Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-03-30
The Effect of European War Upon
American Commerce.


From long and powerful speech made
in Manchester, which was attended BY
some six thousands persons. we take the
following striking paragraph relative to
the effects of European war upon Amer
lean commerce. The position is unques-
tionably sound one.
Now, have heard great deal of trash
talked, and have seen great deal more
written, about what is To be expected
from the United States of America. If we
declare war with France. Don't deceive
yourselves. America is not coming IN
put herself in alliance with the AngIo
Saxon race to make war with France
Cheers If you go to war with France
/ tell you what the United States will do:
the FIRST thing they will do. will be to as
sumo a very bold attitude, and require.
you instantly to abandon that right of
search which was claimed and exercised
during the last war, and was left an open
question even ut the peace. Now, you
will be obliged instantly to renounce the
right of visiting American vessels. Anne
RIGA will no longer allow you, with her
tonnage now nearly equal to You own. 10,
do what you did forty five years ago with
impunity and what will be the conse-
quence America win carry on tho COM
merce of Europe. Do you think with
your navigation laws repealed-now in
vite the merchants of Liverpool, whose
organs talk so glibly of war. to pay atten-
ton to what say-do you suppose that,
with the navigation laws repealed, if there
is a war between France and England, and
our narrow sea swarms, as twill with pri-
vateers having letters of marque-and
many a s.aunch steamer built on the At
lantic shores coming over here with letters
of marque to seize as prizes your mer-
chants vessels-do you suppose that. un-
der such circumstances. anybody would
be such fool as to send one ounce of
freight under the English flag? Would
not the insurance be some twenty or
thirty per cent. moro than the insu-
rance of some American ship? And
who in the world do you think could
carry on competition in any commodities,
if he had to pay 90 or 80 per cent. more
than those who brought their goods in any
Instantly OF war? Your ships must leave
your harbors and go and enter themselves
and get registered. either rs American
ships, or Dutch ships. or Hamburg ships,
and be anything but English ships, then
you may bring your commodities here
under some other flag and what will be-
come of the shipwiis hts OF Liverpool,
when all the English ships are gone and
no others building? They may follow
them or they may so to the workhouse-
Hear, hear That is what will follow a
war; that is what will come of the +" high
hand,' aud pitching into France" as
the saying is. Lau hter. And right
we'll would the merchants of Liverpool
deserve such state of things if they sane
ton such a course of policy, or encourage
that tone of the press which invites provo
cation and war OF that kind. Though We
have not thought sufficiently of what q
war would do for ourselves. have you eve
ry considered what effect it would have
upon this district? this busy hive, which
subsists entirely upon the industry that is
employed upon the raw material brought
from aboard II would be a very differ
ent thing to throw the country into dis
tress now. for the want OF the raw mate
rial to what it WAS some sixty years ago
for our capital has increased four or five
fold. and our consumption of the raw ma
terial has increased some eight or ten
fold to what it was in those days. Don't
listen to those papers which talk about
pitching into" France and don't delude
yourselves with the idea that the United
States will ever come TO the help Of the
English in any war that may be carried
on. The Americans are too shrewcd To-
| fight other peoples battles: when you
find them fighting it will be for them
selves. (Cheers and laughter.)