The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-09-22

would he best calculated to develope the re-
sources Of the country, and impart the great
| est degree Of activity to internal trade and
| industry! That is the great question /; and
III regard to this. two directly opposite tn co.
rits or opinions are held, and one other inter-
| mediate between the two. One division or
class of the partisans Of free trade contend
! that foreign commerce should be as free and
untrammcllcd as the commerce between the
several States of the Union ; and. to give ef.
feet to this policy, that the revenue to support
the Government should be raised by taxes,
and that the commercial power given 10 Con
gress by the Constitution should be and can
be exercised constitutonally no further than
to compel reciprocity. Another class of the
same school of economists do not go quite so
far; the, hold that it is well enough to raise
the necessary revenue to support the Govern
tncnt by duties on imported merchandise,
but insist that it is neither cxpedient nor con-
stituIional to impose any such duties on i'm.
ports but for purposes Of revenue, and that no
discrimination Is admissible with view to
| the protection of domestic manufacturers.
But there is still another class of political
economists, or rather Of practical business
men, In this country. who hold the opposite
OF these doctrines who hold that the COM
mcrclal power given to Congress by the Con-
| sututon was intended to he exercised not
| merely to countervail the commercial policy
OF our own. founded upon the particular cir
| cnnistances in the condition Of our own coun-
try such u policy as would lead, in the first
place, to the production within our own
| limits, as far as practicable. of az! comno-
ditles ot first necessity to our defense IN time
| OF war, and our subsistence Doth in time of
peace and war, that being an ESSENTIAL condi-
tor OF independence such policy as, in the
| next place would be calculated to develop
| every latent or neglected resource Of the
county, and call into action and stimulate
every moral and physica. element Of produc-
tive industry to the highest point of attaina-
able SIX i'll and excellence.
PROTECTIVE POLICY INDICATED.
have heard it announced once ur twice in
debate on this floor that nobody is now bold
enough to advocate the protective policy
The Secretary of the Treasury announces in
his report, that " the day has passed IN this
| country for increasing the restrictions on
| commerce. The enlightenment Of the period
IN which we live is too great for that! The
policy Of Great Britain in modifying her
tariff to some extent in conformity with the
spirit of free trade, is held up as an example
tit to be followed by this country. have
already expressed my admiration of the pro-
found wisdom Of British statesmen. They
never sacrifice great national interest to
mere abstraction They know perfectly well
that they risk nothing in the changes they
have made in their commercial policy. They
know. too-what American statesmen have
yet to learn that The reciprocity in trade
which they affect generously to offer to the
acceptance o! all nations, is neither fair nor
equal in its benefits, except as between
nations in some parity of condition. and the
natural resources Of which have been equal.
by developed There can be no fair COM
| competition otherwise in the race for PFC
cmlncnce in wealth and power. All the
world knows that England stands now with
out rival in the arts of production: and
that, if the principles Of freetradc parisans
IN this country speak vauntingly Of the pro-
gresS OF these principles, that | should like
to hear what nations or people have made
them the basis of their commercial policy
what great power, especially, has adopted
this policy Great Britain, it is true, has
adopted them as far as they are applicable
70 her circumstances and conditions; and
10 that extent, other powers have done So
But what one has gone beyond that point
Is 1t Russia! Is 1t Austria? Is it France
None OF those powers have fallen into the
snare; nor could either of those great powers
adopt such policy without endangering
nay, without positive sacrifice Of the great
element Of progress, as well as Of independ.
ence. Which of the smaller States of Europe
has been so insane as to accept the invitation
Of England Some few commerce ial cities
only. Neither Holland, nor Belgium. nor
Sweden, nor Denmark. nor Zoll Verciu, which
represents most of the States of Germany,
no' nw ltZerlaLd, nor Spain nor Portugal
Several of them have reduced their duties
on imported merchandise, but none of them
have fully embraced free-trade principles.
those who would follow the example of
uteat Britain in adopting the principles of
Tree trade Ill this country, would do well to
give some attention to the vantage ground
she would occupy in entering upon free
competition for the trade of the world: and
that IS the question at last. All freely ad.
INIT that the manufactures of Great Britain
are the principal foundation and support of
Iier immense commerce. She exports no raw
products; her annfacures now supply an
hualiy an average Of fl00 900 900 of exports,
equivalent to $500 600 900: and this they
do after supplying the home consumption to
an equal amount, as estimated by her ahIeSt
economists; thus making the whole annual
product OF her manufacturing industry 1900
OoO,OOO. equivalent to Sl00. 900 GOO II
was tins cXhauStless mine Of wealth that
carried England through the terrible and cx-
penslve wars the French revolution trium.
phantly and it would enable her again to
| suhsdize half the world in any great war in
which they may hapen to be engaged.
LII 1t should be inquired how England has
been enabled to surpass all the world in man
ufacturng industry, the f'ee.trade advocate
will tell you that this great success arose
from several causes: the character of
her population ; their hardlhood and enter
p'ls,ng spirit the natural advantages of the
country its minerals of greatest utility in
the arts; its treasures of iron and coal the
abundance of capital the accumulation Of
centuries; but none of them are ever heard
to allude to another and most potential cause
of the wonderful progress of manufacturing
skill and enterprise IN Great Britain. | all
lude. Of course, to the encouragement and pro.
lection extended by the Government to the
manufacturing interests, by duties and i'm.
posts upon the products of otLer countries,
when brought to be yended in the English
markets. When the attention of the cham
picns of free trade is called to this point, their
ntterance is suddenly checked mp, or they
boldly deny that the protective policy has any
thing to do in building up that great British
interest.
They dispose of the famous m vipa tim octc