The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-16 00:00:00

But how overcome the scruples of their faith ? How
venture, with an easy political conscience, not merely
to taste, but to live upon, what their time-honoured
creed proscribed ? Free trade ! why it had, in virtue
of the persecutions suffered for refusing it, be-
come the most loathsome idea conceivable. Short and
easy was the process. An Hierophant with a double portion
of his father's genius stood forth with magic powers. He
brings the odious thing to his font. "Go down," says he,
" free trade and come up unrestricted competition." He
spoke—and behold the loathsome was lovely in every eye.
The thing was still aeceptable to its old friends, the name
became well-pleasing to its new ones, and the long severed
in faith unite at least in practice, and go together into the
same lobby. Curious sight—Mr. Cobden and Mr. Disraeli
making for the same door in order to divide.
After all, however, the old name must come back again.
We cannot do with so long and latinized a phrase as "
restricted competition." If those who have studied at the
Universities have time, organs of speech, and etymological
knowledge suitable to it, not so "mechanics, tradesmen,
farmers, and so forth." Free trade they understand, and
free trade they still will say. And we will say it with
them ; we like "free" better than "unrestricted."
There is a Saxon origin, a heartiness, a positivity,
a British twang in the word free, wholly wanting
in the other—which is, on the contrary, Latin—
chilly and negative. And Trade, too,—it is a
friendly, social, prosperous word, in pleasant contrast
with the ill-tempered, gladiatorial, quarrelsome word—
" competition." We wont have it then, and we will have
the old good-tempered, hearty words—" free trade " back
again. If the protectionists wish to have it inscribed on
the coffin-plate of protection, as the name of the enemy
who slew their pet cock robin, why, so let them ; but now
the funeral is over, and all is covered with the dust and
ashes, let language return to its usual course.
Something, too, is due to the memory of the great
Scotchman, the very patriarch of free trade, Adam Smith.
All the tribes of modern economists own him as their
common father ; all have, hitherto. accepted the name he
gave to his theory of commerce. He baptised it by the
name of " Free-trade." He nursed, cherished, and de-
fended it under that name ; its successive schoolmasters
and actors have known it by that name ; universal custom
has adopted the patriarch's nomenclature; and it is too
late in the day now to part with the paternal name
to suit the whims of any half-hearted foster nurse.
It is nearly 80 years ago since the " wealth of nations"
broke in upon the general ignorance of the eighteenth century
So profound was that ignorance, so hopeless the cause then,
that the philosopher utterly despaired of his country ever
adopting the principle of which he had demonstrated the
soundness. Perhaps there is hardly a stronger encourage-
ment to be found in the history of speculative thinking,
and its final triumph in practice, than the contrast be-
tween the vote of the 26th of November, 1852, and the
language of the philosopher, confident in his principle yet
hopeless in its triumph, in 1776. Read them together :
Adam Smith,, Book IL cap. 2.
"To expect, indeed, that
the Freedom of Trade should
ever be entirely restored in
Great Britain is as absurd as
to expect that an Oceana or
Utopea should ever be eetab-
lished in Not only the
prejudices of the public, but,
what is much more uncon-
querable, the private inte-
rests of many individuals
irresistibly oppose it.

Vote of the House of Commons.
" That it is the opinion of
this House that the improved
condition of the country, and
especially of the industrious
classes, is mainly the result
of recent legislation which
has established the principle
of unrestricted competition
(Free Trade)—has abolished
taxes imposed for the pur-
pose of protection, and has
thereby diminished the cost
and increased the abundance
of the principal articles of
the food of the people."

What fearless and honest investigator need be discou-
raged after this ? One could wish in this case, as in so
many others, that the departed could return to enjoy their
triumph ; to see that in the old weary battle of the brains
against the dullards, intelligence and truth were the con-
querors at last ; that the laughed at theorists are sure to
become, in time, the guides of universal practice. In con-
nection with the paragraph quoted above, there is a clause
which may console the 53 with the remembrance of the
honours once borne by their tribe. " The member of Parlia-
ment," says Smith, " who supports every proposal for
strengthening this monopoly, is sure to acquire not only
the reputation of understanding trade, but great popularity
and influence with an order of men whose numbers and
wealth render them of great importance." How little did
the philosopher imagine that such members would, in
1852, be regarded as an intractable residuum in the House
of Commons, whose heads would be likened, in the "lead-
ing journal," to the East India Company's preternaturally
hardened cannon balls, which no process could melt, or
render serviceable for aught but ballast ! No, it will never
do to depriveithe offspring of Adam Smith of Ithe name
given him by his desponding parent in the hour of his
birth, and that, too, at the very time when he arrives at
maturity. One word more as to " Free-trade" versus
"Unrestricted Competition." Fair play is the thing for
Englishmen ; both sides must renounce calling ill names.
The religious sects, in courtesy, give each other the names
ehosen by each sect for itself. None bnt bigots talk of
Papists, schismatics, and so forth, now. In politics we
have exchanged Whig and Tory for Liberal and Conserva-
tive. We must do the same on this question. Monopolists
is, in truth, the scientific name of Protectionists; but as they
prefer the latter name, we indulge them with it; they must
reciprocate the courtesy, and not wish to designate by the
ugly, epithet " unrestricted competitionists," those who de-
light in the cheerful, well-known, and hearty name of Free-
traders. At present the new converts have had it their
own way. They have registered their old opponents in
the journals of the house under the name given by their
antagonists, but they have registered themselves under the
name of their own choice. They have triumphed in the
word-fight, if the Free-traders remain encamped on the
field of battle.

IS KIRWAN A MURDERER?