Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-01-07
FREE TRADE FALLACIES

FREE TRADE FALLACIES
The first faIacy and one which liet
at the bottom OF all, is that the "Fret
Trade" so much talked Of is not Ere,
Trade.
III we open our ports to the commodi
ties Of foreign nations who refuse tc
receive our commodities in Eeturn, the
trade so carried on is in no wise free
trade, The nations of the earth engag
cd together in commerce are to such an
extent bound in a sort Of compact; the
laws which regulate their intercourse
must be Of mutual and general appIica'
tion; for 10 that particular respect the
nations constitute one community. II
will mol do for one country 10 establish
laws Of trade irrespective Of other coun
tries-uness indeed it chooses to adopt
Il policy like that OF the Chinese, who
are a jealous people and do not like
much intercourse with foreigners.
A nation may establish free trade
when both Of the trading parties are
sub bject 10 its authority as is The case
in internal commerce between Pitts
burgh aud New Orleans, and in our
coaslng trade carried on between dif
feront sections OF the Union. But to es.
tablish free trade with Great Britain is
impossible unless Great Britain consents
to it,
1t may do in some sort for lew Of
The Southern States to support the free
trade doctrine. The reason Is because
their cotton is admitted very literally
into European ports, and so far as the
traffic in that article goes we have q
trade almost free. But this particular
case should not be made the basis Of a
general argument; for It springs not
from the free trade principle; it is not
part oCthe system which the European
nations are disposed 10 adopt, England
admits our cotton, because it is a mate
ria necessary TO her manufactures. If
her own colonies or foreign possessions
could supply 1t, she would not admit
our article. Her policy is now directed
to the very object of securing to herself
abundant sources Of supply from her
own territorial dependencies, so that
she may DO enabled to do without the
American commodity.
II the Southern people thus talk Of
free trade in view of their own staple +,
they ought to recolIect that Great Bri,
tain, their chief foreign customer, does
not participate in their views She ad.
mis their cotton, not for the sake Of free
trade, but because she cannot get sufi-
cent supplies else where.
But what kind of free trade is that
which exists between the United States
and Great Britain in respect to the
great stopIes Of the Middle, Western,
and Northern Satesf Our flour, our
tobacco, pork, lumber, &C., are burdened
with heavy restrictions IN the British
ports. England sends US manufactured
goods in proIusion, but will not receive
the products which we offer in exchange
Our own mechanics and manufactures
are likely to be undersold, Shall we
continue to practice upon The lallacy of
free trade under the strange idea that
such a trade is free?
Whatever bent fits may result from
free trade need not now be considered
because there is no free trade in reality.
II the advocates of the theory will ad-
dress their arguments or the other side
Of the Atlantic they will be acting more
consistently than in seeking, as now, to
make their own country the victim OF a
policy which no one country can sue
cess(ulIy establish - Bait. Amer.