The Lansing state Republican., 1866-02-21
FREE TRADE.


Letter from Peter Cooper.
FROM the Nee Yor. Frblne
Il is with more than ordinary regret lna-
| am compelled 90 differ iH opinion with
friends whom / respect, IN relation 10 their
favOrite theory u an unqualified iiee trade
with foreign countries. agree wluI all
who contend for an unqualified domestic
free trade in every article that is The pro-
duet OF American soil uT Of american
labor.
For nh these would secure every facility
Of Convenient and rapid exchange through
ont the length and breadth ol our country.
agree with my friends ihat free trade Is
beautiful ia theory, and would he u prdc-
lice between men and nations where all
things are equal. and whe-c all would ac-
tuaily weigh and measure all the products
of labor boy one uniform standard Of meas
ure or value. such measure Of value
should be rs unvieilinr iG lis nature as
gold ard silver.
II should be measure that has an inhe-
rent value in itself the result Of labor actu-
allv expended I'm producing il equal in
amount 10 the labor that has been eVpen-
ded on the article for which gold and silver.
OF its equivalent, is 10 bo given in eX-
change When the government has Sc
cured for our country such q measure of
value. and has paid the national debt. and
when it has cause6a gold and silver dollar
10 be held in readiness 90 redeem every pa
per dollar that is allowed 10 circulate a.
money: when that time has arrived We may
with less danger venture 10 introduce a
system OF free trade with foreign nations
Every attempt that has been made towards
a system Of free trade with foreign nations
in connection with our uSe OF an ever-eX-
pandin@ and contracting system OF incOr-
pOrated bank paper money must. as lt has
done. prove a delusiOn and q snare. 1t
must in the future. Rs it has done In the
past. bring in its train panic. pressure and
ruin 10 the untold thousands made bank
rupt by the change OF value in all kinds Of
property caused by the many alterations
of tariffs that have been made. Such q
ruin must inevitably follow policy that
would leave our own people unemployed
whilst We are buying foreign luXuries 10 he
paid for by exporting the raw materials OF
our own country. and then bringing upon
our country all The waste of time. interest
and labor that must be lost between the
producer and the consumer. such a trade
will do for Us what Mr. Webster said paper
money would do for a nation: " 1t will fer
tilize the rich mans field 10y the sweat of
the poor mans brow
Those who desire protection for Amer
lean labor ask the government 10 adopt the
policy urgently recommended by General
Jackson * the only true policy that can Sc
cure for the agricultural interests of the
country 4 steady and reliable hOme-maFkeJ.
and thus save the farming interests Of the
country from am entire dependence on the
uncertain and tluctuatlng markets OF for
eign nations. WHO will only buy OF rs when
their crops fail, and leave Us with our crops
70 rot in our barns when they can DO with
out them
We should not forget that one Of the
great causes that led tO the American Rev
olutiOn was the determination on the part
of Great Britain to force its manufactured
articles on lis colonies. 10 be paid for by
sending raw materials to England, and in
this way TO keep them entirely dependent
and poor. 10y preventing the colonies from
manufacturing for themselves This Is still
the policy of the British government, 10y
which il has drawn 20 its little island the
wealth OF every country that has allowed
itself 10 become the subject of lis policy
and power. 1t is trying still TO persuade
the people Of this country 20 run their
pl0ughs in competition with mighty ma
chimes in England. where single engine Is
doing the work OF thousand men.
To see the folly Of yielding 10 British
policy we have only 10 look n the effects
produced on our country during the wal
with Great Britain.
/ At that time. when our foreign trade was
cut of. labor was To demand and money
/ abundant; furnaces and mills were buiit,
and all actively employed; wages Were
high. and our national debt small. FouI
wears laler came the British tree-trade Sys
TEN.
AT once all was changel-mills aud fur
naces were stopped labor vent begging
and our pOOrhOuses were filled. The price
of land declined. money became scarce
and interest high. The rich who mortgage
became richer. and the poor and those wht
were in bebt were ruined
In view Of all this Widespread and gen
eral complain. General Jackson expressed
his deep concern for the welfare of the ua
ton when ne asked. Where, where la.
the American farmer n market for his sur
plus product"
He was compelled To answer 10y saving
81 that except for cotton. the America
farmer has neither a foreign nor a home
market"
Generel Jackson. like a wise statesman
advised his cOuntrymen Ito draw from az
riculture the superabundant labor aud em
ploy it in mechanism and manufactures.
He then said. We have been % lOn-
subject 10 this policy OF British merchants
it is time We became little more Amer
;canized. and instead OF feeding the paune
labor of Europe. We should feed our OWL
and give them employment"
At this time complaints continued n in
crease until things grew 50 bad that in ls2
our government found il necessary 70 adop
what I call a true American system a. fre
trade. L Was a system o. free trade tina
extended 20 all parts Of our owa counrr-
on all articles that arc the product OF cd
own soil OF labor.
To encourage this system duties wer
levied on imports, that soon gave new lif
and energy 10 the trade and business OF IN
p country.
The public debt was soon paid Of an
prosperity became universal.
: BY degrees. between 1884 and 1912. IN
tariff was repealed; the mills were agal
stopped: furnaces closed; lands fallen I
half price: the sheriff at work: States repu
dating their debts: the Treasury unable {
borrow at home or abroad. and bankrup
laws passed by Congress.
In lS42 the national system was agal
tried, aud In less than FIVE years the pre-