The National Register.
London, England, 1816-11-18 00:00:00

CONTINENTAL COMMERCE.

The sentiments of the people of Germany have been
much too loudly declared upoa all points relating to
their manufacturing interests, to encourage a belief that
the manufactures of Great Britain will be more in-
duiged amongst them, than they have *heady been by
the Russian Government, or by the recent laws of
France and of the Netligamds. The approaching Diet
can in no respect inspire us with a confidence which its
parent, the Congress, has so cruelly disappointed.
Something, perhaps, may be said upon these questions
by our negotiator ; notes may be written ; projects may
be communicated ; appeals may be made to German
_ _

gratitude for the treasures, and blood, and counsels of
England ; lavished without reserve—too often without
discrimination—in the common cause of Europe :in a
Moment of extraordinaty vigour it is possible that a pro-
test of our Ambassador may be entered on the minutes
-but there the struggle will end. We lost the oppor-
tunity, when the gold of England was the lever that
Moved the whole Continent in arms. Then it was, be-
Are the British sirbaidies *ere paid—Wore we eon•
finned the dismemberment of Sweden—before we fixed
the colossal foot of 'Russia upon the neck of Poland—
before we destroyed the political existence of Buena-
parte, whose name was as useful to the cause of liberty,
us The devil's to that of superstition ;—then was our
time to recollect that fear is always grateful, security
forgetful—and then, or never, was our time to require
some advantages, if not equal to (for what could equal ?)
those which we conferred, such as might alleviate, or,
for shame's sake, commemorate, the tremendous sacri-
fices which it cost us to confer them.
Some attempts have been made, as we read in their
journals, to agitate the utility of a general freedom
of commerce. To these the answer is extremely
obvious ; viz. that auch., freedom must be reciprocal ;
and That England, so)se has never suffered it in her
onra ports, cannot hope to enjoy it in the ports of other
nations.•• •

Corisolation is offered to Us in the shape of an assur-
ance, that if we suffer, we do not suffer alone ; for that
the several nations both of Europe and America are
impoverished in an equal degree, and front the *arse or
similar causes.

Now, if there be one aggravation of the misery of a
manufacturing people more palpable and depressing
than another, it is the poverty of neighbouring nations.
We rejoiced, indeed, at the excess of nakedness and pri-
vation to isitich our peighl tours were reduced during the
war; bemuse we foot that the same people were our
natural customers at tha termination of hostilities : and
what misfortune gresterto• any shopkeeper than a decay
in the eircumstanem of those who cfer him the only
mrchet for his warts Dot again—the inerea:e of a
public debt regoires always, and tiw the mpg purr
•eates, a general rise of prices. Had the (*eminent
of Europe horrotred money to supply littonaitterte, bilge
'axes woald have beer imposed, and a rise the now--
ff ets, similar to %%lint has taken place in England, would
have res.ll:ed. - The Continew, it wever, tring t:,"t
4E4 Ai. purchase, tut likewise the rival of rzglish