Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1841-10-26


after generations may pass in executing this task
during the whole of which time would be rising
surely and rapidly IN numlers. wealth. greatness. and
huence, than any people have ever done by But
to carry successfully this, plan Of acquiring
greatness and happiness It Is not Of Itself sufficient To have
peace and tranquility within. These indeed neces-
sAy, In order 10 leave the states and their citizens IN the
full and undsturbe possession Of their and
ergy by which 10 work out IN general rivalry the high
destiny which certainly awaits should
he but % ourselves But, important they
be- It Is not much less 80 10 have safety against external
danger, and the influence aud responsibility abroad
exterior and rights $50
pOrtan 10 prosperity against aggression look 10
navy for these objects; and Il Is within the limits they
assign would confine its growth To what extent then,
with these views, ought navy To be carried Ia
opIn any navy less than that which would give the
habtual and would be little
short of One that could be driven from ard kept
haTbor by the force which Great Britain could safely
and constantly aio To coast would be Of little
service han an auxiliary ald 10 Qualifications IN de-
Tending our harbors and maritime cities. Ii would be al
passive they and would do nothing di-
mnish the expense, which | have shown would be 80
exhausting, To deiead the exclusively hy fori-
cations.
But the difficult question still remains to be solved
What naval force would be sufficient for that purpose
1t will he expected that | should give than
conjeciural answer such question | have neither
the data the knowledge of naval warfare speak with
any thing like precision but feel assured that the 70
required would I've far less than what would he thought
when the question first propounded The id- of
defending ourselves the against the immense
power OF Great Britain that element, has something
startling the first blush. But, greatly she
numbers ships aud naval resources have advan-
lages that counerval that reference TO the subject in
hand If she has many ships she has also many points
To guard and these widely separated the
parts OF her widely extended empire. She is forced TO
keep home fleet IN the channel-anoiher the Baltic
another in the Medierranean-one hey ond the Cape of
IL.
eas-and another in the Pacific. Our situation is the
We have no foreign possessions and point
To guard beyond our own maritime frontier. There
whole force may be concentrated ready strike when
vulnerable point is exposed Ii these advantages be
added that both France aud Russia have large fore
es that between and them there is point of
ict that they both watch the naval supremacy of Great
Britain with jealousy and that nothing more easy than
for keep good terms with both powers especially
with respectable naval force al command lit will
he readily perceived that force far short of that of
Britain would effect what contemplate / would say
force equal to third of hers would suffice but not
certainly less than Onehaf would. And If So a naval
force of that size would enable dispense with all
forlicatons except at important points, and such as
might be necessary reference the navy itself to the
great relief of the Treasury, and saving the
applied the navy, where it would be far more efficient
The less considerable points might be safely left de-
fence of cheap works sufficient repel pundcring al
tacks large feet such would be able TO meet us
with such a naval force that proposed, would ever
think of dsgracing itself by attacking places SO ncosid
cradle.
Assuming, then, that navy indispensable de-
fence, and that than that supposed would be in
the of naval power preparatory The consid
Grafton of the quessn, how they will be affected 10y i'm
posing commerce the additional burden this bill would
make necessary.
Two elements naval pOweI-saIloTs and
money. navy is expensive force, and is only for
midabe when manned with regular bred sailors. In
case, both OF these depend commerce. Commerce Is
indispensable to form commercial marine. and that Q
form a naval marine while is with US IT this
bill should pass. the only of revenue 4 flourish.
ing commerce then every respect the basis
naval power; aud TO cripple commerce Is cripple that
power-tO parayZe the right arm of our defence. But
the imposition OF nnerous duties commerce the
way cripple IT. Hence this eiestable and mis-
chievous measure which suenders the only other source
of and throws the whole burden of supporting the
Government exclusively commerce, aims deadly blow
at the vials of our power
The fatal effect OF high duties on commerce. Is no
longer matter of speculation. The country has passed
recently through two perods-oae of protective tars and
high dut and the other of a reduction O
aud have the effects of each in official tables
both regards tonnage and commerce. They
speak a language be mistaken, and far strong
than could anticipate who has not looked into
the tables made himself acquainted with the powerful
operation of low duties ia extending navigation and COM
merce. As much as had anticipated from their effects
of communicative greatly exceeded my sanguIne
expectations.
shall begin with the tonnage, more Immediately
nectcd with naval power and order show the
alive effect OF high duties and low navigation shall
compare the period from 1924 when the first great
crease of protective duties took place, 1890 inclusive
when the first reduction duties commenced Dur ng these
years which include the operation of tn pro-
tariffs of S2i and ls2S-that the reign of the
high protective tariff system, foreign tonn.ge fell
~ d
lng tonnage from 1890 6l53lO equal 10 1913 $50
tons-makng the falling off IN both equal 65 $40 tons
Yes; that extent lO3ss0) did coastlug tonnage
decline the very tonnage the increas- of which
confidently predicted by the protective party, would make
up for every possible loss IN foreign from their
miserable quack Instead of that the falling of m
the coasting trade greater than the foreign
proving clearly that high duties less Injurious to
the home than to the foreign trade.
| will pass the period Il will saw Of free
trade-it Tar short OF that of reduction of high proec
tive duties and now mark the contrast between tie two
begin with the year 1881, the frs, after the reduction
made few articles, principally coffee aud tea
and will take IN the entire period down the last returns
that in lsi0-making leriod of ten years This pc
Rod includes the great reduction under the COMPROMISE
act, which Is not Yet completed, and which further
would add greatly 10 the increase, permitted
GO through undisturbed The ionnage in the foreign
trade increased during that period from 576475 tons to
s99 76i, equal 322Ss tons-not much less than two
thirds of the whole amount at the OF the
period and the coasting for the period increased
from 6I53lO to 32s09+9 equal to 5,699 more
than double and this, when, according high
tariff doc. rine, coasng trade ought have fallen
instead Icreaslngn consequence of the reduction
the dues,-and thus ncon,eSIbly proving thai low du
less favorable to domestic than our for
egn trade. The aggregate tonnage from the period
increased from l9I,77G So 63-nearly j ubled
such aud favorable low duties ia reference to tom
mage the result Of the comparison between the pc
DDS.
The comparison III reference 10 commerce will prove
not les La making the comparison shall cnnfine