The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-22

elf the Administration cannot stand upon the
principles of the message, it does not expect to
{ stand at all."-DANIEL WEBsTER's Letter TO the
Union Meeting at Westchester
RepuIsive Tendencies of British Free Trade.
We have several times had occasion to call
the attention of our readers to the depopula-
ton of the British islands now in progress,
and likely, if we may believe that sturdy de-
fender of the present exhausting policy, the
London Times, not only to continue but to in
crease. "The Irish authorities, /" as that jour
nal informs its readers, " do not expect emgra
ton to stop as soon as the population has as
sumed its proper proportion to the work to be
done" On the contrary. they hold that the
stream having set in that direction, g it will
not stop till Ireland is absolutely depopulated."
In all this the Times not only concurs, but it
goes far further, asking-Is, however, the
movement to stop even there2 Will not Eng
lishmen follow the example? These questions
it regards GO as quite too serious to be neglected"
"The depopulation of these isles, sup
posing the Celtic exodus to run its course, and
a British exodus to follow, constitutes" in its
be conceived; for change of dynasty, or any
other political revolution, is nothing compared
with change in the people themselves"
Every thing, it adds-army, navy, rent, taxes,
profits depends upon the people, and without
the people there must ensue general collapse
of all our institutions"
Such is the position into which Britain has
brought herself by her neglect of the warnings
of ADAM SMITH, the great father of real free
trade doctrine Seventy years since he told
his countrymen that the system which look
ed to compelling the farmers and planters
Of the world to make their exchanges in
her single market tended to the diminution
of the value of her own labor and her
own land, and that it was not more unjust to
the world than it was ruinous to themselves.
Regardless of his teachings, they have been de-
termined to make of their country 'the work
shop of the world" and the consequences may,
as we think, be summed up in few brief
words: exhaustion and Weakness decline of
population, of wealth, and of power, with daily
tendency to increase in the rapidity of that de-
cline
The whole tendency of British commercial
policy is that of repulsion. 1t drove these colo
MES into revolution and independence. 1t has,
time after time, driven Ireland into rebellion,
but, unhappily, not as yet into independence. 1t
is driving Canada into revolution. 1t has forced
the West Indies into desire for separation.
India would be independent if she could. AL
raadv tho navu nulad hammer of Aue-
tralla has made its appearance in British ports;
and the day is now certainly not far distant
when there will be found in the South Pacific
new union of States holding the people of
Great Britain "enemies in war, in peace
friends" Among the communities composing
the British empire, there cannot be found
single one that does not look to separation from
England single one that clings to union
with her-nor one that would remain in union
even for an hour were the British troops with
drawn.
This state of things has long existed in rela-
ton to the communities of which the British
empire is composed; but it was reserved for the
present day, when the Manchester Political
Economy has finally ndfully effected its triumph
over the doctrines of ADAM SMITH, to exhibit
in perfection the repulsive tendencies of the
system in separating the individual members of
those communities. In the three years prior to
l846-the date Of the repeal of the corn laws
the total emigration from the United Kingdom
was but POI 900, whereas in the three which
followed 1876 they exceeded 800 900; and the
emigration Of the present year will probably fall
little short of 100000 The Times estimates
il at ''near thousand per day." In lS45 Mr..
CoBpEN assured his hearers that, if they would
sacrifice British agriculture at the shrine of the
millocracy of England, capital would grow
so rapidly that there would speedily be
seen 1.-TWO masters seeking one man." and
wages would greatly rise. So far, however,
has the result failed to realize this prophecy,
that it is everywhere seen that the demand for
labor has greatly decreased and men, women,
and children, are everywhere seen to be flying
from the land in which, instead of two masters
seeking one man, there are now three men seeking
one master, while the land itself is everywhere
being more and more monopolized by the
wealthy few-the BARINGs, the RoTHsCHIL Ds
the HUDsoNs, and the PEELs-who can afford
to remain behind. With each step in the di
rection known as British free trade, the pool
become poorer and the rich richer; and there
fore it is, probably, that the system finds Sc
much favor in the eyes Of the editors of the
Ebening Post, the Union, and other Demo
cratic journals.
Instead Of enabling men to draw nearer t,
each other, and to combine their efforts for tn,
improvement of their common condition, it il
seen to be everywhere most effective in driving
them from their homes, their families, anc