North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-03-25
FOREIGN AND COLONIAL COM
MERGE WITH ENGLAND.

( There was an ably written article in a
/ late number OF Backwards Magazine
upon the course OF policy pursued by Eng
land towards her colonies which, although
deeply linged with party feeling, never
the!ess, contained many wholesome truths
that cannot tail to strike the minds Of those
who have given the subject any considera-
ton. The object OF The writer is TO de-
monstraIe the vast importance of promoi-
ing the growth Of, and maintaining Tie con
neXien with, these portions Of her domin-
IONS and urging the necessity of shaking
oil as much as possible The dependence upon
her trade with other countries, which in
stead Of being a source Of strength, NAV
at once be converted into The greatest
cause OF weakness, on the next occasion in
witch the country may be engaged in a
maritime contest. In the course Of arpu-
mrni many facts are adduced, both usefu!
and Interesting, Wit' various statistics
showing the present position Of England in
relation 70 the other nations OF Europe and
America
Grcat-Britain must Of necessity he greatly
dependent upon commerce Tor her nation
al prosperity as she opens her mar
ket for her own--such one as her colo
MES present, far less precarious than any
foreign one, which must be always subject
to many contingencies. Thus Sin the
year 1911" says the writer, g the hostil-
ity Of Napoleon had closed all the harbors
Of Europe against orr commerce, while
America by a aon-intercourse act, shut us
out from every harbor in the United States
The consequence was, that the exports
which in the former year amounted to forty
three millions, sunk in the following one to
twenty millions, and the fall in the
exports and imports together for the one
year amounted to thir:Y-sx millions" The
writer appears to look with some appre-
hensiOn upon the present threatening pos
ture Of affairs in Europe, and seems to
think, certainly with some appearance of
truth, that England al no very distant De-
riod must he engaged in a great maritime
contest. He believes that the elements of
strife are awaiting in the poIitica atmos-
phere, and that war on as great a scale as
that wageG with Napoleon must soon be
undertaken by the British Empire. With
Russia, lie SAYS, they are in a stale closely
bordering on hostility: and that it is only
a oaesiiou OF time when tina. gigantic con-
lest Is 70 arrive. In suppor, oil this hypo-
Thesis he rslers to the menacing aspect OF
The Rah 'c-oi the thirty ships Of the line
Wing ready, anl $4,000 troops ready to
embark in then al a moments warning. -
OF the DardaneIle<, Were fifteen ships OF
the line are stationed at tie back-door Of
the Russian Empire. or Alghanistan,
where 10000 British troops are perma-
nently stationed in the very heart OF ASIA
. Ali this" he SAYS, demonstrates that
both parties are perfectly prepared for this
great contest, and that it will be carried on I
a scale which will render the world itseIl
the field Of hatile.'
The writer then continues. TO shew that
England cannot expect any maritime sup
port. That the Aus'TanS could not fur
nish one ship Of the line to save her from
destruction or from the French who,
what between dread Of Nicholas and separ-
ate interests at Agiers drew off IRON Brit
sh alliance al The first outbreak in the Ar
from the Americans. schose
Is 50 weak end their hoStilitu
10 England so inrefera.e that thousands Of
1rmed pirates hare for ftro gears back
kept I'd an incessanf 4rarfGre upon The Ca
ladian frontier. " Under these circum-l
Stances he continues, sit is evident that
he must depend upon her own resources
or defence. which are not sufficient 10 en-
lble her 70 maintain superiority in the
Since 1872 the population Of the