The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-06

planters of the world, and its effecv is seen
IN the fact that it has ruined the agriculture
of all the communities Of the world that
have been subjected TO ito w.t. Ireland,
Portugal, Turkey, the West Indies, India, and
all other of the British colonies while the only
nations among whom agriculture can be deemed
IN any degree prosperous are those which have
protected themselves against it-amOngst whom
may be found Russia, in opposition to whose
commercial policy M. kossUrH desires that we
| should now array ourselves, threatening that if
| we fail so to do
$50 soon as Russia has achieved the triumph of
absolutistcal principles the European continent
and consolidated It's undisputed preponderance
the first step will be to exclude the commerce of
America from Europe by prohibitory system Of
custom duties II will do it; it must do it, firstly
because commerce is the locomotive of principles
That Is more sure yet than what gentleman in
New York 80 eloquently told, that the steam engine
as a democrat Absolutsm could not for single
moment rule Europe with security if Europe re-
NAMED in commercial intercourse with republican
America. And, secondly. Russia will exclude your
trade from Europe, because and let the Great
| valley OF the West mark it) your immensely de-
veloping agriculture is the most dangerous COM
petition to Russian wheat and corn in the markets
OF Europe. Either you must be excluded from the
trade with Europe, or Russia cannot find q market
for its corn.
| "only think, gentlemen, by continental pro-
hibitivc systen which must be the first logical re-
cult OF Russian preponderance-only think, the
wheat, the corn, the cotton, and the tobacco Of the
| United States, excluded from Europe for a couple
| of years. What dreadful catastrophe is lurking
at your growing prosperity in this perspectivel'
| We beg our readers now to consider, for
moment, what IS the commercial policy that
Russia has for many years pursued, and deter
mine for themselves if it has not been precisely
that which they themselves would have de-
| sired; and having done that, they will be pre-
| pared to Judge how far future abstinence from
any measure looking to an alliance with Eng
land can tend u the production of injury to
| their commercial interests. The object of the
latter is that of increasing competition in the
production of food, wool and cotton, thereby to
diminish the price Of all, to the injury of far
mers and planters everywhere. Against this
system Russia protests, saying that it is
to the interest of her farmers that they
should not be compelled to depend upon the
single market of England and she therefore i'm
poses heavy duties upon foreign manufactures,
the effect of which is that of making market
at home for a large portion Of the raw products
| of the earth, which otherwise would have TO
seek market in England, in competition with
| that which our farmers require to sell. Her
policy looks to diminishing competition for the
| production and sale of raw materials, and in
crcasing competition for the purchase and con-
sumption of them and we are scarcely dis
posed to think that our farmers are prepared to be-
| leve that such as this is likely to affect
| lnjuriously their interests. Her policy looks
| to consuming at home the food she raises, and
| thus leaving open To us the market of England
worthless as it has proved and yet M. KossUrH
assures his readers that if we do not unite with
England in the effort 10 break down the pres
ent system of continental Europe, and introduce
British free trade and increased competition for
the sale of food, we shall be deprived of a mar
ket for our corn and our wheat
| We feel no disposition TO charge kossUTH
with any disposition to deceive his hearers
when he enlarges on the advantage Of free
| V,
the benefits that would result to our manufac
lures from opening the markets Of Russia and
Germany TO our woollen and our iron manufac-
tures-or the danger Of having the continental
markets closed against the food, Of which none
ever reaches the nations of the continent except
the rice, for which the climate is unified; but
we do say that, in making such appeals to their
material interests, he shows a total unacquain-
lance with the subject that we were certainly
unprepared TO expect, and that is not consistent
with his general character as man well inform
ed as To the interests Of his own and neighborinq
nations. This must, we think, be admitted even
by his warme,t admirers. More accurate know
| ledge would have satisfied him Of the fact. that
between Russia and this country, as between
| Germany and ourselves, and, indeed, all the
agricultural nations Of the world, there is a per
feet solidarity Of material interests that,
while they are benefited by every measure here
adopted tending to limit competition, for the
production and sale Of food and raw materials,
and TO increase competition for the purchase and
| consumption Of them, we are equally benefited
by tn cir adoption Of similar measures; and that
nothing could be more opposed to our interests
than their reputation Of system that has so
greatly diminished the supply Of food and wool
to the market OF England. while enabling the
people who produced that food and that wool to
become large consumers Of tobacco, rice and
cotton.
Foremost among the powers that have car
ried out the system advocated by NJ KossuTH
has been Turkey. of whose poverty and weak
ness, as well as Of their causes, we have
lately furnished our readers with brief sketch.
Foremost among those which have carried into
effect the system which looks to diminishing
the competition among agricutursts, and in
creasing the competition among the consumers
Of agricultural products, is Russia and. as our
countrymen arc not generally acquainted with
the present course aud tendency of things in
that empire, we intend to refer to them more
specifically in a future article.
1 Supreme Court a. the United