Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-02-24


with all becoming solemndy, that God has
not in all his mercifal dispensaiions, con-
ferred any greater temporal blessing upon
the human race than by that which has
given rise to commercial intercourse among
nations; substituting the mutual blessings
Of prosperity, peace, and good will, in
place oil the curses of war, desolation, and
a mutual spirit Of hatred and revenge. II
| were inclined TO doubt the existence OF
God, this dispensation alone would disa.
buse my mind, and reclaim me from the
delusion. And, sir, it is this stro:g tie OF
mutual interests; this mutual bond, with
heavy penalties, binding nations to keep
the peace; this harbinger Of civilization
and herald of Christianity, that il is the a.
vowed purpose and inevitable effect of this
protective system to destroy. We have
all learned, in our elementary school books.
that the mutual wants and mutual Deepen.
dence of individuals is the only foundation
upon which the superstructure Of the social
state and Of civil society could ever have
been erected. But for that we should still
have been savage barbarians. And i: can
hardly be doubted that these mutual wants,
and this mutual dependence, are even
more essential to the harmony and happi-
ness of nations. He can hardly he re.
garded as philanthropist or Christian,
who would intentionally counteract one OF
the most benefcent ordinances Of God.
These general remarks, Mr.. President,
are not submitted without practical pur.
pose, and as mere idle display Of philo.
sophical speculation; but / make them in
reference to state Of things now rapidly
approaching, and which might almost say
i. actually at hand. It cannot be disguised
that it is the object of this policy-an OBJ
jec, actually announced by its advocates
to prohibit entirely the importation of
those foreign manufactures which come in
competition with our own, and which are
precisely those commodities which consti-
tute almost exclusively the basis Of our
commerce with Great Britain, France,
and the other manufacturing nations of
Europe. Now. sir, to exclude these for.
eign manu- actures, is TO destroy that com.
j merce which we now carry OH with the
great na.ions which produce them. This
commerce, curtailed and mu,ilated AZ il
has been for twenty years, is still exten.
sive, and still supplies your government
with the greater part OF its revenue, as it
has done from The beginning. Already
you have destroyed one halfof it--com.
pa ring what it is with what It would have
been, but for your protective and prohibi.
tory policy, under which it is now rapidly
verging to extinction. The manufacturing
nations of Europe will not and cannot pur-
chase our exports if we refuse to receive
their productions in exchange for them.-
The consurnmation, :hen, TO which your
suicidal policy is approaching, is the total
destruction Of the commerce we now carry
on with those nations Of Europe with
whom il is most peculiarly our interest to
strengthen the ties of mutual interest, and
consolidate the relations Of national ami.
ty.
But while you are thus steadily advan
cling in the policy Of DESTROYING commerce,
you are as steadily advancing, at the enor-
nous expense of nine millions year, in
supporting and increasing your navy
Now, sir, as the protection ofcommerce is
the only object which can justify the ex-
pense Of maintaining a navy, il you destroy
commerce, say destroy the navy also.--
Let US become Chinese at once; not as
they are, but as they, were. Let us
shrink down into our shells like terrapins,
and draw in our heads at the approach OF
danger. It is an idle mockery to send out
YOUR squadrons to scour the Pacific and
Mediterranean, when your whole COM
merce in those regions, including Peru,
Chill, the Philippine islands, Africa, Tur.
kew, and the Levant, does hot exceed
$4,000 600, and while you are destroying
La commerce Of fifty times the value, which
requires no fleets TO protect It. Against
whom is a navy required to defend our At
lantic commercei Against piratesi Against
foreign powers1 Against Great Britaini--
for she Is the raw.head and bloody bones
always invoked to silence opposition to
wasteiul expendituref As a producer Of
the great staple on which it is mainly foun-
|, ded, / declare, with all solemnity, that
, regard the Congress Of the United States,
as Il has been constituted for the last 20
years, as more to be dreaded. than all the
, powers Of Europe combined, and all pi
, rates that ever infested the ocean.
Archer argument by which this system
, IL attempted to be sustained is, that it fur.
nishes 10 the farmer market for his agri.
, cultural commodities. l recollect that
: when I, last year, urged against this sys.
! tenn it's tendency TO enhance the price o.
D commodities which enter into the general
! consumption Of farmers, the senator from
a Maine lMr. Evans) replied, True i en-
}. hances the money price; but the iarme'
- L. r.o,a than Unidentified hY Geltinl