The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-15
OUR LAMB-LIKE PRESIDENT.
The Saturday Review on Grants Polit-
icnI Economy.

The Saturday Review devotes long leading
article to the discussion of the message Of
President Grant, whose popularity twill per-
haps be enhanced by his obvious unacquain-
tance with the simplest rudiments of political
economy" and Its remarks upon the politico-
economical paragraphs Of the message are par
ticulary well worth reading. 1t says:
To less unsophstcated communities it seems
strange that the head Of a powerful govern
ment should think 1t necessary to Introduce an
irrelevant profession of sympathy with all
rebels and insurgents in foreign countries by
a recital that 1.-THE United States is the first OF
all nations;" but if Congress and the American
people are pleased with the appeal to national
vanity O dignitary who is evidently not dis
tinguished by originality Of thought, may per
haps be expected to adapt his language to the
taste of his hearers. 1t Is perfectly true that
the United States will SOON be the wealthicst
aud most powerful nation In the world, and
1nat it can consequently afford to make
blunders in more important things than go0d
taste. There is at present much commercial
stagna.ion and uncertainty, but the land ana
the population, the mines and the rivers, re-
main to be enumerated IN the Presldents gran
dilouuent eXordium. If he had been more
accomplished politician he would have con-
tented himself with eXulting In the crops, the
acreage, and the other undOubted advantages
of which America Is habitually proud. Ehe
tdGdtion ofthe mass Of the people TOR the erct';-
SiUe benefit OF q te,o selfish producers IS not a
aft of Nature or Fortune, but a perUerSe Tim
itation of natural prosperity. 1t seems that
manufactures, hitherto unknown in our coun-
try, are springing up in all directions, produc-
Ing a degree Of national independence une-
qualed by that of any other power" General
Grant Is evidently as little acquainted with the
reasons for freedom Of trade as with the prln-
ciples Of international law. If American citi-
zens unanimously impose on themselves
selfdenying ordinance restricting them to the
use of native commodities. they have an un-
doabted right to the chimerlcal blessing III
commercial independence; but when the iron
workers and cotton spinners .contriye to en-
force the use of bad an. Gear wares, the pro-
rress of manufactures only indicates the prey
aIence of a policy of waste and injustice. I.
is more surprising that General Grant should be
unaware OF the growth of the free trade party
than that he should miSundcrStand the ten
dency of protective duties.
The Western States are learning that MaSSa-
chusetts and Pennsylvania have contrlved TO
exact from them heavy tribute, for which,
as long as agricultural produce requires no
protection, it Is impossible to offer an cquiva-
lent. The economists OF New York, and even
of New England, begin to gain q hearing for
their lucid exposure OF the absurditles whlch
impose on the innocence OF General Grant.
A6oue all, 1t is toand that the parties to tte con-
Sp,rdcY of protection are ,inGCOiddbly plumber
inq one another IN their attempts to rob the gen
eral consumer. The protected manufacturers
object to the artificial price of coal and raw
material, and the shipbuilders and shipOwners
declare their inability to compete with their
English rivals, as long as wood and iron and
hemp are raised by erroneous legislation to
artificial prices. Their remonstrances nave
attracted the attention of the government,
which proposes to relieve them by an agggra-
vation of the error and injustice from which
they are suffering. The promise of the Presi-
dent that measures shall be proposed to Con-
gress for the relief of American shipping Is re-
deemed or explained by a passage in the
appended report OF the Secretary OF the
Treasury. AS General Grant holds that no
American citizen would profit by free inter-
course with Canada, it follows that he has no
desire to supply shipbuilders with cheap Tim
Der or iron. Mr.. Boutwell, proposes, not to
take the hand OF the native iron master out OF
the pocket Of the shipowner. but to enable him
in his turn to plunder the American merchant.
His remedy for the existing depression is
stringent navigation law, by which American
traders would be prohibited from using foreign
vessels. AS the Secretary OF the Treasury ar
CUES with inconceivable puerility, the freight
paid to an English shipowner might, as re-
suit Of the proposed Legislation, be transferred
to an American competitor. with the result
Va ouuiuS tHe mnoIo aiHouHI ~ 'iie i!"'io.iAi
wealth. 1t never occurs to him to inquire
why the New York shipper at present prefers
foreign vessel. 1t would be ncomparably
cheaper to subsidize American vessels by u
grant of money equal to the profits which they
are to earn at the expense OF freighters, than
to tax all the exports ofthc country for the ben
eft of native shipowners. The people of the
United States have much reason to regret the
legal technicality which prevented Mr.. Stewart
from accepting the office OF Secretary OF the
Treasury. great merchant would assuredly
not have attempted to rcgenerate the COM
mcrcial marine by imposing u heavy tax on all
the foreign trade Of the country.