Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-16
OUR RELATIONS WITH EyGLAYD


we apprehend no serious difficulty in the final a
Justment OF our relations with the British Cover
msnf. As matters now stand there Is bu. one s,,
diplomatic arrangement repaired for the obyiatit
OF present or prospective sources OF dispu,e TIL
Step 10 the abrogation of the Buwer. Clayton treat
We must cut loose from this ambiguous compsc
constituting, as it does, The first Instance of nos,;,
disobedience TO the solemn Injunction of Wa,bineo
with regard to the avoidance of sntsuglng alliance
We are not among the plumber of sangune sprit
who look forward to the proximae annexation ,
Central America. But We conceive that no huma
wisdom is sufficient to determine what lapse {
years may effect towards the development of Amer
can policy in that direction. Under Mr. Claytons ow
interpretation this treaty must be regarded az the of
spring of short.sighted policy-so short sighted, in
deed, that il promises present benefit to be weghe
against the sum total Of probable disasters and un
avoidable embarrsssments of which it promises
plentiful harvest 10 the future. There is bnt one man
ner of explaining the adoption OF this treaty by ou
own government. The last Wing Administration
was too weak to venture on a decided policy eithe
domestic or foreign 1t obliged In most instances
to assume the province of a go.between. The high
compromise and pacifcstion. 1t was too weak to
place even compromise or pacidcation on durable
basis. II avoided issues which it was powerless to
by atemporizing procrastination 1t could not
adjust differences 1t only entangled them in deeper
complications and its Central American policy has
produced knot Of entanglements which Statesman.
ship cannot unite or unrsvel. II must be cut
That this unnatural alliance be severed, is east
y demonstrated In the frst place. there is the best
possible preeIt for the abrogation Of the treaty,
prete1t upon which either party may demand the
abrogaton matter Of strict International right
There is an important difference between the con
tracing parties to the Interpretation of the com.
pact.
Again. England has nothing to gain by pushing
this issue d routraace. Commerce is the great basis
OF the wealth and power Of England. Every ener-
gy is directed every issue of policy is shaped to
compllsh the maintenance and extension of com.
merce. Agricuturasts, miners, manufacturers, mer.
ohsns and sailors toll FOR it. Statesmen egslste for
It, Diplomatsts intrigue for it. Some fifteen years
ago, when Lord Aberdeen made the governmental
agents OF Great Britain in our Southern States the
abettors of abolition societies; when every Briti.h
consul from baltimore to New Orleans was engaged
In preparing for the eye of the British Cabinet the
minutest details sppertaning to the institution of
slavery; how slaves we're bought sold, lodged and
fed what were the opportunities for the escape of fu
gtives; what the extent of voluntary emancipation
the satistcs OF the slave trade among the different
States; whether there we're abolition societies known
Or unknowH'' in any of the slaveholding States |
where aud how extensive were these associations;
and what their manner of opsrstion how coad they
be assisted enlarged when printed circulars we're
containing these categorical nquistons
'nd others equally Significant when British officials
we're instructed to employ every means of inveatiga
ion to supply information, the moet minute and ex
ended, on all these particular points of enquiry;-at
his tlme the British Government hoisted the banner
If pretended philanthropy. Even then, the whole
ntent oits policy was to secure commercial advsn.
age. England had adopted the policy of rendering
ler own colonies productive under system of Afri
AN apprenticeship. One manner Of protectipg sud
.I-.-.,r,.r this Nave ,oV". :" "e 0''''>
utility of both eGesvors has been demonstrated even
O the satisfaction of the British Parliament
Apart from existing treaty stlpulationa Great Bri.
ain has the tull assurance that her commercial inter-
st, 40 for ss Central America is concerned, are qua
snteed and limited by an immutabe law. Whoev.
,r NAV claim or maintain sovereignty or protecforate
,yer the soi, it ia pctco geographical fact that the
rsnst routes of Central America must be regarded |
"a The highways Of the worlds commerce. 1t would
not serve the nterests OF any nation whatever to mo-
,onoize, or even to exercise unlimited control over
bess pathways between two oceans. Any such at
empt would antagonist her individual policy to the
combined interests of the civilized world and ma
ons ara like individuals; neither fight against
The world.
A glance at the following article, extracted FROM
the Nashville Daily Nsws,' will suffice to demon
strate the imprscticabiity of any attempt, under
present circumstances to disturb the peaceful rela.
,jops between the looms of Crest Britain and the
plantations of the United States.
FACTORIES AND MANUFACTURES IN GREAT BRi
TAs-In the year 1857, the number of cotton, wool
en- worspd fax and elk manufactures in Great brl
tain was SLY. Since 1850, the annual inorease has
haan At the rate of 86 per apnum. In that year
there we're in active operation cotton factories
The average value Of cotton goods and yarn EXPORT
ed in the three years ending January 9Th. lS5o wac
in round numbers, E24,60O,000 If the 2,2lO facto
res In activity, in 1885, had produced goods or yarn
in the same proportion only az the factories OF lSo
the value of the exports would be f2s,OOOO00, yet
the average value Of these exports in the three years
ending December 81 1855. amounts to about
f5l 900 600. The case with the wooen factories Is
simsr We see then that while the quantity OF ma
chinery kept in motion by each horse power has con.
siderably increased, the number OF persons employed
over each horse power has renamed stationary, VIZ
four persons on an average. The number nf SPIN
dies in the United Kingdom amounted respective'y
in 1850 and 1856 to Is 63s 7l6, and to I1 5o3, oN-
The average number Of spindles in each factory was