Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-04-04

!, exception | would admit to the rule have laid
e down, relates to articles strictly necessary to ma
4 tional defence do not alude TO the habilimerts
of soldier, to articles strictly necessary to his
t consumption, but to arms and munitions of uar.
q 1t is the true policy of all nations to s'buy where
they can buy cheapest This is the very in
:. stlnct OF our nature, and when we depart from it
j In national concerns, we violate the soundest
1 principles of political economy, science which
! is IN fact but the lessons of wisdom and an en-
lghtened experience applied to the affairs of ma
lions. Sir, the restrictive policy is founded on
} the triumph of the selfish principle. Ii assumes
mat the natural position of nations towards each
= other is one OF enmlty and rvaship, founded ON
tia supposed opposition of interests The doc
trlne OF the old school was, that, what was gained
by one nation, was necessarily lost by another,
4 The PLAIN and seemingly obvious truth, that in
far and equal exchange of commodities, all
i parties gained, is a noble discovery of modern
times The contrary principle naturally led to
commercial rlvalres, wars, and abuses of all
sorts. The benefits of commerce being regarded
as stake to be won, or an advantage to be wres-
ted from others by fraud or by force, governments
naturally strove to secure them to their own sub.
Jects; and when they once set out in this wrong
dfectlon,l 1t was quite natural that they shond not
stop short till they ended in binding in the bonds
OF its parts. Thus we are told that England first
protected by her restrictive policy her whole EN-
pire against all the world, then Great Britain
against the colonies, then the British isles against
each other, and ended by vanly attempting to
protect all the great national interests and EN-.
I poyNents OF the State by balancing them against
each other. Sir, such system, carried fully out
Is not ccnhned to rival nations, but protects one
town against another, considers villages, and
even families as rivals; and cannot stop short of
"Robinson Crusoe in his goat skins" 1t takes
but one step farther to make every man bis own
lawyer, doctor, farmer, and shoemaker-and, if
l may be allowed an Irshjsm, his own seam
stress and washerwoman. The doctrine Of free
trade, on the contrary, is founded on the true So
ciai system. ltlooks on all mankind as children
of a common parent-and the great famis IF ma
tons as linked together by mutual Interests Sir.
as there is religion, so believe there is loti-
tics of nature Cast your eyes over this various
learth-see its surface diversified with hills and
Ivallles rocks, and fertile fields. Notice its diff
lferent produchons-its infinite varieties Of soil
and climate. See the mighty rivers winding
their way to the very mountains base, and thence
guiding man to the vast ocean, dividing yet con-
Meeting nations. Can any man who considers
these things with the eye of philosopher, not
read the design of the great Creator (wrlten le-
lgibly in his works. that his children should be
drawn together in free commercial intercourse,
and mutual exchanges of the various gifts with
) which beuntltul Providence has blessed them
Commerce, sir, restricted even as she has been,
has been the great source of civilization and re-
| hnement all over the world. Next to the Chris
tan religion, | consider FREE TRADE in its larg-
lest sense the greatest blessing that be con-
! terred upon any people. Hear, sir, what Patrick
} Henry, the great orator of Virginia. whose soul
was the very temple of freedom, says on this
+, Isubject-
"Why should we fetter commerce.? If man
, lis in chains, he droops and bows to the earth, be-
cause his spirits broken, but let him twist the
: letters from his legs, and he will stand erects-
Feter not commerce! Let her be as free as the
4 air. She will range the whole creation, and re-
: turn on the four winds of Heaven, to bless the
land with plenty"
But, it has been said, that free trade would do
very WE'LL if all nations would adopt it, but as it
u.s. every nation must protect itself from the effect
!, of restrictions by countervailing measures lam
persuaded, sir, that this is great, most fatal
error. If retaliation be resorted to for the honest
purpose of producing a redress of grievance, and
= be adhered to no longer than there is hope Of
!, success, it may, like itself, be sometimes Just
and necessary. But if it have no such object,
.'it is the Improbable contest of seeing which can
II do the other the most harm" The case can
) hardly be conceived in which permanent restric-
II tons, as measure Of retaliation, could be profit
i able. In every profitable situation, trade, wheh
/ er more or less restricted is profitable it is
not. This can only be decided by experience,
$ and if the trade be left to regulate ITSELF water
G would not more naturally seek its level, than the
e intercourse adjust itself TO the true interests Of
!, the parties. Sir to this idea of the regulation