, 1860-01-05
39tt68:M 4 Urihtttte.
THURSDAY, JANUARY s. 1850.


..ioANADA AND CORA: /:
Whatever diversity Of sentiment may exist
relative to tho opposing theories Of free trade
and high protective duties, there ought to bo
entiEc ;nnnniuity on the subject Of reciprocal
Tree eiraoe between the Unibed States, on the
one hand, and the British American Provinces
aad Cuba on tie other. Without such rcla- !
tons with these countries oar commercial eys- !
lem is necessarily incomplete. The one lying
within the tropics, the other in hyperborean
latitqdss the pa.ur:l products of aeitl,er enter
into competition to auy great extent with the
productions Of "our own country, while both
furnish commodities which VIC arp compelled
to buy abroad, and both require mich Of what :
wo have to soil. +. .... -
Our cxper encc in rcclproca! trade with Can
ada has proved the wisdom aud mutual aayan-
tage Of tho arrangement. 20 far as that coun-'
try is concerned. Sonnet time ago. TIE prepared
aud published series Of statistics bearing
upon our commercial relations with Cuba,
which demonstrated that similar policy with
that country would lead to similar result
Our trade with it would be Immensely increas-
ed, leading to permanent enhancement in the
value Of many Of our own productions, aud TO-
n material reduction in the price Of sugar and
1nolasses Which enter SO largely into our do
meFtic consumption. and which have como to
he regarded as among tho necessarica Of 1ils
with ali classes Of our people.
Again, our national politics are constantly
disturocd by questions Of nnnexation and we
lave frequent threatening anl angry discus
siona viii Spain, growing out Of propositions
to purchase 0aba nnd the Iaw|css acis Of hot
bl"oded tlllib!ssters. Al any moment we may
he prccipi.ated into 4 war with that govern
ment, or INTO all immense national debt. for its
purchase. The former would almost certain-
u involve usin difficulties viii, other Europe
an powers, and the latter would add immense
" to to our national burdens. We have also q
question Of iannexation at the North; not 50 i'm
m!ucnt and pressing as before the Treaty Of
Reciprocity, butsstiu occasionally prominent
and liable to become more 50 o. at. any moment
that the annc1ation Of Cuba Assumes d tangi-
bic shnpe. The only practical solution to these
grave questions, outside Of war or d lavish ex.
pcndituro beyond cur means asa nation. is to
bo found in reciprccal'rcc trade with each. By
this policy NIL the expense and irtermn1able
difficulty tlnt would A6w from annexation,
both before and after the. act are avoided,
while MI Of the advantages Of it are secured.
1twould be, in fact . commercial annexation,
fruitful Of profit aud harmony, and avoiding tie
difficulties, the expense and tile dangers incl
dent to a political union. ..,.
In relation to reciprocal free trade with
Canada, there nre some for abolishing so much
Of it as we already cl,joy, while others are re-
1'se;ed upon extending it indefinitely, making
trade between the two countries rs free as it
now is between thq different States Of tie
Cnion, abolishing custom houses and custom
house officers nowrequircd On both sides Of the
line, and rendering tic commercial Union. in
every respect, complete. In this latter class
are embraced al Western men who have given
tue subject any serious consideration; and tie
reasons which inpcl them to favor tic psopc-
sition, are equally applicable to 4 reciprocal
free trado policy with Cuba. The River St.
Lawrence is the natural outlet for largo part
Of the trade Of tic Northwest; while the Afie.
slssippi lal!6ls the same office for portion #
it and also for that Of the Southwestern States,
The Gulf Of Mexico is hut tie widening out Of
The Mississippi, al,d Cuba, Tor all commercial
purposes, is as much a coastwise city rs New
Orleans or St Louis. Almost all tue bread
e:::tIs, the pork and beet, the butter and cheese
rc s:red for eonsum :,tlou in Cuba, ought to I've
take, from the States upon tile Mississippi,
instead Of being transported TO it across the
Atlantic; The manufactures of our country,
in iron wood, leather, textile fabrics, &c, ought
to find large sale in Cuba, and would do 50
under the policy which we advocate.
We have assurances that this subject will
be brought TO the attention Of Congress during
tho present sc--io... II IS ONO IN which the
whole country is, or ought to be, interested:
but: to the Western States especially it is Of tie
greatrst importance. Tho flllib..sters, the ad-
rocates for extending tho area Of American
slavery and increasing the power Of the slave
States il the federal Union, will. OF course, op-
pose reciprocity, aud favor either conquest or
purchase in its stead. But all those who look
to tho permanent welfare Of the country, who
desire to elimilato from our national politics
all sectional and disturbing elements, and who
seck to place our great Industrial interests Of
agriculture and manufactures upon prosper
Gus and satisfactory 1'asIs, will support recip-
rocal FREQ trade, with both Canada and Cuba,
q essential to these ends and to the perfection
Of a contin entail commercial system.