The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-11


the balance OF trade doctrine, we ought TO hay 9
been greatly impoverished growing poorer and
poorer every year yet the result Is, III defiance
Of this theory, that whilst We have increased In
population, during these sixty years, 600 per
cent, our actual wealth has augmented, in the
same time, 2,400 per cent, showing the utter
fallaey of this exploded balance of trade doc
trine. (Applause.) The doctrine itself is weigh
cd in the balance of facts and found wanting.
Here gentlemen | might present, had they not
been better exhibited by your own statesmen,
tables, showing the great advantages that have
accrued to Great Britain from your own reduce
ton and abolition of duties, and especially from
the repeal of your corn laws. The truth is, tina.
commerce is not geographical or sectional or
belonging To any single country. Ii has the
world for its theatre, aud its laws are universal
Commerce has laws, and they are as fixed and
certain, when undlsturbed by man, as the laws
which govern the movements of the planets
Our Artificial regulations may produce pertur-
baton, but il will only be TO injure those who
thus interfere by legislative restrictions Cheers
Without OBTAINING you, however, by present
ing your own tables, will only say that, with
the total abolition of many of your own taxes
and duties, and the great reduction of others,
your revenue has augmented, and you have APP
/,
and, gentlemen, it is consoling reflection that
the two great branches of the Anglo Saxon Nor
man race--you, the people Of England, and we,
your children in America-present, mt this period,
almost the solitary example of governments
whose receipts exceed their expenditures, and
who have applied surplus towards reduction
at their debts. Look, gentlemen, at Spanish
America--look at the continent of Europe
without naming Others look at the high tariff
paraytic despotsm of Austria hear, hear "a
State in the last spasms of financial bankruptcy
We see there, gentlemen, the police actually en-
tering the exchange, and, by the power of the
bayonet, endeavoring to regulate the exchanges,
and even to regulate the price of paper money,
down to their penny notes Why we all know
that they might iu-t as well attempt to regulate
the movements Of the heavenly bodies. Not
having exactly succeeded in this the next thing
they do is to assail the Jews who deal in ex-
changes, and whom il appears, they are now driv.
ing from Vienna and Frankfort Now gentle
men, this is most ungrateful, for, without the aid
of the Jews, Austria must have long since fallen
into financial bankruptcy and she will derive no
advantage from this persecution. For oursev S,
in America, we have no prejudces against the
Jews. Whilst Christianity prevails amongst us,
we see the Jews called in the Bible the chosen
people by God They hold an elevated social
position in our country, and are eligible to our
highest offices, even to that of President of the
United States. Hear, hear. Well, gentlemen,
under this repeal and abolition of duties, not
only has your revenue increased, but you have
had great augmentation of your imports, your
exports, your tonnage, and your bullion; your
commerce, navigation, and manufactures have
greatly prospered; and, in fact, it seems to be
generally admitted that, under this reduction
and repeal of duties, England never was so pros
porous as at the present moment. Hear, hear.
But gentlemen, what appears to me one of the
greatest effects OF this change of your policy, is
its conservative influence, in its greater security
and safety to England, arising from the improved
condition, superior comfort, happiness, and con
tentment of your industrial classes. Hear, hear.
Never was their condition as good as il is now
never did they receive higher wages and never
paid less for food and rafnent And gentlemen,
look at Liverpool. Why, AIN almost afraid to
repeat, lest they may be inaccuratey printed,
what | see republished from your census that
Liverpool has increased in population, during the
last ten years, from 29S, 4S6 in 1871, to $4,000
in 1851 Well, think this is an English horse
you may run against the fleetest of our American
racers. Laughter and applause
And again, when | look at your docks, your
warehouses, your steamers, your vessels, your
ship yards, your railroads. your public institu
tons, your new streets and buildings everything
seems to mark that Liverpool is making ggan-
tic strides in wealth and population. Ii is clear
to me that Liverpool owes this chiefly TO free
trade as the great outlet and inlet of commerce.
Here come chiefly our cotton, our breadsuffs
and provisions, our rice, our tobacco, and also,
presume, Ito which you have no special ohlec-
tion,) our gold. Laughter, and hear hear.
Strike down all this trade, and what becomes OF
Liverpool! And here permit me to allude to
distinguished member of Parliament one of ysur
own eminent citizens, William Brown the in.
tended chairman Of this banquet, now unfortu-
nately absent from indisposition, from whom
imm edately upon landing on British SOIL ] first
received the grasp of friendship. Applause
He was honored here, as In America for his
energy and enterprise, his high moral and social
qualities, his support of free trade, and his mu-
ni6cent contributions to useful and charitable
public Institutions He is as much an American
as any man ought to be who prefers, as he does,
his own country, and be was among the first TO
aid and to suggest our great Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. Hear hear. lie knows well that
commerce must consist in the reciprocal sale of
products and fabrics, and that II cannot be con-
Quoted by a mere exchange of our lafeagles
for your sovereigns Gentlemen, in discussing
this question, | certainly mean to make no
attacks upon individuals. In my own country,
as well as in yours, there are many who differ
from me, for whom personally entertain the
most exalted respect. Amongst others, | might
refer, ms differing perhaps little from my hum.
bic self, to our distinguished representative at
your court hear who, no doubt, honestly
holds the opinions which he has avowed; but
vet, at the same time, for whom, personally, for
his ability, for his patriotism, and for his noble
qualities both of the head and the heart enter
tain the most sincere respect and esteem. And.
gentlemen, if in the progress of events, he shall
find, as one of your distinguished statesmen did,
that the views Of his early life were mistaken,
he would have the courage and manliness to
aYow and r,tract bis error. ! mean not to-
attack individuals, but systems, and what +
believe TO be erroneous principles, hoping that
endeaver 10 be an humble searcher after truth.
[ Hear Now, gentlemen, ] most firmly believe,
and think team be demonstrated, that protec
ton, as it is called whether il be in England or
America, is essent lily agrarian. Hearl
What was done by your corn laws Why, itI
=, cold tbav incrao,od ouo 'bird tha ,,r;,a e