Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-11-12
P0HTTHUAEn
From the Roanoke Advocate.

From the Roanoke Advocate.
THE BRITISH VEST INDIA TRADE.
To me, Mr. Editor. il IL matter OF as;obishm.nt and
surprise that the opponents of the present adminra
ton should manifest such glng Inconsistency as they
do on the subject Of the British West India Trade.
During the administration of Mr. Adams the p,jnc.
pal feature Of Mr. Kings embassy to London was the
placing OF this trade some permanent footing His
I'll health and the warmly contested canvass for the
by which the negccia,on lost sight Of prevented
his accomplishing any thing. Mr.. lllan's business
at St James, was almost exclusively for this purpose so
far appears from his that HI We been bp
lore the public In the then state of the British Cabi-
net the at abilities of Mr. Gaatin avaied nothing;
tor though to me, appeared, that he had the better
Of Mr. Canning in argument, yet we were asking an
arrangement at the hands Of the British, which they
were unwilling TO grant, because had, on previous
occasion, required more than due regard TO their
rights and interests. would permi, them allow Any
one who will examine the style Of Mr.. Gaia,ns cor
respondenee with Dir. Canning at the time will see that
Mr.. G's instructions must have urged on him the ma.
esssty OF making some arrangeme with to the
Vest India Trade upon almost any terms. As an A.
merican, felt ashamed at the time. at the be ging
manner OF his correspondence. But OH how suddenly
the tone OF the party is changed who then were, and
President JACKsoN's Message to the last Congress
was made, they began TO cry out an
ing message The National Intelligencer could no,
see how the British Ministry would grant 10 This adj
ADMINISTRATION what II refused to the last Some or
weeks since, when the intelligence reached u.s. pia
aiiiax, that the ports would be pened, behold
TO the administration with the certainty Of dsappoin-
ment on this subject. Now, when confirmation strong
as molly writ reaches u.s. Of the issue of Mr.
Mclanes ations they assert the trad. il not
worth having; and the Inelige ncer Iabours and tolls
oy lengthy extracts from the host of opposition Editors
70 show that all the advantage is on the side of the
British. The days have been that Mr. McLane's
opinions were highly priced by Mesrs Giles s. Co..
ana would argue but little for his intellect and that
oil the able Secretary OF State, coming from the most
commercial port oil our Union in habits Of every day
w
to say, that the one, in insucting, and the other IN
executing, have laboured to enrich the British and i'm
PoVerish Ourselves No. gentlemen oppositioniss, this
won't do This reasoning, f reasoning il be won't 20
down with The people. for one, have had some prac.
ucal experience in the West India Trade and re ard
one days experience as worth months theory. The
act u, mat during the opening OF the British West In
dia Islands trade lucrative was red on from this
State as was unparalleled in any other branch OF com.
merciaI industry Ask the mercantile classes Of Boston
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore Norfolk Whining.
ton, Charleston and Savannah what was the result of
ther West India business with the Brtish Islands Ask
he result OF their operations through the neutral
Islands Tor the last three years They will nnhesita
ing'y tell you, that with the first their trade was profit
able; with the last partial total loss have
almost every shipment made. II is true, that the first
seasons business through the French Islands of Mar.
unco and Guadalupe and through the eura Islands of
ST Bart' and 81. Thomas after the shutting of the Brit
sn Islands, was attended with profit, but the reason of
u is obvious The direct trade which the British had
win us Tor some years, led them TO look TO u. for all
their import sUpplies and when their ports were closed
ior 'he nrst season, they compelled get their
accustomed supplies from us, through anu channel at
any price, But in little time they adopted Other
measures, and the demand for our exports ceased
through neutral channels becomes so prscarious as
10 entail rum on all who steadily pursue it, Bat sun
pose the demand az great through the neutr, L.
lands is not the course of trade greatly sgan. us them
Suppose Fifty sail Of vessels depart with lumber for in
stance, for the supply of the Indies are thew moi
necessarily restricted 10 two or three Islands in their
elearances? Suppose, them they nearly all arrive at
one time at the came por-cannoi, and does not ex.
perience teach that the erchans would unite and
decline buying. except a, reduced rate? Suppose on
the contrary these fifty vessels had the whole Archi-
peago OF the West Iues sail for-is il probable that
enough OF them would arrive at any one port at the
same lime so as 10 produce any great depression. Be-
sides, too every one who deals in the article mus,
have his share of profits, and the charges of the mer.
chant though ordinarily sad to be paid by the
err h IN truth really paid, in part, by both grower and
consumer Thence the charges in the neutral Island.
price to the con Imer
In regard to the imports from the West Indies The
arucIe oil rum has cto such general disuse that
that cannot make any consd article of traffic with
US WIN regard TO Sugar Molas.es, Coffee, Salt SC.
so long as we can import them for the products Of our
farms and forests, and cheaper too f that be possible
man our sister states south Of can afford them saw
let us import them The fact il, that the culture OF
he cane IN Louisiana and other southern states is so
much more profitable than any agrcuI ural business
pursued In Virginia and NJ Carolina, that it has drain
ing us OF all bodied slaves With these sIaves
they are making Sugar and Moasses which thew send
North, and which we must buy from them with our
Cotton which is our only monied commodity, or we
must send them laborers themselves in payment
We DO not complain of northern brethren because
OF this Tor u s the necessary result Of thing; but
North Car olDians, while buy the groceries re
quired for our use, by the product OF forests which
would otherwise be useless TO ms, we will do So even
though II lessen the prohs Of southern brethren.
Besides, too the export Of the heavy commodities of the
northern states, give employment TO larger amount
OF northern capital invested in ves'es and these ship
holders have felt sorey the loss of the trade in
In bne, sir, what may have been thought OF General
JAcKsoNs want of diplomatic experience at the onset
NJ his administration, all candid must no,o &C.
hnotofedge, that he has shown great skl in the man
ag'meB OF affairs; and while such men as Mr.
McLsne represents us abroad, (of whom one of the
British Cabinet, in his place in Parliament was lately
heard 10 say that he did not believe more HONORABLE
man lived than he.) and such men az Msssrs. Van
Buren,, lngham, Branch and others, with President
Jackson al their head, preside at home may conf
DENLY rely march 10 national wealth. happiness
and glory MERCHANT.
THE BOON
This has become favorle term with the opposition
writer's. Their columns have been ringing with {" the
born " tie boom" for feveraI weeks past. TO such
oil ouf readers as may not have attended particularly
The subject and are DESTROYS of knowing the peculiar
sgnihcancy Of This vOcsble would cay that " the
hooD means profitable and extensive trade with the
British Wes Iodies, employing vast amount Of A.
mercan shippng-a trade Lost by the fault Of the last
administration, ard recovered by the good management
Of The present. Cer,in writers who aeci great sens-
bihy on The subject OF our national honor in.i that
should ro have accepted this " boon" They should
have been earlier with this generous sensiby Of heirs
they should have remembered TO make displAy OF IL
when Mr. Adams In 1926 solicited Z" the boon" about