The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-27
NEW ENGLAND AND FREE TRADE.

The Boston correspondent of o Western
journal expresses the belief that, notwith-
standing Mr. Boutwell's supposed fellowship
with the New England protectionists, he has
furtive leaning towards free trade. Well, it
would not be surprising if he should at length
openly advocate free trade policy without
umbrage to the New England politicians who
have heretofore been as Unsuitable in their
cry for tariff bonuses as the horse leech's
daughter was for gifts. No people were at
one time more ardent and uncompromising in
their demand for unrestricted commerce than
the merchants and capitalists of Massachu-
sets. Let commerce be as free as the air, let
it spread its wings, without restraint or ques.
ton, on every wind and over every sea, was
then their sentiment. Hence they almost
forcibly revolted against Jefferson's embargo.
But circumstances alter cases. The cotton
gin and the spinning jenny effected wonder
full revolution in the economical views of the
solid men of Massachusetts and most of the 9TH
er New England States. The shipping interest
and mercantile voyages to and from the utter
most reaches of foreign trade gradually ceased
to absorb their money and their enterprise
As their factories went up their admiration
for free trade went down; and, finally, it be-
came in their eyes detested thing, noxious
as pestilence, and deadly to home industry.
Then nothing but the utter exclusion of for
eign competition would satisfy them. What
was the use of their trading abroad on equal
terms, when they could have at home mar
ket exclusively for themselves where the peo-
pie would be compelled to buy their goods at
two or three prices or go without? According
to their calculations, and in their sublime no
tons of morality, the thought of seeking profit
in the widest diffusion of free trade, when
simply by closing the ports of the country
against free trade they could tax ten fold
more profit out of their countrymen, was posi-
lively preposterous.
But, like a stimulating drug, protection
will at last wear out its own virtue. There
is a point in the protective tariff system at
which no further manipulation of the duties,
though they should be raised to the very
clouds, will afford any new protection. So
that, after the old protection is exhausted,
legislation can give no further aid to the
manufacturers, unless by levying direct tax
upon the people for their benefit There is
reason to believe that this point is nearly
reached now. Perhaps it is actually reached.
And this accounts, doubtless, for the recent
demonstrations in New England in favor of
relieving the shipping interest from tariff
restrictions which have been crushing it.
Such manifestations would seem to indicate
that capitalists in New England begin once
more to look to foreign commerce as the
main field of profitable enterprise. More
over, the growth of Southern manufactur-
ing, destined to increase from year to
year, is well calculated to warn the manu-
facturers of New England that the monopoly
which they have long enjoyed must eventu-
ally slip away from them. For all which, it
should not be surprising if at day not dis
tant the voice and the political influence of
New England should be for free trade to the