The republic., 1851-02-19
Hear the Enemy--No. q.

Hear the Enemy-No. y.
The folly of the system which looks TO send
ing the cotton in search Of the spindle, or the
food in search of the anvil---that system so
warmly advocated by Mr.. Secretary WALKER
is well exposed by our Democratic reviewer in
the following passage:
'sWhat strange absurdityi it Is to see silk going
from China and France, cotton from the southern
United States, wool from Australia coffee and su-
gar from Brazil, wheat from New York. Michi-
gan. Odessa. and Poland, hemp and fax from
st. Petersburg, pork and lard from Ohio and ILL
nois. concentrating in Lancashre to be returned in
goods to the localities from whence they came
Such state of things never could have been
brought about but for the geographical position of
England giving her the control of the ocean"
Most absurd and most destructive is it of the
interests Of the farmers and planters of the
world, who are compelled to exhaust their land
in order that Britain may continue TO be " the
workshop of the world" That the system has
been thus far maintained, and that Britain has
thus far been enabled SO heavily to tax those
farmers and planters for the support Of her ships
and looms, fleets and armies, peers and paupers,
is due to the fact that they have never fully
awakened to its extreme absurdity. Now.
however, that our Democratic free trade friends
have undertaken the task Of explaining it. we
cannot doubt it will soon be perfectly under
stood, although so Numerically opposed to the
doctrine of the late Secretary.
Our readers can scarcely fail to recollect the
brilliant anticipations ofMr. WALKER in regard
to the growth of the foreign market for our pro-
ducts. Butfew years were to be needed before our
foreign trade should reach nine hundred mil
lions of dollars, and thereafter it might grow to
an extent that could scarcely be estimated. 1t
remains to be seen how he will relish the fol-
lowing reputation Of all such anticipations by
one of his most faithful followers:
"A Is notc uery apparent, from the general princi
Piles evolved in these tables. that England cannot
continue to increase her demands for food and ra,cma-
feriaIs brought from distance, and compete with
those countries which have all these things within
themselves, and with which the amount of freight
is nothing"
Our power to produce food and raw materials
is almost unlimited, says Mr.. WALKER. "Eng-
land cannot increase her demand for food and
raw materials" says his disciple. What is the
remedy? Make market on the land for the
products Of the land, by bringing the spindle
and the anvil to the food and raw materials.
The policy of 1876 is, however, closing the
market, by closing the furnaces and mills. How
shall that be remedied? Let the disciple an
swer, and say if it can be done by any means
but that of efficient and complete protection, as
the true and only means of freeing the planters
and farmers from the tyranny Of the English
monopoly, and thus enabling ourselves to es-
tablish perfect freedom of trade.
We have looked with much anxiety for Mr..
WAAKER's acceptance of Mr.. CAREY's chal-
lenge to discussion of the mode by which free
dom of trade could be reached. That anxiety
has been greatly increased by the perusal of this
article of our Democratic contemporary, be-
cause it has convinced us that nothing but full
and free discussion is neeeed to bring the men,
bers of the league to perception of the fact
that the only mode by which they can accom-
plish the object Of their association is by re-
turn to the good old Democratic doctrine of
protection to the American farmers and planters
against the monopoly Of Britain, which compels
them to seek a market abroad, and to pay all
the cost of getting there.