New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-28

MES, and who have no hope Of keeping
them by the reGstablishment in England of
diflerential duties in favor Of their products,
would hesitate to 90 for the reciprocity
measure because it wears the mere hue Of
free trade
Leok for moment at this beautiful pro-
ject. 1t is briefly that the products of the
field, the forest and the SEA may pass
freely without import duties between the
Colonies and the Republic. Wonderful
reciprocity, is it not! Why, of the seven
and a half millions which the Colonies
consumed of our products last year, not
more than one seventh was of the class of
articles included in the proposed system;
while of the five millions which we re-
ceived from them, all but about fifty thou
sand dollars was of the class which 1t is
proposed now to admit free. This is called
reciprocity. 1t strikes US very much like
a trade in which all the advantage is on
one side, and which no respectable nation
ought to be got into short of an extreme
pressure of seventy-fours, war-steamers
and eun-boats. The scheme and the pre-
sent method of putting it through are alto.
gether harmonious and of a piece.
But, say the patrons Of this famous pro-
iect, we ought to be liberal to the Colo
MES we are a great deal bigger and richer
than they are, and it would be very nice to
give them a sugar plum. Whether that
line of reasoning will meet the approba-
ton of the great West, we are not yet in
formed. 1t is possible that the people of
the agricultural States, who now enjoy so
largely the blessings of that European
market which Mr.. Walker procured for
them. may have got so rich out of the inn
mense profits of that business az to desire
to surrender to new competitors from the
cheaper and nearer lands of Canada what
remains to them of the home market for
grain and meat and lumber. But our adj
vice to them is to hold on to it, and even
to make it better by policy which will
revive manufactures and cause the closed
furnaces and mills to be re0pened and new
ones to be built, and a great number of
competitors for the sale of grain and meat
to be converted into consumers of those
commodities by being employed in other
branches of industry. And if the Colo
MES want the advantages of free trade with
the Republic, let them ask for the same on
the terms on which they are had by its
members.
Or if this is too much for the present,
let US hear of proposition that really
u cans reciprocity; let the Colonies offer
to receive all our products free, on condi-
ton that we will receive all theirs, and
then we can talk with them. That will
be something Ike an equal bargain, and
will be worth considering. Until then we
beg to be excused.
But what shall be done for tie fisheries!
Shall we give up our right to use them !
By no means. Let US assert, and if need
be, enforce, all the rights we have in that
quarter. But first, the matter is one to be
settled automatically, and we cannot
doubt that little energy wisely employed
in that way will bring the British Ministry
to admit that rights which we continuously
enjoyed from 1888 to the Treaty of 1914
and the Convention of 1918, and thence
down to the present time, ought not to DO
suddenly and violently disputed on such a
ground as difference concerning the in
tent and force of few words in public
dominant