The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-05-25
MAY Is. 1910.
THE OBSERVER.

The trade OF the u. S. is about to assume
new aspect. The Orders and DEGREES of
the belligerents are still in force-England
Still declares, that we shall not trade with
France-France. that we shall not trade
with England-but the resolution of France
to adopt new means for preventing the eva
sion OF her DEGREES OH the part Of England,
places the u. D. Oh somewhat new and more
difficult ground. BY means of forged papers
and her own licences, u. b. has contrived
TO prostitute the American flag, to the emo
iument OF her own merchants-to carry
on those branches IF trade for herself.
4vhich she has Forbidden 10 us--and to
sniuggle her goods into the ports of the Con
finent. France, unable to distinguish the
use from the abuse of our flag, its employ,
inent by our own merchants from its pros
titution by the British merchants, has al
ready laid the cargoes, processing to be A.
inerican under sequestratior, aud directed
them TO be sold and the proceeds TO be de-.
posted IN the Royal Treasury, with view,
at IS SAID, OF preventing Costs to indivilu
al claimants )" and still further to carry
her plans into execution, she has strung a..
new the atm of maritime power in Holland.
and is pouring her troops around the mouths
OF the nav'gable rivers in the north, to Cir
cumscribe the activity of sn,ugglers -
russia, and Sweden and Denmark, are
falling into the same system--in Russia.
ITS execution is for time modified or sus.
pesded by the commendable ACTIVITY of our.
minister, John Quincy Adams, whose labors
are gwen to prevent the prostitution OF the
American flag and the use OF British licen
ses--and VINO, for that very reason. is most
consistently abused and denounced by the
tories of this country.
Such is nearly the picture of our situation
--almost shut out of the most lucrative
markets of the continent, and confined To
that OF Great Britain. Under these circum
stances. the consequences cannot but prove
highiy interesting they deserve the spe-
Cuiation OF every thiAking man. In these
times. speculation inc hought NAV be rather
safer than speculation in trade. The use of
the one may prevent the ruin Of the other
Let us suppose, then that we are let into G..
britain' and shut out of the ports of the Cou.
tinent--Shch, indeed, is almost our pre-
seat condition--we may go to G. b. in safe
fy but our property now in France is eli
tber under se0ue stration, or to be deposited
IN the royal Chest----under such circufnstap
ces, what merchant will think of riskine a
cargo to Continental port, unless the chan
ces OF proht should be immense s--What
must then oe the consequence of this state of
thing3! Ahe answer TO this question is to be
found in the usual relations of trade between
us and England. The Secretary of the
treasury tells lis in a report of his, in 1906,
that OF our exports to G.. h. "the tobacco is
supposed TO exceed the amount wanted for
tneif own consumption; and that as the law.
OF ". do not permit for home consumpti
on the importation of the greater part of the
sr'iCles OF foreSn merchandise in American
vessels, nose which have been shipped from
HE y = have generally been either clear
n for, ,ol.r n 4
I'd, warenouscu for re expectation =" that
although she quantity of cotton exported
tot b IS increasing, and its value amount
ed in 1904 to nearS 100000 yet the totaI
value OF the e1IlprfS 10 that country did not
IN that year, exceed, in articles both of do
.mesuc ana toregn produce, 6 1920, 600
whist the tmHorsa(ioUs amounted 10 G 81.
100000; makiUs ba,lance in favor Of c;
D. OF y l4,2OC 0C0 that as this balance must
necessarily be paid out of the proceeds of the
exports OF the U. S. to other countries it fol
lows that ON the value of those exports de
ponds the ability to paw for British n,anuf.c.
cures, to that extent Scc''
But 1t also appears from the Treasury r..
ports, that iii 1908, our exports of domestic
produce. were more than S :, 900 OOO-and
III 1917, more than 40 coo. 600 that our ex-
Ports IN foreign produce were in 1904 more
than $4,000 600 dollars, and in 1909 g SO
eoo oU0. Hence it is indisputabiy clear. that
W. d. does not take OF our domestic fro
aHce SO OO0 900, and OF foreign, not more
shah 200 OCi lis. And hence it follows.
W way OF corOllsry. that five were Confined
III our trade to q d alone, we should
have more than 50 0C0 COG dolls. in domestic.
produce on our hands, besides an immense
quantity OF foreign articles Every man must
see the effect. Every merchant should be
Oh MS guard against ~. When our domestic
produce IS shut cut OF the continental, ports ::
"hen our principal staples are confined to a
market, which can absorb only part of them.
VI is impossible, but that this market must he
giuueu That many merchant in the u
o. WIZ BECOME bankrupt in his circum~
stances.
wee, then, to our merchants, who shonld
speculate deeply in trade We know. in
oeed' mat many of those purchases which
nave oeen made OF the high priced, first
Guaiiiy tobaccQes, have been effected on the
orders OF British nerchdnts---but orr own
Shippers should take warning in time. When
the Immense numbers Of vessels which have
sahed from the ports of the u States with
iheiF exu0eraut cargoeS, shall have reached
'ler ports OF destination, deep must be
we sensation IN the market, wide vast.
lug the depreciation of our produce. 49,
Inc anxiety Of Mr. Troupe TO open the
markets OF France and Holland to his Cot
Ton wild prove in vain--and the exuadien,s
ut the Georgia and Carolina delegation ubo
ne" from the true interests of their conn
Try to raise the prise of their staple, will be
totally unavaihng. Their Opposition To a