Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-01-17
FREE TR iDE.-Tne Merchant and dc .nnhe



c;s,a has become cant phrase in the mouths of delna
oues who use IT on all OCCASIONS without any definite
idea Of It's tue apor-or who, if they comprehend It's
meaning themselves take yerygood tina, their dupes
shall not 1t is Of those generalisms in the political
vocabulary, which may be defined ''the counter Of
wise men and the money of foos'-snce it the
former very well To keep Tie game while the latter looh
upon II as genuine metal
WHAT'S Free Trade3 As between man and man,
the merest novice who barters his chickens and eggs
for pound Of sugar coffee, knows at what the
term means Ii is the mutual night Of the parties chat
fer freely the with the other, and 10 effect
change of their respective commodities .'whout let
hndrance.' Between nations, though surpassed by
some persons to mean something else it is the same
thing. To illustrate: Great Britain needs market for
her manufactures and the United States 1 the products
of its spil. 1t is, (personifed) the market man, with
hsbuer and eggs and the merchant with his sugar and
coffee
The advocates d free trade this country say, ake
oil all duties, or al most impose only nominal duties, up
the fabrics Of British loons''-whe, at the same
time, Britain imposes prohbitory duties wheat
and flour, and from 600 to 1000 per cent upon o-
hacco. This they call free trade!
Now suppose the merchant should agree to give the
market boys price for his butter and eggs. and sell him
his sugar and coffee the price which he sold to
his next door neghbors but should charge the market
boy half much the price Of his butter and eggs for
the privilege of crossing the Threshold, Cor in the
binary commercial phrase, for opening his ports,
while, the other hand whenever the merchant wish
ed to sell his sugar and coffee, he could the
.et boys premises free otol and. by doing, undcrse
the ne albors of the latter, although they might pro
duce native sugar and coffee, of equal quality with the
merchants; then have fair eXemphlcalon OF what
is called free trade between Great Britain (the merchan
and the United States the market boy) 1t strikes us
that the freedom is all the side of the merchant;
while the markethoy pays heory tar tor his lrraege
eren ,chcn he is aio,red TO sell at aW
The politicians and the people Of the United States
have derived all their notions Of the advantages and ben
fits Of free trade commercial reciprocity, from British
writer's. Adam Smith the text book not only in our
schools, but in our halls of legislation. Our youth i'm
bbe his doctrines. and statesmen act upon them. All
this would be very well if only Thesis for dis
puatlon. Nay, if British statesmen Were not wiser than
their preccptor, should complain Of it. We are
ourselves d:ripes of the school But are moi
therefore blind the facts which show theioly Of Il
partial conformity to its principles. While are IA
''' ~
words Trade to be free must be unsIacklcd On both
sides of the Atlantlc-and on one side only We
in favor of every body's buying British manufactures
who prefers them the American if the British manu-
acurer will permit the British people to exercise the
same freedom in purchasing American four wheat and
tobacco, the same terms Ifhe claims the free entry
of our ports for the fabrics ohs looms and orges, it
but fair that he should open his ports on he some terms
TO- he =, ;
heary toll for landing hogshcad of tobacco upon his
wharts and exclude our flour altogether until starya-
ton sarcs him in the face by which forced to al
init large portion Of our products to rot upon hands
unless they find co,sunersdt home. of opinion
that is not only just, but dictate of the highest wis
DOM refuse receive his manufacture without like
toll, and in the time to create home market for
the consumption OF our surplus products, to prevent It's
ruttng upon the hands OF the producer This seems 10
Us to be truly free trade
Notwithstanding the most celebrated British writers
upon Political economy contend for Free Trade, the
practice Of British statesmen we before remarked, is
in direct opposition their teachings Tie Boston Al
las quotes paragraph from speech of Mr. bcrson,
distinguished member of the British Parliament, not
long since delivered. upon the proposition to reduce the
duty upon French Wines which is really "a lucid Eng
ul most excellent theory. 1t Is Idle
for us (sad Mr. Robertson) Ito endeavor to p,rsuade
"oher nations To Join with us in adopting the principles
of what lis called Free Trade. Other nations knew
las we'll as the Noble Lord opposite and those who act
led with him, that what meant by Free 1r0ie was
mo hing less than, by OF the great adj
'vantagcs we enjoyed, 10 gel monopoly Of all Mei
"narhets fOr our manufactures and TO prevent them,
Zone and all, from ever becoming manufacturing ma
]
cret of British policy They seek to sell all they cam
and To buy only what they cannot make-that is Heir
notion of free trade. Ours is directly the reverse We
buy all they choose TO send and sell only what they
pleased TO take; charging the WHILE heavy
tolls for the privilege, whenever their necessities compel
them to allow TO enjoy ii, of entering their ports The
South Carolina politicians. whose cotton goes to Liver
pool duty free because the British manufacturers are
compelled to take it, may call this FREE trade ithey will
hut the Virgin wheat grower whose -four is prohibited
and the tobacco planter who pays 1000 per cent duty
every pound of tobacco sold in England unless his optics
sadly obuse, his judgment still more sadly pervcr
ed, will sgmatize ii degrading commercial yassalage
which no independent nation ought voluntarily to submit
oa vassalage against which Mr. Jefferson protested and
which every American until became
the fashion to sacrifice National independence and
honoro the avarce of the cotton only agr
cultural ncrcstmia of whicha PROTECTIVE DUTY was
imposed and the first instance in which an attempt
made 10 cherish by duty imports, any A.