Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-18
oERHIr SMITH ON rHE RECrraourY TREATY.



DEAR SIR: learn, with surprise and
regret, that you are not decidedly in favor
Of the Reciprocity Treaty." and that,
possibly, you may oppose its adoption.
Believing, as do, that the people of Maine
are to benefit more by the Treaty than an
equal number of people in any other OF
the States, had supposed, that the Sena-
tors of Maine would be especially favora-
bic 10 il. But am informed, that it Isl as
an inhabitant Of Maine, that you hesitate
TO support it.
Perhaps, as have never seen the Treaty,
and have no precise knowledge of its
character, and am too much occupied with
various urgent matters TO learn more OF it
now, ought not to make this commune
cation. Nevertheless, my interest in the
Treaty is so deep, that must express it.
although at the risk of bctraying great ig-
norance of its provisions.
am in favor Of free trade between our
country and the British North American
Provinces. | am in favor Of it for the gen.
eral reason, that all parts of the world
should obey the laws of nature, and enjoy
free trade with each other. am in favor
of it for the particular reason, also, that,
these Provinces, being our neighbors, re-
strictions on their trade with us, are espe-
cialIy inconvenient and injurious. IL we
must be strangers to any portion of our
fellow-men, let it not be to our neighbors.
To multiply ties, and extend intercourse,
and grow into homogeneousness, with our
neighbors, is especially important. And
all this we shall not fail to do, if we have
free trade with them. We may never be
one IN name with our British neighbors.
But free trade with them and its resulting
social connections, and evcr-growing as
similations, would make US one with them
IN realty. And if we are one with them
an reality, it is comparatively unimportant,
whether we shall ever become one with
them IN name. The free trade Of Canada
with the United States, will be the vir-
tual annexation of Canada to the United
States. Many suppose, that it will lead to
its literal annexation. | am more inclined
to believe, that commercial annexation
will, at least for the present age, supersede
the desire for political annexation. And
if, in the end, Canada shall become part
of this nation, the greater the likeness be-
tween her people and ours, the greater
the prospect Of harmony and prosperity,
in such union. In this respect, therefore,
as well as in others, the assimilating in
huences of free trade constitute an argu-
mcnt in favor of our establishing free trade
with Canada. 1t is on these, its assimi-
lating influences, that base my opinion,
that free trade will superscde the present
desire for annexation. When free trade,
combined with other causes, shall have
reached the effect, the world over, of ma
king the man Of one nation like the man
of another, the tendency, in my judgment,
will be not so much to the uniting as to
the subdividing of nations. National pride
and jealousy will then have abated; and
then men win peacefully apportion them
selves into smaller nations, for the sake of
greater convenience.
But it is said, that the Treaty under con-
sideration does not provide for free trade
in all property. am aware, that it does
not, and / add, that am sorry it does
not. The argument for free trade in all
property regard as unanswerable. New
ertheless, | do not claim, that the argument
for free trade in manufactures is as strong
as the argument for free trade in natural
productions. With some plausibility may
Government say, that it must protect the
labor of its subjects against the overwhelm-
ing competition Of foreign labor; and
with more plausibility it may say, that
there are many foreign fabrics, which min
lister to luxury, and immortality, and ruin
and the importation ofwhich should, there
fore, be discouraged, if not, indeed, for
hidden. But whatever may be said, in re-
gard to the many Inventions which man
hath sought out" nevertheless to the free
exchange, among all nations, of what God
hath made, no objections can be raised
but what arc palpably at war with divine
ordnations--but what, in word, are pal
pably atheistic.
The first and highest duty, then, Of
nation, in respect TO the freedom of trade,
is to admit into the list of free articles all
natural productions. To perform this duty
is TO acknowledge and honor the Deity.
To refuse to perform it, is glaringly to deny
and dishonor Him. Moreover, to perform
this duty, and 10 allow the free exchange
Of the products of Gods hands, is TO open
the way for performing the other duty of al
lowing the free exchange ofthe products of
mans hands. Now, the plainest and most
sacred Of these two duties our Provincial
neighbors stand ready to perform. They
propose a free exchange with us of natural
productions. We cannot refuse their prop
osition and be innocent. To say, that we
will not consent to an exchange of natu-
raj productions, unless it be accompanied
by an exchange Of manufactures, is to
as unreasonable as the man who should
refuse to deal with his neighbor in wood
and water, unless he is, also, permitted TO
deal with him in pins and penknives. 1t
is, also, to prove ourselves TO be most hyp-