The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-11-23

in the carrying trade" g That part Of the capital
of any country which is employed in the carrying
trade is altogether Withdrawn from supporting the
productive labor Of that particular country to sup
port that of sotne foreign countries"
In accordance with these positions, we maintain
the efficiency of labor to add to the power and
riches of country against the theories of later
writers who attribute every thing to capital In
fact, consider it the most important and valua.
BILE feature in our SYSTEM that i tends directly
increase tho effective power and remuneration Of
| labor thus multiplying the means, the comforts
aud enoyments of the laboring classes, and raising
them in the scale OF civilization and social life.
| This political effect the character of society
may be considered its highest recomme ndation. 1t
is thus made to give strength and permanency to
| free institutions.
The peculiar advantage Of the United State,
consists in the abundance and cheapness of fertile
lands, atfordiHg an easy subsistence and high re-
muneraton to labor. We consider the system of
establishing manufactures and the arts amongst u.s.
as distributing and equalizing these peculiar ad-
vantages, through all the departments Of industry
and through all classee of society
This effect, we believe, to be deducible from the
system according to the most improved principles
OF political economy. But we consider all specu-
laticn on this subject founded the ultimate ten
denotes of human action and the averages of con-
tending principles as very uncertain guides in leg
islation, compared to the test of experiences,
and those practical results which obvious to the
senses.
Mistaken and proposterous assumptions of the
merits Of hat is called Free Trade have under the
ever active delusion of British influence afforded
preexts latterly to the opponents Of the protective
| system, which it is proper to dispel. 1t is not
| long since no one believed in the power of propel-
| ling boats by steam, and every one believed that
| The British debt was to be paid off BY the sink
ing fund ;-simar mistakes exist as to Free Trade
As municipal principle, there is no question of
the great advantages Of Free Trade. The United
States IN their coastng trade and domestic ex-
changes, afford the most striking illustrations of
them WItnesged-hut AZ betNeen fare M.
tions, there is no free trade-there never was
there never can belt would contravene the ar
engagements of Providence, which distribute man
KIND into different cOmmu mites, separated origin
ally by confusion Of tongues, and prevented from
all rushing together into the most favoured lati-
tudes, by local attachments and foreign antipa-
thies, which are the germs of national preserva-
ton, by means of national emulation.
Much of the suffering which it is alleged is felt
in certain portions of the United States (f their
complaints havo, in fact, any fonndationl 10 to be
attributed to the very circumstance that they are
placed in the circle of twenty-four Common
wealths, enjoying the most complete freedom of
trade, the operation OF which has been to expose
those who have not the inclination to employ their
labor to the full extent of its capacity, to the Sc
we're rivalry of more industrious and thrifty COM
munities, living under the protection Of the same
| general government
Nations are adversary to each other their COM
merciai intercourse is regulated by treaties always
MADE win view to relative advantages, and to
PROVIDE Tor those hostties which are of perpetual
recurrence. Thevexatious provincial tariffs which
formerly iettered intercourse and almost DESTROYED
usc IN the interior Of nations, suggested the idea
., 'nat rec trade, which has since been msunder-
$1,000 ana egreglousy misapplied by mere specula-
l i've writers-Ths tariff acts which even now i'm
pose duties on the wines of Spain at provincial
porders and on those Of France at city gates are
grievances for which free trade is bapny substi-
tute-but the principle is entirely municipal and
IN no respect applicable without disadvantage to
independent nations The vessels of the United
States are navigated with fewer hands and make
voyages in shorter periods than otheu-bence
what cailed the reciprocity principle, originating
IN the flrst treaty between the United States and
D france, has been wisely proffered by the United
e States to many other nations, because it is sup
f posed that our navigation would supplant theirs
! But the artificial systems of England France
SPAN and the other nations with which the United
: States have most intercourse, render it extremely
improbable that any approximation to the footing
: OF Tree trade should ever be arranged between
f them, even by treaty. For us to attempt while
they reject it, would be a complete surrender of
ourselves as voluntary sacrifice to the policy and
j, cupdlty OF foreign governments to create gov
eminent for the benefit of others and not for our
e selves. A Tariff Of duties on commerce between
S New York and New Jersey would be as injurious
f as unconstitutional. Free trade between these
States and among all the States of the Union is
the main spring OF general welfare-and one of
the strongest links of the chain that connects
them but flee trade between New York and Liy-
erpool would ruin the farmers of England through
our superintendent breadstuifs, ard the manufac-
turers of the United States by the Superior capit,I
and proficiency of England in manufacturer and
the degraded state of the operatives. An unre.
strlcted intercourse between two nations reduces
the labor of one TO the same scale of compensa-
tion with the labor of the other and such n ron
sequence is certainly to be deprecated by that ma.
tion whose labor stood highest on the scale. This
consideration forms striking argument against the
policy OF such system between foreign States
While, on the other hand, it il no less desirable
! that amongst the
under the same government this reduction of ths
higher labor to the scale of the lower should take
place, inasmuch as the interests of these domestic
communities equally the objects of the protec
tiSn and aelicitude of their common governors.
The freest free trade is, after all, but char.
cred libertine. The United States could NOT
share their coasting trade with EDghn without
disadvantage: the most extravagan dvocates Of
free trade, is bsieved) have never yet dream.
ed OF sharing our river trade with foreigners.
10 throw open the Ohio and Mississippi, the
Hudson and the Delaware to British French.
and Dutch navigation, would be of no adyan.
tage to our OWL. England could not omen her
. maratime coal trade, the great nursery Of her
seamen, to the enterprise Of New England with.
out losing at least one half of it, She even re-.
: fuses US passage through the ST. Lawrence,
although we own part ofthat river. The grer..
est commercial nations of the middle apes tbs
Hanseatic League, and Holland, the msratims
I wonder OF the world, became such BY the ex.
: elusive enjoyment of the fisheries and the trade
e TO India and other monopolies which they main.
o tanned at the charge oflong and bloody wars
G England struck the vital blow at Holland No,
n so much by naval victories as by her nav;g.
e ton act. The commercial and the militia,
# marine of the United States have risen 10 emf
y nence upon similar Introduction. With fire.,
!, trade we should have neither the ono nor III,
/, other, but be poor, dependent, pastoral people
IL is only about ten years since project for 70
: dueing the duties was first suggested IN Eng
land, in petition to Parliament from the mer
IS chants and traders Of London. In 1925. som
# slight and cautious reductions were according
ly made, but in nothing to affect the commersis
e monopoly and maratime ascendancy of Grea
1t Britain. Her colonial commerce 10 mostly OF
5. elusive. The freedom of the trade Of the Sus
Is quehanna river 10 now in dispute between III
q States Of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New
- York. Sc ntractsble 10 free trade in fact, hill
= fruitful of speculation. Within Jew year
a, Russia, mislod by this deusion, and Nolan
y under the influence of England, made experl
ed ments of free trade, which Russia soon foun
Of intolerable and abandoned, and which has con
to tributed TO reducing Holland from onos benI
ys the richest nation Of Europe to being Of tn
a most impoverished and indebted. In fine, tn
nd dogmas Of free trade, which arc said to b.
Of taught in some colleges, may serve 20 infam,