Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-01-28
From TIC Ncr York San.
FREE TRADE-COMME RCE AND
CIVILIZATION.

StrlcilOnS nave some magic words Wncn
they often u, e with m re force Than any of
their argum'nt5. AmonL tn ,se are 'prI-
lection to home Industry" am "indepen-
! d IN, of ( REIN nations" The latter is
eSpeci lily calcuIa e TO strike the ear of
Americans with favor, Independence is
er We peak Of individuals or OF the ma
tl,n. But is ii not abused when prustliui-
ed 10 the support Of commercial resiI!-
! tons?
We have all lie ri and many of us have
du Il SIS seen tn 1t the pioneers who ad-
vance into the wilderness and com nehcc
new settlements by erccling Their lonely
"a Ius far from the 5oundtres OF ci'lIiza-
ton are in dependent. They are SO ot ne
cesslty if II from chi'c. They hive no
Intercourse eth. with carpenters, JONES',
masons, lacks nit!ls, shoemIker', tai orS.
or any other mcchani:s, bit perform the
tu'ieS of all these av3c atoms Tor men,
selves. They may &c seen al ornate ~ NJ
work clearing the toreS,--cu'lVatIng their
! heIds-bu ding tn irown house - and barns
Ut work upon their own rude anYIls IN
The manufacture Of their implements OF
hustn INDEPENDENTLY stitching together
shoes or O hes for themselves and tami.
lies, and in fact dong with their own
hands, after a FASH, N, everything re.
qlired for carrying on their agrIcuI.
turaI pursuits or gaining ato.erablc sup
rort
Is this independence or is it solitrde?-
Be it The one or tie orhrr it is t the state
in which nature d'slne. man tn i've
The hu nan race is formed FOR sOc ial inter-
ursc and does VIC ence TO selt when it
unnecessarily dest oys such intercourse.
The pioneer IN IA new count y submits to
1t for II time from necessity; ut as the
We of reputation rolls on; as civilization
ad,an res; as the wilde ness begins 10
0l ,sson; as cities Use and co nmercial
mllkets draw near, he find it IA wretched
waite o. t me-, gro s INSTRUCTION OF his
industry, Il miserable economy, and
great detraction ON his comio I, 10 de-
vote the hLor d le to his field and crops to
awkw ,rd attempts at mnuacur NJ all the
article Of consumption whichhS wants re-
qnirc. He finds it fir more profitable to
fiji his barns, rear hts fl ,cks and herds, land
exchange his surplus pro'u in market
for all such ar.ic,cs as he wants from Ell.
Their the merchant or mech INC. And this
cX hangc or ira lie not only con- ribltes 10
his pccuniary interest but it opens an. ant
mate an ! Agreeable in'erc u"s3 with his
fellow men calculated TO improve his man
ners, to extend his infprm ton, to give him
new ideas, enlarge his unde standIng,stm-
ulate all his WcntaI faculties, and promote
his happiness. In this way all the varl-
Gus avucatluns 10 which an economical d.
Wis on of labor have led become mutually
Gep nlent upon each other. And is not
Tins state OF dependence aHd social inter-
coHr.e tar prcleiaule to The solitary and
hermitIike independence Of which we have
spoken?
The same principe applies to nations
with oq'irl force as to indlvId mlS. Some
nations have prodnt,s which others can
not have with put great difficulty, and per-
haps no at all, unless by imp prting them.
What then should stand IN the way of free
and unres'ralneJ commercial intercourse
for the purpose OF exchanging surplus
pro luc,ons with each other? No one will
deny that trae economy demnds tbs
course.
Bat, it i sad, that our national indepen-
den requires that We shout produce ev-
cry hing tnat we want for our own con-
sumption, and that such articles as can be
bongat ELSEWHERE cheaper than they can
be m lnnIacnrod or procured here, must
lie en- outraged; or, IN other words, their
prod lc,i IN must be e ior,el by rcstric-
tons md prohibitions, 10 the end th't we
maybe who ly Independent OF toreign ma
ton. If the various branches Of the hui
man flmily, form d in distinct natl ms are
always to be e,jta' far part as p'ssyle
if sp.r., Of Hostility and revenge is to
be 70 tered; if they are TO reman forever
at war with each her; then, we admit.
there is some fo.cc in this argument; but
NJ, otherwise B who can believe TINT
such st te Of thi'gs is TO prevail in the
world? It is rep lgnant 10 avery idea of
the aIvan"cmont Of the human race to-
wards a higher and better destiny. When
W. lcok at the signs If the times as they
appe r in n parts Of the world and con.
tcmpl4te the wi and 5oun'iflI proyi-
slons If nature for promoting harmonious
intercourse betweel the nations, it is i'm
possii lie to doubt that 1t is the duty as we'll
as FIR the interest of all mlnkind to
encourage such intercourse. Why are
the various countries on the globe nude to
YELL different prod lcts, and why are they
all connected together by gent watery
highways, if it is not INTENDED to promote
hlrmIni US commercial intercourse be-
tween them2
We shoul not be blind either to the
hmm. H.. L., n,,idnnilv ginning nrnnnd