New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-05-20
VOL. HE. no. IS.

"N
the present moment to be OF rcat ii'e'' " 'i'I
cl,nn,e-cc NJ the countrv-to all the commercial
concerns of the country-perhaps could not do
be,,or than To occupy the few moments which
arc permitted to me, in adding some suggestions
touching our commercial affairs. 1t ls a truth
unite trte, but not the less important, that the
great interests of Society arc al harmonious and
united that the Agricultural interest, the Com
mcrcal interest. the Manufacturing interest.
arc all cntwined,-if we may say so,-aroumd
the same stem, supported by the same trunk,
TO be nourished together or to fade together ::
and he is a friend to neither who would attempt
TO set up an opposition between one and another
of them This truth. however common, Is one
which cannot here be too often repeated: because
IN the contests OF interests, IN the struggle ior
preference by law in favor of one or against ano
Their, this general union-I may say tins common
deStlnv,is not always understood, or II understood
1t is not always regarded.
We live in a country III which the greater part
Of the inhabitants find their Slstenance III the
pursuits of Agriculture in Which there are also
great masses fed and clothed and housed By Man
uacturing other great masses I'LL the marts OF
CommerCe-Whosc houses are on the seas; ana
the very first proposition Of the American States
man is the essential connection between the IN
tcrcsts of these various persons, and the high IN
portancc that they should always be regarded as
essentially the same. II we look to the Agrlcul-
ture of Il country. VIC find that it furnishes means
of s,stenance to human beings; but 1t does not
furnish the means OF cheap and comfortable
clothing. What then will be the fortune of Ag-
ricuture if there is no demand for It's surplus III
the consumption Of masses without Agriculture,
Manufacturing or Commercial The Manuiac-
turing interesl-What would become Of 1t tt there
were no consumers Of manufactured articles and
commercial articles There must be commodl-
ties to be transported exchanges to be accom-
plished, before the destined transporers or the
agents employed III exchanges can find support
or employ.
Mr. President and Gcntlcmen-Aow me on
this occasion to express what feel TO be undcnl-
ablc-that it is to the commercial interests it is
to the association, and spirit and enterprise OF the
commercial citizens of the country that IS TO be
attributed in the first place the original movement
in favor of these great works OF internal improve
mcnt now so extended all over the land. This
results certainly from natural The CAPT
tai is in this class: the means, the stimulus arc
with this class Where were the canals and the
railroads and all the great works which distln-
guish modern times, but for the activity of the
commercial classes And where is the lndlvld-
ual treasure poured out like water. not on the
ground of rich return of interest IN dividends
but in the advancement OF business and the gen.
eral accommodation OF society Long, long
since has this magnificent enterprise been cngag-
ed in, and this Enthusiastically OF Rome when
Augustus stood at the head of Emprc-worthy
of Bonapartc, as great in peace as nc was IN war,
worthy of any government and any European
power, by which should be connected the waters
of the Chesapeake and of the Ohio river, work
which proposes to surmount some ridges OF the
Alleghanics, TO penetrate others, to proceed from
tide water by steam power on land TIL the power
of steam on land shall yield to the power of steam
on the water, and connect the great Valley OF the
West with the Great Ocean that lies along our
Eastern border, is in process Of completion. The
prosperity of the commerce of a country then as
connected with individual happiness, with
the growth of cities, with the revenue of
a country l may add, and as connected
with all works of internal improvement which
connect by so many ties the North and South,
the East and the West, the prosperity Of this
commerce is one Of the highest and most lmfor
tant considerations which could engage the atten-
ton of all public men and of all intelligent citl-
zcns.
around u.s. in every part of the country that there
exists a conviction of this truth. We are now
at the cnd-I am incorrect in that expression
for we have not | trust reached the Il was
about to say VIC arc now at the end Of unlver-
sal peace OF IS years; meant to say that we
are now at q point of time when % years of UNI
civilized nations have been turning their thoughts
from war to peace.
They have given their attention to their own
Improvement, to the advancement of their own
interests, agric cultural, commercial, or manuiac-
turing; so that while there is not now "a contest
about the po,cer of any nation, there is a severe
and well maintained contest Oh many sides III re-
gard to the progress of arts, the lurtherance of
the pursuits and products of labor, and the gene
raj improvement of all ranks of society In short,
we live in an age-it is our good fortune to live
IN an age-n which governments and lndlvldu-
ais are thinking more of bcnetiling themselves
than OF destroying or annoying Their enemies. This
appears to me, gentlemen, TO have led TO very ge
neral feeling not confined TO this country but per
vading great part of Europe, of this kind. Men,
public and private men,have taken strong opinion
that the interests Of the wincipal nations Of The
tcorld may be made subjects OF tredty StpuLa-
ton; mean the commercial intcrcsts,to great
er extent than is yet granted 1t is found to be
a common subjec, OF discussion in the two Hous
cs of Parliament, III the Chambers of France III
our own Halls of Legislation and through the
whole commercial world. 1t seems TO have It's
origin in the idea, itself a just one, that if a ma
ton seeks It's own interests-that of Revenue or
those interests called Protectire interests, BY a
regulation of duties, i, is WISE before nations re-
sort to independent legislation with a view on the
part of one to counervall the acts Of another; TO
consider if it be not more eXpedlent for the
parties TO attempt to come TO an under
standing without The aid OF this-what we