Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-04-30
From the Baltimore Patriot.
FREE TRADE.

FREE TRADE.
l promised in a recent communication
on "Protection of American industry" to
illustrate the phrase, "Free Trade" ac-
cording to its effects as produced in, shall
receive from foreign countries every de-
scription Of practice. Suppose we adopt
the principle its advocates contend for, the
result will be as follows: We manufac-
tured goods free of duty, or at a charge
for duty merely nominal. WE'LL all these
goods must be paid for, and as, the foreign
government will not receive our products
also free of duty, or at nominal duty, orl
even AT ALL, unless their necessities abso-
lutely require it, as in the case of bread
stuffs, we must send them SPECIE to pay
for our purchases of goods. All the
world knows that England will receive
nothing from us that she can possibly do
without; that she lays prohibitory duties
on breadstuffs, and every other American
product that she can possibly do without,
and heavy discriminating duties on every
other American product to the full extent
its importation will bear. as in the case of
tobacco. And how is she able to sustain
this system of heavy duties on American
products? How can she expect us to i'm
port from her ANY THING? are questions
that naturally suggest themselves: Simply
by reducing the cost prices of her own
manufactures so low as to be able to FORCE
us to take them. And how can she thus
reduce prices! By reducing the price of
labor to its lowest possible point, by keep
ing her operatives in state so nearly ap-
preaching starvation as merely to sustain
the living principle, but not to afford a
single ray or comfort of happiness! That
l do not exaggerate or caricature the
picture may be ascertained by reference
to any English newspaper for the last
twenty years, in which the condition of
the operatives of Leeds, of Macclesfeld,
and other manufacturing towns, is men
toned. Now let us bring these views to
bear on the subject in hand, FREE TRADE"
And what does the phrase mean What
sort of free trade is that where one party
dictates the terms of both? All Europe
tells us 1--WE will impose the utmost amount
of duties your products will bear, while
YOU shall receive-ouEs--at SO low a duty
that your own operatives shall not be able
to compete with u.s." Now is this free
trade! And yet this is the very doctrine
that the advocates of free trade contend
for Now, the true meaning of the phrase
Stree trade" is, that both parties shall be
at liberty to sell their goods in the mark
cts of each other, without paying any other
duties than those necessary to the support
of the inspecting and port charges, and
that all the products Of each are equally
admissible in the markets of the other ex-
cept such as are contraband. But accord
ing to the present practice of all the world
there is no such thing as free trade. Every
government regulates its own policy &C
cording to its own interest; prohibits by
high duties every article that its own peo-
ole can produce, and never allows the pro-
ducts of other nations to come in compe-
tition with its own in its own markets.
And this | conceive is right. Every ma
ton should take care of the interests of
its own citizens The doctrine contended
for by the advocates of free trade, is
clearly admissible and improbable. Such
free trade is in fact trade between a
slave and his master; the latter debating
the prices he will give nd'take, and the
former obliged to receive and give what
ever his master thinks proper to offer and
demand. Free trade between nations
consists in the free exchange of commodl-
ties, Unrestricted and free of duties or
BOTH SIDES, or at duties reciprocally i'm
posed. At the present time, commerce
between England and the United State:
is carried on as follows: We admit al
her manufactures and products at a duty
of 90 per cent, she admits only our cot
ton at moderate duty, and that only be,
cause she cannot do without it, but oul
great staple, breadstuffs, is excluded by
3rohibitory duties and our next great sta
ole, tobacco, pays duty equal TO 700 oil
500 per cent. The consequence is we
are obliged every year to send SPECIE to pay
balance against us, or accumulate heavy
debts This practice-this "free trade"-ha'
already involved us in debt of about two
hundred and fifty millions of dollars. Sucf
are the principles and effects of "free
trade" as illustrated by practice for the
last 90 years AN AMERICAN.