The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-04-03
THE CECIL WING.
ELKTON, MD, APRIL 8, 1852.

has taken place in the British Ministry.
The Wings have given place to the
Conservatives or Torys. and new Cab
met has been formed with Lord Derby
at its head. AT the very Threshold of
his entrance upon the official duties of
his new position; the Premier has de-
clared himself in favor of rcviving the
''corn laws" or in other words of i'm
posing duty on foreign grain. The
English papers are busy in calculating
the results of the election soon to take
place for members of Parliament, upon
which depends Lord Derby's success, in
establishing his declared policy. Three
thousand miles from the theatre of these
contests, we on this side of the Atlantic
can have no knowledge ofthe indirect
causes, which may operate on the cleo
ton. 1t will be elnphatically war of
interests the landed aristocracv on
one side, and the manufacturing classes
on the other. One thing. however, is
evident, that the political influence of
the manufacturing classes has been for
some time past, greatly on the decline.
Now that their great champion, Peel,
is dead, and the scarcity of bread stuGs
which kept alive the necessity for
free trade-has to great extent ceased,
the grand elements of their influence are
undoubtedly weakened. Upon the other
hand, the landed aristocracy to whom
free trade is in every way detrimental,
and who have only yielded to the over
powerlng necessities of the times; togeth-
er with the agricultural classes, who feel
even more than their landlords the de-
preciat,ng effect OF free trade upon the
price of grain, will fake advantage of
the first OF opportunity to replace the
duties, and thus protect their interests
These facts, added to the vac,llatng
character of the masses and the immense
influence Of the nobility over whole
boroughs, all indicate, that the efforts OF
the conservative party, to procure the
return of members favorable to the e.
vival of the duties on foreign grain, will
be most likely to succeed.
While this is the state of affairs in
Great Britain, let us turn an eve upon
American interests. When the British
ports We're thrown open to the ingress
OF foreign grain, the act was laudpd bv
the adherents of low duties in this coun-
try, as line of policy dictated by spirit
of reciprocity. The decrease of duty
upon foreign manufactured goods was
to be met by the free admission of Amer
lean produce into the British market;
the increased amount of expectation was
to raise the value Of grain, while the de-
crease OF duty would lower the price of
manufactured goods. For a time the
scheme worked we'll. The famine in
Great Britain, together with the scarcity
of grain upon the European continent
brought the produce of our country into
demand, at high price. But the soil
resuming its wonted fertility both in
Great Britain and on the continent, the
demand for American grain becomes
less urgent, and prices decrease. In the
near. time, our manufactures stripped
ofthe protection afforded by high duties,
and thus thrown into competition with
the pauper labor of Europe, dwindle
and die, SO hat it will take them years to
recuperate, even under increased duties !
In the midst 81 this state ofaFairs, comes
news OF the accession of an aristocratic
ministry, with a sworn protectionist at
its head, boldly declaring his intention
OF revivins the duties on foreign grain.
Here is British reciprocity with ven
geance! Verify We have asked for
bread and received a stone-for fish and
unto US isgiven aserpent. When will
Americans learn their true interests /?
and, instead of being the tools of every
change of British policy, build up for
themselves broad system of protection,
placing the manufacturing and agr,cul.
tural interests upon the same common
basis, thus uniting and making them
mutual. Men talk f"manitest destiny!"
Until such system is permanently es-
tablished, we have not made the first
step toward the most manifest point of
our destiny, viz:-INDEPENDENcE.