The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-01-14

! ly do so, until reciprocity, at least, be en-
snred to it. Take, for proof, The familiar
ease of the navigation employed in for
elgn commerce. If ii nation adhering to
the rule of never interposing II coun,ervail-
ing p~Otertlon of its vessels, admits foreip n
vessels into its ports free of duty, whilst its
own vessels are subject to a duty in for
| eIgn ports, the ruinOus effect is so Obvious.
that the warneSt ahvOrate for the theory in
question must shrink from "a universal aDpi.
cation 0i 1t.
A nation leaving its foreign trade, in all
Gases. to regulate itself, might soon find it
regulated, hy other nations, into suhser-
vlency TO a foreign interest. In the inter.
val between the peare of 1888 All | the es.
tahEShment of the present Constitution of
the United States, the want of IL general
authority to regulate trade is known to have
had this consequence. And have not the
pretcnsions AMI policy latterly exhibited Ivy
Great Britain given warning Of ii like result
from rcnunriHtOn Ofall countervailny re-
gnlaiionS on the part of the United States !?
Were she permitted, Ivy comforting or Ger.
tain portions of her domain the name of
Colonies, TO open from these a trade foi her.
sell, to foreign countries, and to exclude, at
the same time, reciprocal trade TO such
Colonies, by foreign countries the use to he
made of the monopoly need not he traced.
Its character will he placed in Just relief,
by surprising that one of the Colonial ISL
andS, instead of its present distance, happen.
ed TO he in the vicinity of Great Britain or
that one of these Islands in that vicinity
should receive the name and I've regarded
in the light of Colony, with the peculiar
privileges claimed for Colonies. Is it not
manifest, that, in this case, the favored ISL
and might be made the sole medium of the
commercial intercourse with foreign ma
tons, and the parent country thence enjoy
every essential advantage, lis to the terms
OF 1t. which flow from an unrecipr0caI trade
from her other ports. with other nations?
Fortunately, the British claims, however
speciously col0red or adroitly managed,
were repealed at the commencement of our
commercial career as an Independent Poo
pie, and ut successive eporhs under the OK
listing Constitution, l'oth in Legislative dis
rusSIons AMI in dipiomltIc negotiations.
The claims were repealed on the solid
ground that the Colonial trade, us IL right
fiji monopoly, was limited To the intercourse
between the parent country and lis colonies,
and between one colony and another; the
whole helng, strictly, in the nature of
rohstlng trade from one to another port of
the same nation; a trade with which no
other nation has IL right to Interfere 1t
follows, OF necessity, tat the parent coun-
try. whenever 1t opens II colonial port for a
direct trade tn foreign country, departs,
itself, from the principle of colonial inonu,,u-
ly, and entities the foreign country to the
same reciprocity, in every respect as in its
intercourse with any ports of the nation.
This is common sense and common right.
1t is still more, if more could he required.
1t is in conformity with the established
usage ofall nations, other than Great Brit
ain, whirh have colonies. Some of those
nations are known to adhere to the monopo-
" of their colonial trade, with all the rIgor
and ronstancy which circumstances permit.
But it is also known, that, whenever, and
from whatever cause, it has been found ne
cesSary or rXpcdient to open their colonial
ports To foreign trade, the rule of reciprn
city in favor of the foreign party was not
refused, nor. us is believed, light to refuse
if pretended.
1t cannot lie said that the reciprocity was
dictated Ivy deficiency of the commercial
marine. France, at least could not lie, in
every instance, governed by that consihera-
tion-and Holland, still less: to say moth
ing of the navigating States of Denmark
and Sweden, winch have rarely, if ever,
enforced Il colonial monopoly. The remark
is. indeed, ohvIous, that the shipping lihcr-
ated fiom the usual conveyance of supplies
I from the parent country to the r0lunles
might he employed in the new channels
opened for them, i'll supplies from abroad.
/ Reciprocity, or an equivalent tor il, is the
only rule of intercourse among mdepend-
ent communities and no nation ougII; to
admit doctrine, ar adopt in lnvaIIable pol
! icy, which would preclude the counterfeit
ing measures necessary to enforce the rule.
( =. The Theory suppoSes, moreovt r, a
I perpetual peace; IL suppostIon, it is to he
feared, not less chImcrIrul tuan IL universal
! freedom Of "ommelce.
The effect of war among the commercial
AMI manufacturing nations OF the worl B, in
raising the wages of labor, ana the cost of
its products; with II like effect on the
changes of freight and insurance, need
neither proof nor explanation. In order TO
determine, therefore, Questi OF economy,
between depending on foreign supplies, and
encouraging domestic substitutes, 1t is ne
cessary to compare the probable periods OF
war with the probable periods Ut peace
and the cos, Of domestic encourageAIe mt IN
times of peace, with the cots added 10 for
eign articles in times Of war.
During the last century, the periods oil
wal, and peace have heen nearly equal
The effect of state of war i'll raising the
price of imported articles, cannot be tStI-
mated with eXactnesS. 1t is certain. how-
ever, that the increased plice of particular
articles may make 1t cheaper to Inanulac-
ture them at home.
Taking, for the sake Of illustration, an
eannlitY in the two perlOds, and The cost Oi