Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-02-06


the wines of Portugal upon more liberal tcriis than
those OF France o. really superior quality because
Eag0nd docs not fear any increase Of resources In
Portugal, ms she does IN Franco. She has no ob.
lection to sort of mutual dependence between her
self aud Portugal because il shn docs not prescribe
the terms of with dic,atoral power her sway Is so
decidedly prcponderSing, that th"r intercourse
never be ut unCag!Hcss TO her. But between
England aud France each is arprehensvc OF danger:
not satisfied with profit in their intercourse each
one pauscs 10 count the effect the other, Of any
commerce exchanges between them; Jealous OF ne
one hand OF dependence their respective markets,
aud apprehcn i've the other OF increasing the re-
sources OF rival, ready every moment TO become
encmy. This view ofthc subject, will think con
cusvcly shcw the salacy of Judging OF the CONNER
cai principles and policy Of any ration with single
regard to the consideration profit, aud must il amy
thing cam convince u.s. that we need expect To
soc general freedom of commercial intercourse
between nlious though il We're shovu that such
freedom IL most profitable IN economical view
al the thing, which has 1T been so clearly es-
tabishcd, that know Of, TO eniilc the advocates
ostrec trade To claim it postulate. The fact is
that the IDEA oi the advantages OF an universal free
dom OF trade, Is | fenr plausible than solid.
There sa captivating bcraity in ii, an appearance
Of general philanthropy, which makes close in with
the proposition, before have fully examined into
It's real character. Mr. Jefferson who advocates with
irresistible force the policy OF meeting with
restriction says his report ON commerce in the in
troductory part of this topic could every country be
employed i'll producing tina. which nature hes fitted it
to PRODUCE and each he free to exchange with 9th
crs, mutual SURPRISES for mutual wants the greatest
mass possible would then BE- produced OF thoec things
which contribute to human life and human happiness
the number of mankind would DC increased and their
condition bothered In the first place let Us ask
how MIR. Jefferson arrived a. these conclusions. Not
from facts certainly, because the state things which
he takes for his premises has existed l. there
not some probability that Mr.. J. whose mind was en-
crossed by the love Of free aud liberal principles III
every branch Of politics, has been hurried bv this
prcdominatng spirit TO conclusion not clearly de
duci5lc from his premises Docs the experience Of
nations sustain his conclusions Are those notions
most prosperous, VINO act most extensively the rim
cpcS OF free trade: On the contrary, the re-
verse ofthe proposition made much more probaje by
INC experience OF the greatest and wealthiest nations
otmodcrn times. Are not the wealth ndpopulution
OF CHINA Tho shackieS Ill foreign great
or greater than those of any other people, But grant
;Aat Nc cannot arrive at certainty as to the general
result Of UNIVERSAL freedom OF commerce.; that we
I'm cpiY arrive - probable result by an estimate
u the e-,,- ~ q ,-ra-y policy: before it can be
rtcss J - pursue tlis enquiry any further, il must
ie sAey0 - Sc probable possible that an universal
or even a general freedom of commerce can by anv
or by some proc, be- effected Is the sipposi-
ton merely Utopan' does not such event require
combination and Continuation Of circJms, anccs
which knowledge ofmankjnd and OF political socie- |
les, renders in the last dlorec mprobabie' Can any
one suppose that the poit cal rulers fanny country
viii abandon restricted principle of commerce. out
oi spirit OF hgnCvoicDcc and universal philanthrOpy
viii q. Britain from the love of goodness. abai-
Ion policy BY which she Ias condensed within the |
compass OF f'w thousand square miles wealth and
power, equal to that Of half of Europ., Will the ad
amantlne and ever during bars which scclude China
from the rest of the world snap asund,r az the magic
touch of philanthropy; In fine, 10 whom will YOU
present this new principle Of national economy with
chance OF success II may be said has been prof
tered, and partially accepted b. whom Bv one mr.
more oftha powers ola quondam armed neutrali.
~ cs acceded 10 10y one or two powers, qoadcd
INTO II by the oppression of the more powerful and
Tecctedor disregardad by the rest OF the world and
UGH VIII 0e the fate of this proposition 10 the end of
time. Suppose that by some miraculous influence.
all commercial nations could be brought To adopt a
general freedom OfcOmInerce and that by some inGu
encc not less miraculous, the exchanges of commerce
should operate lar.a )liJuSiy AMI 5snaficiay uDua
the productive powers AMI national interest OF all
the parties 10 this OCneyuen. compact 30 that the
industry and resources OF each would be fully ey-
banded, 10 surplus Of supply, and of course no den
cheney Of demand, how long could this state Of HIM.
40 ION. We may suppose, ,.or the suppJsion l. rra
tlntousJ as there was general state Of peace
This SohdcH age o. commerce will admit Of no wors
40 Interruptions Brcak Jut one bond and every
the must be dissolved. The continuity so nicely so
wonderfully produced mast b. completes if one link
OF tho chain be broken, every must be sund.rcd
the whole system must break into pieces aud all this
harmony De- turned back into original c0nfusioa-.
But why argue aay longer upon ianciiil theory of
cnmmcrCs- the principles Of wdch never have been .
and vtn.urc ~ affirm never VIII be- reduced To-
practice. Natio carry foreign trade for their
own peculiar good: Whcn they believe tuis peculiar
good conpOrts with freedom Of commerce. 50 lar and
no father viii they accord their sanction to the
principle. But to return 10 Sir. Smith. TO do us
tice to tbs writer, Il j. fair TO acknowledgy that
many oil his principles arc true IN the abstract which
arc .sc ~ the concrete. The Of them is tnlt
IN the picscut condition Of man, and Oh the uucban-
g7abe principles Of political societies, they will me-
Ntr answer in puIctice. SIppJse H. could have sa-
tshad France and Eugand that free a. Unrestricted
trade between them would have added greatly to
the wealth AMI resources Of cach--conld he have
stopped tuc enquiry az this point. would not they
have gone o. TO calculate well as they could the
relative proportion Of power and profit accruinr 20
each, and could he (A1r S. hive prevented tIcm
rom acting on the latter principle Of proportion Of
benefits, rather than that of tic absolute indop.p
dent eitc's Of thor intercourse. Bur supposc fur
ti'r' thlt lac could have satisfied them that the Dro
p''''"l was exactly equal, could hc have prevented
tn@r proceeding 20 enquire n0w they would be- re.
ciProcaiy affected byawar between Tire parties and
Vi course an interruption Of the trade which OF them