The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-06
:. Frightening Brother Jonathan.

BY bill now before Congress it is proposed
that. In consideration of the grant on the part Of
Great Britain of The boon of the navigation OF
the st. Lawrence. the farmers Of this country
shall relinquish all the protection they now en-
JOY in favor of the cheap and fertile lands of
Canada. For that which is thus proposed to
he sold to us we have already largely paid in
the grant of the privilege OF using our better
way to the ocean by means of canals, railroads,
and rivers, oiswhch Canada largely avails her
self whenever she desires to seek foreign mar
ket; and we have recently suggested that, instead
ofsacrfcing our farmers Tor the purpose Of obtain
ing a navigation that will prove almost worth
less, Congress should pass law suspendng the
privileges now enjoyed by Canada un.il the st.
Lawrence should be opened to us How far
such measure would be likely to bring about
settlement Of the question may be seen from
the annexed article from the Toronto EGaniner
Of last week, in which it is admitted that the
opening Of the navigation to foreign shipping is
a matter Of necessity for Canada, and that the
only reason for continuing it closed is the
hope still entertained Of % coercng the Amer
lean Congress into the concession Of recipro-
city" Such beng the return for the liberal
grants already made by us, we are disposed TO
believe that the american Congress- will not
be long in arriving at the conclusion that the
tine for - coercing'' the opening of the St.
Lawrence is near al hand, and that when de
manded it must be given without further and
Tunous concessions on their part. Even should
they not adopt that course, they can scarcely
fail TO arrive at the conclusion that the pear is
nearly ripe, and that we have but to wait pa
tiently, for very brief period, when 1t must
1t is time that our neighbors should be made to
understand that :. Brother Jonathan is not to
be :, frightened" into terms
"The chief benefits which Canada was expected
to derive from the abotion of the navigation laws
are yet in allegiance. Upon our external trade
alone they have yet been felt The waters of the
St. Lawrence are closed against the entrance of
foreign vessels No doubts the injury to
our commerce and the deprecatng effects the
revenue derived from the canals, consequent on the
exclusion of foreign vessels from great high
way to the ocean. The policy of continuing this
Of things is not at all free from question In
proportion to the restraints imposed upon our in.
terual commerce, will our external commerce be
kept from reaching is natural extent and import
ance. The exclusion of foreign vessels from the St
Lawrence prevents competition on that route and
drives the produce OF the west through other chan
nels the The effects OF this unnatural diver
sion oftrado may be considered under a three-iold
aspect: the enhancement Of freigbts the st. Law
renee the depreciation ofour public works, and
the Gripping Of the external trade of the provi nee
1t would be waste of time to argue that the alb
sencc Of competition must have the effect of
haneing the rate Of freight No will be bold
enoue1. 10 di4pute 90 self evident proposition.
The diD1fnce u the c,banced rate comes out Of the
pocket " The producer nasnuch as the amount of
produce we export TO England il not sufficient TO
produce any effect on that market The refusal 10
aitoc foreign pessei' 10 line of inland navi
Cation voluntarily and lbg,liy TO depreciafs our
public tcorks Is by then only that fhsv can be
strueion. If the trade upon them cannot hc SO in
creased az TO yield revenue equal to the capital
invested, they must remain 90 many monuments
of ambitious folly. The loss Of revenue resulting
from our present exclusive policy il another bur
then laid ON the shoulders OF the people. Mean
while the external trade Of the province shares the
consequences of the forced depression of the inland
&C mncrcc The produce which the freeing OF the
waters Of tho st. Lawrence would bring down that
channel 7feks the scabosrd At a point differ
ent from Quebec; and where the produce IL there
will the vessels be- found"
''what i, the plea for toe continuanre Of tbs fs.