The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-20

Canada is capable ofsupplying any amount Of
all these commodities, and she does now supply
| us with them 10 the extent of four millions of
dollars in year, under duty of twenty per
cent. Repeal that duty, and thus establish in
favor of that country bounty, by giving her
permission to sell her wool in Lowell and buy
her cloth in Leeds, and she will speedily send
us to the extent of ten or twenty millions, and
| the effect must inevitably be that of sinking
| the value of both our labor and our land below
| those of Canada.
| The mode by which this extraordinary mea-
sure is attempted to be forced through Con
gress affords beautiful illustration Of the man
ner in which the commercial thrift of Britain
has carried her measures in every part of the
world, and to the ruin of all over whom she
has succeeded in obtaining any influence.
Western aid is sought by Offering the free
navigation of the ST. Lawrence, worthless in
itself, and already thrice over paid for South
ern aid is sought by exhibiting the tendency Of
"reciprocity' to prevent annexation, and thus
to maintain equilibrium" How eastern aid
is sought will be found in the following extract
| from colonial journal, which we take from the
Democrat:
"Tho citizens of the United States every
year extending their commercial relations, and,
naturally enough, anxious to increase their
| manufacturing operations. But, to accomplish
these ends. and compete successfully with other
tons, it is absolutely and ndspensably necessary
that the materials Of trade and be pro-
| cured upon the most reasonable terms. And by
| Stacking their trade between the several States
| and the provinces, the Americans will be immense
ly benefited in securing abundantly all the means
and appliances necessary to commercial and man
ufacturing prosperity"
Thus is it everywhere. Dipide ct impera is
the British maxim. The farmer is advised to
break down the manufacturer his best custom
err and then the manufacturer is taught how to
break down the farmer. Free trade was to
raise the price of the farmers products, and
now we must have more free trade to lower
| them.
AT one moment we are to be coaxed into ''re-
lciprocity,'' and at the next we are to be driven
and the Canadian closes the St. Lawrence, to
his own injury, hoping to obtain from our fears
that which justice to ourselves should forbid our
ever granting. He closes the river and threat
ems retaliation, while knowing that, if we were
even half alive to our own power and our own
interests, we should be perfectly aware that all
the rctaIiatory poDer is IN our own hands, and
that we have but to repeal the laws now exist
ing in favor of Canada to compel the opening
of the river, without sacrificing our farmers to
the demands of Britain. To those who desire
to understand the true position of the matter,
we would recommend perusal Of the following
| extract from the Canadian correspondence of the
| New York Tribune:
| eve arc now acting upon an avowedly retalia-
tory policy in closing the river st Lawrence against
the entrance of American vessels. This policy en-
tails serious injury upon the province, in enhanc-
ing the rates of inland freight, diminishing the pro-
ductive value of our costly canals, and depressing
the external trade of the province by making Bos-
ton and New York the shipping ports to Europe for
much produce which would otherwise go to Que
bee. Under any circumstances, the closing of
that great natural highway to the ocean, the st.
Lawrence river, against foreign vessels, can only
be of temporary duration 1t may appear n ques.
tionable species Of diplomacy in n Canadian wri-
ter to admit this fact; but it ia obvious that its
conceaiment, even denial, could deceive no one
Every American statesman who has reflected
the subject must be that VIC shall not al
ways continue TO Mfict needless injury on our
selves"