The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-07

prosperity OF Tue cOuntfAco Dce"ccn "AAoA -
may exist, is proposition that, outside of the
circle of monomaniacs of which Horace
Greeley and Henry @. Carey are the crazy
oracles, no one not utterly demented or con-
genitally idiotio could fail to comprehend and
approve. The came men who furiously
argued that dissolution Of the Union would
destroy the blessing of free market for the
North in the South, and for the South in the
North, have persistently opposed, as an unmit-
igated evil, the policy of applying the same
principle of commercial reciprocity in the re-
lations of the United States with foreign
nations. And still more prodigious incon-
sistency is seen when some of the most invet-
crate opponents of free trade advocate the
political annexation of outlying countries.
such as Canada, Nova Scotia, Cuba, st. Do
mingo and eligible portions Of Mexico and OF
Central and South America Their protection
dogmas have SO enfeebled their reason that
they are unable to perceive that the free trade
policy which they denounce is included in the
annexation which they propose. and that if
home industry would be ruined and the
acknowledgements robbed, as they contend, by
the one policy, the same ruin and the same
robbery would result from the other.
We think, however, that there is at length
a tendency, on the part Of some of the organs
of New England interests, to emerge from
this miserable chaos of fallacies and contra
dictions. The Boston Bulletin, for example,
has recently spoken with good deal of force
in favor of commercial reciprocity as better
way than annexation "to promote the union
and harmony, as well as the material interests
of the family of American States" " Such q
commercial league" it says, "would not only
consolidate the interests of the different por-
tons of this continent, but it would speedily
render all of them politically, as well as COM
mercially, independent of Europe. So far as
this country is concerned such an arrange
ment would bring us all the advantages of
political annexation without any of its draw
backs and disagreeable accomplishments. 1t
would open up to our people the markets and
material resources Of all sections without
troubling them with the complications of local
politics in any way, and without admitting to
the franchises of citizenship such of our allies
as it might be desirable to exclude" This,
for an exponent of New England opinion, is a
remarkable stride in the direction of sound
doctrine and liberal policy. But it is still
lamentably short of the commercial catholicity
which the genius of civilization demands.
Our Boston contemporary is not yet entirely
freed from the grip of the protection idea.
He cannot yet elongate his visual focus SO as
to embrace within its range of sight all
countries in the civilized world as members of
one commercial family. Why confne the
proposed league upon the basis of reciprocal
free trade to the American continent? What
is the sense of urging commercial indepen-
dence of Europe, that is to say commercial
isolation from Europe, as good thing, while
admitting that the present approximation to
such relation between the various countries
of this continents detrimental to the interests
of all of them, and that the welfare of each
is to be sought in promoting the utmost de-
gree of commercial communion and inter-
dependence? The principle of free trade, left
to its own operation, would difuse blessings
over the whole earth, as the sun its wealth of
generatiye influences. What would be thought
of system of legislation which should
aim, by contrivances of cumbrous
and terribly costly character, to shut
out the light of the sun in order to sub
stitute gas, kerosine and other specified
illuminators? What would a sunless people
think if told that they ought to regard this
system as great terrestrial blessing because
it protected the manufacturers of the several
illuminating substances from a ruinous celes-
tial competition They would say, Of course,
that, besides being compelled to pay un-
merciful prices for an infinitely inferior light,
they would be constantly exposed to the dan
ger of total darkness. Well, the argument
for and the argument against protection are
precisely analogous To extend free trade to
the whole American continent would be only
partial unwilling of the sun. The full
benefcence of the principle will not be real
lied until it shines equally upon all the CONT
nents and WHITES everywhere the elements of
industry and Of material civilization. Nor is
it necessary to establish commercial leagues
in order to make q salutary advance towards
such contamination. Because one govern
ment may foolishly and oppressively deny its
own people the right of buying where they
can buy cheapest, is no reason why another
government should commit the same folly and
wrong. The protective policy pursued of late
years by the United States has not induced
England and France to finch from their po-
sition of approximate free trade. The bad
example has only served to confirm the con-
victions of English and French statesmen
in favor of unrestricted commerce, and
their steadfastness is abundantly indicated
by the progress which each country is making
in prosperity. They would gain something,
Of course, by relations of reciprocal free trade
with the United States, but the suicidal course
of the latter in going against reciprocal or
any other conditions of free trade does not
necessitate like policy on the part of any
other power
The steamer B. l.. Hodge will arrive Thursday