object.
4th. Where a refufes to con-
The followimg pr inciples, being foun
ded in reciprocity, appear perfcftly just,
and to offer no cause of complaint to any
nation.
of citizens equal to their otjea. But if
particular nations grasp at undue shares,
and moreefpecially, if they feizeon the
means of the United States to cory^ut
them ioJ?. aliment for their dvVif l^^h
and wtM^uw them entirely from niie
support of thole to whom they belong,
defenfive and protefling meafurei be
come neceflary on rhe part of the nation
whose marine resources are thus invaded,
or it will be disarmed of its defence ; its
productions will lie at the metcy of the
nation which has poflefTed itfelf exclusive
ly of the means of carrying them, and
its politics may be influenced by th ofc
who command its commerce. The car
riage cf our own commodities, if once
established in another channel, cannot be
rtfumed in the moment we may desire.
If we lose the seamen and artifls, whom
it now occupies, we lose the present
means of marine defence, and time will
be requisite to raise up others, when dis
grace or lofles /hall biing home to our
feelings the error of having abandoned
them. The materials for maintaining
our due/hare of navigation, are ours in
abundance'; and as to the mode of ufiog
them, we have only to adopt the prin
ciples of those who thus put us on the
defenfive, or others, equivalent and bet
ter fitted to our circomftances.
These inconveniences are nothing,when
weighed against the ids of wealth and
lots of force, which will follow our per
fcveiance in the plan of indifenmina
tion. When once it (hall be pereeived
that we ate either in the iyfiem, or the
habit, of giving equal advantages to
those who extinguish our commerce and
navigation, by duties and prohibition,
as to thole who neat both with liberal
ity and juihee will be converted by all
into duties and prohibitions. It is not
to the moderation and juflice of others,
we are to trust for fair and equal access
to market with our productions, or
for cur due (hare in the transportation
of them but to dur means of indepen
dence, and the firm will be the use of
them. Nor do the inconveniences of
diferiminatioo merit cohtideration. Not
one of the nations before menilbfied ;
perhaps, not a commercial nation on
earth, is 1 Without hem >n our tafe
one dillintlion alone will fuffice, that is
(ay, between nations who favo/ dur
.duCtions and navigation, and those
who do not favor them. One set of
moderate duties, (ay the prefect dotie;,
for the firft and a fixed advance oil theft,
as to feme articles, and prohibitions as <0
©theH, for the lift.
Still it must be repeated that friendly
arrangements ire preferable ^ith all
Who will e rne into them ; and that we
(houl'd carry into such arrangements
all the liberality and ipirit of accom
modations, which the nature of the case
WHI admit.
France has of her Own accord, propo
sed mgociations for improving, by a new
treaty on fair and equal pftaciptes, the
commercial relations of the two coun
tries Bdt ffier internal disturbances
have hitherto prevented the profecuHoa
of them to effeft , though vVe have had
repei "0 ’ff iranfce Os a cdirimiumke of
the (Rfpoficion. 1 < «.
The eflablifhment cf some of these prin.
cipleS by Great Britain, alone, has al«
ready loft us in our commerce with that
country and its poflcflions, between
eight and nine hundred veflels of near
40,000 tons burthen, accord ng to ftate
mems from official materials in which
they have confidence. This involves®
proportional loft of seamen and ftiip
rights, and shipbuilding, and is too feri»
ous a lof< to admit forbearance of some ef
le&fual remedy. It is true we must ex
peCi lome inconvenience in practice, from
the eflablifhment of discriminating du
ties. But in this, as in so many other
cases, we arc left to choose between two
evils.
sider any veflel as outs, which has not
been built within our territories, we
should refufe to confider as theirs, any
veflels not built within their territories.
sth. Where a nation refuses to our
veflels the carriage even of our own
production*, to certain countries under
their dominions we might refufeto theirs;
of every description. the carriage of the
fame productions to the fame countries.
But as juflice and good neighbourhood
would diCta e, that those who have no
partin impof/ng the reflriCtionon us,
should not be the victims of measures
adopted to defeat its efFeCi, it may be
proper to confine the reflriCtions to ves
sels owned or navigated by any fubjeCts
of the fame dominant power, ether
than the inhabitants of the country to
which the said productions are to be
carried. And to prevent all inconveni
ence to the laid inhabitants, and to our
own, by too sudden a check on the
means of tranfpenation, we may con
tinue to admit the veflels marked for
fu:u»e exclusion, on an advanced ton
nage, and for such length of time only,
as may be supposed nectflary to provide
against that inconvenience.
[Number 30.