The Litchfield County post., 1827-10-11
Erom the ". Y. Spectator.
WEST INDIA TRADE.

and interested partizans in this country vet the
books OF our custom-hOuse will show that the West
India trade was never fouTlshng since the
praon of jays treaty, than the present time. Nay,
since the opposition presses have been shedding
codile tears over the loss of the West India trade
they term IT. our exports TO the West Indies have been
g eater than during the corresponding months Of the
anteccden year, when the British Ports open.
This information is not unexpected by u.s. for we have
all along been assured by The most intelligent
chants OF this city, that the trade with the West In
dies would not be essentially diminished 10y the suspcn
sion OF the direct Intercourse with the British Colo
Mes Ever since the separation Of the United States
and the mother country the West Indies have in one
way or another drawn from this country their prnCl-
pal supplies. They must do it still and it does not
make so great difference as many people imagine,
whether our produce reaches them directly or indi
recty through the ports of ST. Thomas or Carthage
ma Indeed the more intelligent OF the British ship
ping merchants. well apprized the effect Of the
Order in Council which has closed their ports to the
vessels of the United States and they already feel,
that the indirect trade is stripping them in great
measure of the advantages which they hoped to de-
rive from that measure. We have before the No
va Scotian of the 29ti ut containing extracts
from letter the colonial policy of Great Britain,
in the London Morning Chronicle, and has been at
tributed to MIR. Garter, of London, gentleman well
known in the mercantile world.
The writer tells ministers, that it is true the Colo
nIsts did express by addresses &c their gratitude for
the boon which they were told was be conferred
them, by opening the trade of foreign nations their
industry and enterprise. But he states that he k0tcS,
from personal observation, that while they had expe-
renced all the evils OF the system, they had rea
ped none of the benefits which promised. Through
out ewBrunswlck, he remarked, that almost every
article of the domestic is of the United States
manufacture; and was satisfied from the information
he received that since the introduction of what is cal
led the liberal system, the competition of the United
States in hardware, manufactured tobacco, leather
furniture &c. had seriously injured the import of En-
gsh goods and provincial manufactures. And in sup
ASS he To
vncla Legislature, passed the 18th of March last
imposing high additional duties the importation of
the articles above enumerated.
tie apprehends far less risk, however, from the
competition of the shipping of the United States if
allowed to participate in the trade with the British
North American and West India Colonial, than from
that of the shipping of the North of Europe. But,
he asks
How this restraint upon American shipping, a.
greed all hands to be desirable, is to be produ
ced, if the Orders in Council, prohibiting the direct
intercourse are construed to admit American produce
into islands from the foreign West Indies, after
having been transported hther in American vessels
Wil netthe conveyance of such produce to St. Thorn
as afford as much encouragement To the American
MARINE as the conveyance of ii to Barbados or ia
maica?"
He argues that it requires only the encouragement
OF few years with Certainty OF their not being sud
denly deprived of it, TO enable the North American
colonies supply all the wants of the West Indies
on terms favourable those which they have
been hitherto supplied by the United States: and he
contends that, without the advantages Of the
turn Of trade the consumption of West India produce
! IN the American Provinces has been very great !;
which he illustrates by statistical reports. He adds
that
{" 1t is a fact perhaps not generally known, that
New Brunswick had been for years in the habit
of exporting large quantities of boards Tor the West
India market Boston and other ports in the Eastern
States of America forming an important item in the
| exports from the Passamaquady bay--a convincing
proof that in articles, at least, the West Indies
I WOuid mined
| the cOlones.'
| He then proceeds to advise since much has been
said of the necessity which the national faith lmpo-
ses, maintaining treaties once entered into with for
eign powers that if he be called upon in behalf of
those Interested in the North American Colonies, and
British Colonial Shipping, TO make treaty aoHh them
-countrymen and fellow subjects ne will engage that
the terms will be granted to them to fol eign
ers, and that the intercourse with the West Indies u
the United States, will not be re-opened for period
| of ten years.
"Let this be done, and have no hesitation in stating
that the colonies will be found possess ample means
supply every article technically denominated bread
stuff in such quantities, and at such prices, as shall
leave of to the West India planters"
The writer adduces other considerations to show
'the necessity of excluding the shipping Of the United
StSteS iron, the toe those coloieS, and the impor-
lance in a POLITICAL point OF vIew,of CURLING THE
GROWTH OF THAT POWER" This language entire
" corresponds with that held by the British ministers
upon the subject of the colonial trade since, contra
ry to their pledge, they closed the door Of nego-
citation by the order in council of 1926. 1t is not as
the factious opposition here contend, that the United
States have insisted upon than they had right
to demand but TO CURB THE NAVAL POWER OF
THE UNITED STATES, that they have taken this
course And vet we have editors and politicians a
| mong US, calling themselves Americans, base and
| mean enough to condemn the administration for at
tempting to sustain the national character, by rejecting
| what has been nsultingly called BOON, profered,
according to the confession of British writers them
selves, for the purpose of HUMBLING US.
| NL.u- NINn IN
sight of in the mist winch has beon raised upon TINS
subject by the scribes of the opposition. Had the hui
initiating BOON been accepted at the hands of the gov
ernmcnt which is so anxious to "CURB OUR NAVAL
POWER" one effect would have been greatly to in
jure, if not effectuay Destroy the direct freightng
| busisess in American bottoms between the United
States and Great Britain. For while American yes
sells would have been restricted to a direct trade, be-
ports and the West India Islands, the Brit
ish shipping merchants would have posses sed the adj
vantage of making treble quadruple voyages. For
example; British ship destined for Jamaica, might
| have been freighted form Liverpool to New-Y DIRK,
with cargo for this market After dlscharglng this,
she might here take in cargo of American produce
| for Jamaica, dscharging which, she could there
take in cargo for Liverpool or, II the owners pleas
ed, for New-York, where she could again have chan
ged her cargo and taken in cotton for Liverpool, or
other freight for London or elsewhere The conse-
quences Of these double treble and quadrupe voyages
would have been to enable the British shipper to take
freight on terms low drive the American ship
| owner from the field of competition. And yet the
sage mysifers of the Post and other affiliated presses,
have the PRESUMPTION to denounce the administration
as laundering in its diplomacy, ana anh-commercIal
in its views. And for WHAT For its honest, perse-
vering and eectual endeavours to protect the real
substantial interests of the American shipoWner, and
TO sustain the dignity and honor of our country against