The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-03-08

The EFFECTS OF EUROPEAN WAR UPON AME-
RlcAN CoMNERcE.-From long and powerful
speech made bv Mr.. Coblen at a late Peace
Meeting in Manchester, which was attended by
/ some six-thousand persons, we take the follow
ing striking paragraph relative to the ELECTS OF
Eurorean war upon American commerce. The
position is unquestionably sound one:
Now, have heard a great deal OF trash talk
cd, and have seen great deal more written,
about what is to be expected from the United
States of America, if we declare w;,r with France.
Don't deceive Yourselves. America is not COM
inc to put herself in alliance with the Anglo
Saxon race to make war with France (Cheers.)
If YOU 80 to war with France tell you what
the United States will do--the first thing they
will do will be to assume very bold attitude,
and require You instantly to abandon that right
! of search Which was claimed and exercised dur
inc the last war, and was left an open question
even at the peace. Now, you will be obliged
instantly to reuounce the right of visiting Anne
rican vessels.
America will no longer allow you, with her
tonnage, now nearly equal to your own, to 40
what you did 45 years ago with impunity; and
what will be the consequence! America will
carry on the commerce of Europe. Doyo think,
with your navigation laws repealed | in
vite the merchants of Liverpool, whose organs
talk so ghbty of war, to pay attention to what
say-do you suppose that, with the navigation
laws repealed, if there is war between France
and England and our narrow seas swarm, as
they will, with prvateers having letters ofmarque,
many and many strout steamer built on the
Atlantic shores coming over here with letters OF
marqe to seize as prizes your merchant vessels
do YOU suppose that, under such circumstances,
ANYBODY would be such fool as to send one
ounce of freight under the English flag Would
not the Insurance be some 20 or 80 per cent.
more than the insurance of some American ship !
and who in the world, do you think, could carry
on competition in any commodities, if he had to
pay 20 or 80 per cent. more than those who
brought their goods in any foreign ship! What
must be the effect instantly of war!
Your ships must leave your harbors and so
and enter themselves and get registered either as
American ships, or Dutch ships, or Hamburger
ships, and be anything but English ships; then
you may bring your commodities here under
some other flag, and what will become of the
shpwrghts of Liverpool, when all the English
ships are gone, aud no others building? They
may follow the ships, Or they may 60 to the
workhouse (Hear, hear.) That is what will
follow war; that is what will come Of the "ligh
hand" and "pitch into France" as the saying is.
Laughter And right well would the mer-
chants Of Liverpool deserve such state Of things
il they sanction such course Of policy or en-
courage that tone of the press which invites pro-
vocation aud war of that kind. Though we have
not sufficiently thought of what war would do
for ourselves, have You ever considered what ef-
feet it would have upon this distrct-this busy
hive which sub>Sts entirely upon the industry
that is employed upon the rrw material brought
from abroad! 1t would bea very different thing
to throw the country into distress now, for the
want of the raw material, to what it was some
60 years ago for our capital has increased four
or FIVE fold, and our consumption otthe raw ma
tcrial has increased some eight or ten fold from
what it was in those days. Don't listen to those
papers which talk about "pitching into France,
and don't deIude yourselves with the idea that
the United States will ever come TO help the
English in any war that may be carried on. The
Americans are too shrewd to fight other peoples
battles; when you find them fighting it will be
for themselves. Cheers and Laughter.