Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-03-06

in proportion to population. The basis OF the
distribution of the receipts Is that OF the relative
population of the several States and countries
the league. Ii is true, there are one
or two exceptions to that ratio OF distribution
exceptions founded upon local causes, or upon
other causes satisfactory to the parties, and which
have been adopted by unanimous consent.
Now, sir, desire TO invite the attention of the /
Senate and of the country to the inquiry whether /
we may not pro6tably form a commercial union, I
to comprise all the North American continent, on I
the basis of the German Zollverein. Our cont /
nent is admirably adapted to such system. Y on /
would at once abolish all the interior custom /
houses. All those custom houses upon the north |
ern frontier would be abandoned all upon the
dividing line between US and Mexico would be
abandoned all the internal restrictions upon trade
would be swept away; and all you would require
would be custom houses at the ports on the At
lantic and Pacific. Why can not we form the
whole American continent into one commercial
union for commercial purposes, without iuterter-
ing in the slightest degree with the political lnst-
tutiOns or domestic policy OF the different coun
tries within it? They have overcome all the
difficulties growing out of the practical working
of such a system in Germany, where they were
thousand fold greater than they would be in this
country; for in the German alliance they have
every form of government large States and small
ones; some formed on the republican system;
large kingdoms, like Prussia, Slxony and Bava-
ria with the small duches, like Baden Baden; yet
all embraced in one system ii is one country for
commercial purpose There is free intercourse,
free trade between them ali; thus wiping out all
the asperities and irrtatiOns that had grown up
for hundreds of years. until Germany is being
gradually nodded and formed into one people,
without interfering at all with the form Of Gov
eminent, or the political institutions, the do
nestle policy OF any one of the parties TO the com
mercial union.
The advantages to our own country of such a
union of all countries embraced within North
America must be obvious to every one. 1t would
restore and preserve amity and good faith between
the people of all the countries who became par
ties to it. 1t would eradicate all the jealousies
and hostilities which have been engendered by
lawless fllihusterng expeditions, and put eHd
to all outrages OF that kind in the future ltwOuld
extend our commerce, navigation, AMI carrying
trade while it would open up new and extensive
markets for our manufacturers and agricultural
products. 1t would impart stability, permanence,
and uniformity to commercial system. IL
would afford more efficient, certain, and valuable
protection to American industry than all the pro
tectve tariffs that Congress can devise.
While il would be beneficial to all the indus
trial and material interests of the United States.
il requires 10 argument to prove that it would he
equally advantageous to AL other countries who
]
rangement Each would furnish market for the
productions of the other, and be mutually bene-
fitei by the reciprocal exchange. And above all,
it would furnish a bond of perpetual peace and
alliance among all the American countries. and
make us one people for all purposes of national
defense when either might be unjustly assailed by
any European power.
1t is Il matter worthy of serious consideration,
whether the American commercial Union, in ad
n IL, -
ell to take cogniZance OF a light house system,
copyrights for books, patents for inventions, pos
tai regulations, teiegraphs and uniform system
OF weights and measures, coinage and such other
regulations as NAV from time to time be found
necessary to the freedom and convenience of the
commercial and social intercourse, without dis
turbing the domestic policy political Institutions
of the countries composing the union.
do not propose that We should initiate pol
icy that would annex any of these countries to
/ the United States. | Go not propose that our pol
cy should interfere, in the slightest degree, with
the forms OF government, with the political inter
/ ests, or with the domestic policy of any of the
States or countries within North America; but
that we should make a commercial arrangement
with them, by which we would derive all the adj
vantases of a commercial union, without being
I encountered with the embaTassments, the irrita-
tons, and divisions growing out OF adverse and
|
tons. Sir, the difficulties we have had, growing
out of this slavery question and the continual an
nexaton of countries adjoining us to the Ameri-
can Union, ought to warn Us OF the dangers oil
/ irving to extend the same sort of domestic policy
the system of political Institutions, over
countries and PEOPLE who are not homogeneous
/ with ourselves; but it we can secure the advan-
tages of free trade, of unrestricted commercial
and social interco urse-if we can be one country
for the purpose of commerce and navigation and
postal arrangements teleeraphic and social inter
course-we will derive all the advantages. without
mourning the disadvantages that might grow out
OF political union.
1t is also worthy of consideration, whether such
a commercial union may not facilitate peaceful
and satisfactory solution of all our difficulties witt
the seeding States.
am throwing out these suggestions merely fol-
the purpose of inviting the attention of the Sen
ate and of the country to them net with any
pectation that they will be adopted at the present
session of Congress. | think, if we could post
! pOne this tariff until the next session. and in the
| mean time devote ourselves to the investigation
of the affairs of the entire American continent as
they new exist, we might mature some plan by
which free States and slave States will live in har
mony together, by which our neighbOrs upon the
north, owing allegiance to the British crown
may have common interest anda common SYM
/
without disturbing their political Institutions; an
arrangement 0y which we may avail ourselves u
the markets for nine million people in Mexico
markets for our manufactures, markets for oul
agricultural productions, without being incum
bered with the political government of the coun
try; a system which would be beneficial to al
parties engaged in it without impairing the SOW
ereignty. the independence and the integrity o
the territories of any one of the countries tina
should become parties to it, In my opinion, sucf
a system would combine the advantages of poiti
cal community without drawing after it tlIos,
irritating subjects that are now disturbing thi
country, and in imminent danger Of pungng u
into civil war, revolution and final separation
Ii the peace OF this country is to ne preserved j
we can avoid the splitting Of blood among GU
neighbors, give time to reflect upon the presen
state of things, study the which have
brought the country to this distraction. i hav
hope we may mature system of commercial
union that will cover the whole American cunt
nent; make Us one people in interest, in com
merce, and one people for national defense whel
either of US are asSaiied; yet several people will
reference to our domestic and our political nsti
buttons.
Ny object, sir, is accomplished 1t was simpl
to throw out the suggestion; to invite attention &
it; and to ask the Senate to pause before it adopt
system OF revenue that will inhame the passion
of those States that are now discontinued and dis
satisfied, and see il there is not open to us a pat
Of peace. by which bloodsbed shall be avoided
and the peace of the country preserved, the Uniol
maintained in its entire integrity, anu II CONNER
cial system that will make us one country on tin
whole American continent for all its advantages
without bringing in those disturbing clements tina
are now threatening to dissolve the Union tina
our fathers made for u.s.
Much Ado About Nothing.
! The politicians at Washington are making
tremendous pother over the question of slavery il
the Territories, and the radical Republicans dc
clare that they will never give up that portion o
the Chicago Platform which positively prohibit
the extension OF the peculiar institution into an