Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-09-09

5 " i"iS'19 green crops, meat, ana the pro
duce of the dairy and the garden; the
wealth and population of the country, anC
consequently the demand for their produce
would have been much greater; and they
would have enjoyed the advantage which
; the proximity OF town gives TO the neigh
boring country. But, mschievous as the
corn laws have been, even to those who
expected to profit by enacting them, ii is
not probable that they could be repealed
without exposing some persons to mmedi-
ate loss; and the same remark applies to
almost all the monopolies created by the
Mercantile System Although those who
enJny such monopoly, or, rs il is usullly
called, such a protection, seldom profit by
4; that Is to say. are seldom richer, and
olcn are poorer than they would have been
II no such monopoly had existed, and they
had not been seduced to divert their capt.
tai and industry from their natural courses,
yet they almost necessarily lose by being
deprived Oft. Their fixed capital, their
established connections, and their peculiar
knowledge or skill, lose part of their
value, or perhaps the whole. The advan-
tage OF the change is diflused over the gen.
eral mass Of Consumers, the evil is con.
conrated on a comparatively small knot
OF producers; and it is difficult to estimate
the power Of an active mino.ity opposed
10 that delenCeloss, uncncrgetlc Ludy, the
community at large.
The a'temrt to cX'ricat9 the commerce
Of the country from the restrict rs which
centuries Of unwso, or fraudulent, or op.
DrCssiye Legislation had imposed and which
! never wanted their fierce defenders, was
ardu)Gs, and IFS progress was necessarily
slow. That progress, however, VS. felt to
be beneficial, aad Free Trade gradually
became popular every where. except with.
in the walls of Parliament, The landlords
who constitute the House Of Lords, and
form the great majority Of the House Of
Commons, have always attached a prcpos
ferrous importance to their legal monopoly.
They eyaggerote the Immediate evils Of its
removal, and even bcleyc that they are
gaining by It's existence; and, with The Bit
ter angry sclti>AmcsS whicNis apt to iuAame
those who are forced to confys, 10 them.
selves that they gain by public expires
SION, they end ayyur to fend all ohc!
Imonopo'lcS a oatwo!ks TO their own :
They fought the bat lie with a courage and
Ipnrlinacly winch w1a.d have been hon
ralle il good cause, bat with weapons
which hrcw I'd lilonaI disgrace even On a
bal one. Every commercial improve
ment was opp sci by misrepresentation,
by sophisry, appeals t. the passions Of the
where these 'aj,el, by logged, unblushng
resistance. The leaders of the Tory par
~, however, urged on by the educated por-
ton Of The community, and immcasurably |
superior in knowledge and public spirit 70
The mass of their parliamentary support !
ers, ca, rlod Oh their reforms with the de-
gree ofvigor--jt must lie confessed a very
moderate one-whi.h they thought con
eistcnt with the main Object OF all their po- |
Icy, both foreign anL domestic, the siablIi-
ty Cf their own Administration. Though, |
at the close Of their long reign, not much |
appoas to have been done--lhough their
principal improvements were reciprocity,
navigation treaties, and the substitution OF
nearly prohlbltory dates for absolute pro-
some progress towards a
better > stem was made, and, as we have
aready rcmarke5, thai progress was felt
TO be beneficial.
The Wing Ministry, which during less
Than eleven years, effected more for the
benefit of the empire than had Teen done,
or attempted, or apparently even desired,
by their predec essors- during a rule Of half
a century, after many important but par
tial Improvements, at length ventured to
propose an extensive system of CONNER
cial reform, They failed, as was forcseen
by every enc who was acquainted with the
pieiuIlccs and the Interests which they
dared to oppose. Bat their sacrifice Of Of.
flee was not made in vain. Their success
OTIS have indeed thought themselves Obliged
to maintain some consistency in error: as
respects Corn AMI Sugar, hey have though;
themselves forced to make the country pay
The penalty of their faclious opposition 10
what they know to be right; but on almost ,
all other questions, the principles avowed
ny or hODelt Iel anu hI' hIdu' zone u'l'
fer little fromNhose Of Lord Lansdowne
and Lord John Russell. And for putting
those principles in practice, they have an {
advantage OF which it is scarcely possible
to overrate the value. The liberal policy
Of the Wings was constantly rhwarted by
he Opposition; that OF the Tories is act
ivciy supported by it. To the Wings The S
Opposition was drag; to the Tories it is
a stimulus. Formerly there was an en-
zine al each end of the tran-one pulling
it forward and the otherpuIIlng it back
Now, viii HE engine in front is pulling,