Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-02-03

eating states of Europe; deranging, and over
turning their commercial systems, and when
engaged in war, sweeping all their shipping,
from the ocean, with the single exception OF
Great Britain, whose naval preponderance ena-
bled her TO protect her mercantile marine. In
this state Of things, the commerce of the world
was almost entirely thrown into the hands OF
American merchants and ship owners; ana
this, to the greater extent, was the source from
which the unexampled success OF American
commerce and American navigation had arisen
Al this period, he said, the two grea, com
batan,s Of Europe, were struggling Tor their
political existence; and great object on each
side, undoubtedly was, to gain powerful auxil
iaries or allies in the contest This motive,
increased by a jealousy Of the unrlvalled pros
perity, and growing power OF the States
and perhaps also, by something OF cupidl,y TO
reap part Of the profitable business they were
prosecu,ing--probably led TO thar series OF
wrongs and insults, captures, and plunderlngs
to the amount OF not far short 81 one hundred
millions of dollars, with which the United
States were visited; and which, from necessity,
first led to remonstrances, which produced no.
thing: to measures of restriction and withdraw
al from the ocean, which were scarcely more
efficient; and finally evenluated in war with
the more powerful of the maritime belligerents.
These two eras, he said, for reason before
assigned, would not test the operation OF the
discriminating duties But he had now reach
ed the period when the evidence to be derived
from their existence could be perceived, and
their influence estimated. The war with Greet
Britain was terminated by the Treaty Of Client,
in December, 1914: the peace OF Europe had
been secured not long before, by the Treaty Of
Paris. The Temple Of Janus was now closed,
and each nation would thereafter re-occupy It's
former commercial habitudes, resume its CO.
lonial relations, and cultivate its own resour-
ces to the extent Of its means and ability.
AS soon as this state of things was known in
the United States, and intelligence had been
received of the treaty Ct Client, the government
Of the United States, accommodating itself TO
the change Of circumstances, and acting up to
those liberal principles of equal trade which
the late President Of the United States, a few
wears since, in his message to Congress, cor
rectly stared had ever charac terized its proceed
ings, from the first commercial treaty 1t had
formed, that with France in l776-passed the
act of March 5, 1915, repeating the discrlmi-
mating duties on vessels and merchandise, so
far as re garded the produce and manufactures
of such foreign nation, 10 which the vessel be-
longed, as should abolish, in their ports, all
discriminating duties on American vessels and
merchandise This act, at the time, attracted
no great attention; it was considered in some
degree, as embracing an abstract proposition.
which might, or might not be realised; but
shortly after, to wit, in July, SIS, of the same
year, Convention was formed with Great Bril-
tain, by which it was agreed that the same and
no other, or higher rate Of duties should be
payable on the vessels Of the respective coun-
tries, entering the ports Of the other, with their
cargoes, being Of the growth, produce or man
ufactu-e Of either, than On their own vessels
when entering such ports.
This was reducing theory TO practice; the
| American ship owners and navigators became
hat alarmed; they very naturally conclu-
ded, that, as the large mass OF our imports were
of British manufactured goods, as these were
procured from, and shipped by British maniac
iurers or merchants, that, it British ships could
come into the ports Of the United States, pre-
cisely on the same terms as American ships,
| that fellow feeling between the British mer-
chant and ship owner would arise, and that the
greater part, if not the whole, OF the importa-
| lions from Great Britain TO the United States,
would be made in British shipping, to the ex-
c.usion Of American navigation; such also was
the impression of the British ship owners; for
they prepared to put some fine ships into the
! trade; two, he believed, went into the trade
with Boston; our merchants knew BRUSH Shi 8
| could be constructed on about the same terms
as American ships, but as they last longer, in
the end they might be cheaper, The British
oak being more durable than the American
oak-he did not mean the live oak of the coun-
try, which is the best material for ship building
in the world-but ii is too scarce, too costly
and perhaps too heavy, for the purposes OF
mercantile navigation They also knew, that in
time of peace, the wages Of American seamen
were one third or one half, higher than the Bri
fish: that although provisions were generally
cheaper in the United States than in Great
Britain, that as we gave our seamen more in
dulgencies, and comforts, especially in port
tina, the cost Of subsistence was also probably
dearer. These were disadvantages the Amen-
can ship-owner knew he had to contend with
but h. did not shrink from the contest; he
breasted himself to meet it; also put fine ships
into the trade, taking more care than usual to
select active. vigorous, spirited young men, to
command them, who would never strike top
sail while mast would carry it. The result
was, before the end Of twelve month, il was
perceived, the American ship would perform
nearly three trips to the others two; and that
goods shipped by the former would be received