The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-12
OHEVALIER ON FREE TRADE,

! OHEVALIER ON FREE TRADE.
Mr.. Michel Chevalier, the distinguished
French writer on political economy, lately
presided at the annual dinner of the Golden
Club, on which occasion the gold medal of
the club was presented to the veteran cham.
pion of Free Trade in France, as an scknowl.
edgment of his association with Mr.. Golden
in negotiating the Anglo-French commercial
treaty in 1860. The presentation was made
in neat and appropriate manner by the
Marquis of Huntington, the present leader of
the English Liberals, to whose remarks MIR.
Chevalier answered in French speech, of
which some extracts may not prove uninter-
esting to our readers.
| Mr.. Chevalier said that the motto of the
| Golden Club, "Free Trade, Peace and Good
| Will among Nations, was ever to be praised.
The first point of it, "Free Trade" was now
on the point of being realized; but it was not
so with the other sentiments expressed in the
device. There was still alive, and alas, in
good health and high spirits, a school of
politicians who seemed to consider peace and
good will among nations as wild dreams and
chimerical notions, fit only for the amusement
or literary exercise of rhetoricians At that
very moment an effort to support every word
of this device was far from being superhous
1t had rather become necessity. Two or
three months ago peace and good will among
nations seemed for a moment mere de- |
lusion-a vapor ready to vanish.
Had not the government of the United |
Kingdom taken wise and firm stand, as we'll |
as the Russian government, widespread and
devastating war might have swept over Eu-
rope. On theimportant subject of Free Trade
they had now come to the testing point. Be-
fore the end of 1877 all the governments of
continental Europe must make up their minds
in regard to the renewal of their treaties, while
the Universal Exhibition at Philadelphia next
year either had no meaning whatever, or it
was sign that the day was drawing near
when the free trade policy would have OBJ
tanned its introduction into America.
Mr.. Chevalier then said that it would be q
dangerous illusion to suppose that although
he advantages of Free Trade are immense, the
reconstruction of the treaties of commerce on
| liberal basis throughout Europe can be &C.
without a hard struggle. The
Protectionist interest is still very strong, and
hey will use every effort to regain the ground
hey have lost. They understand that if they
re beaten on the present occasion, they are
% for ever. Now, the reasons we have on our
ide, and of which the free traders on the
Continent will make the best use in their
'ower, are the following ones: I
Besides the marvellous success of the ex- a
'eriment commenced in England thirty or +
orty years ago, we have the signal success Of
t any rate, the beginning of the Free Trade A
olicy in the Continental States of Europe,
nd especially in France 1t may be said
ithout exaggeration that this wholesome
olicy, followed since 1860, although re-
.ricted and timid, as it must be at the outset,
as added so much to the resources of France, G
lat it has enabled her to bear the heavy
urdens arising from the tremendous war of OF
$40, including the sum, amounting to more "
Ian five thousand millions of francs exacted ~
ON her by the victor. Owing to the wealth
le has acquired and is acquiring every day, VI
nder the auspices of Free Trade system, On
ill very far from perfect, France has the g. g.
over of supplying budget of above $780, to
10, 900 of francs, besides 800. 600, 900 to IL
900, 900, 600 of local expenses. tn
Another beneficial effect of the system in In
,ance, imperfect and incomplete as it is, is
9 fact that bank notes, averaging more than
500, 100000 of francs and nominally incon- ;,
rtible, circulate freely in the country with ~
t discouut-a financial phenomenon which
s no parallel to be met with before in the ~,
story of any country. II, then, the tree of
zee Trade has produced such fruit, even
len, as is the case with France some of its c
gest roots are wanting and some of its =
est branches cut off, what will it not pro-
ce when all its roots and branches are
owed to develop themselves freely and M
ly? Il
N concluding, Mr.. Chevalier spoke of Gil.
20 Trade as force before which the genius De
War had to succumb; and although it S S,o
uld be going beyond the mark to say that n
would always defeat warlike enterprise, first
war might certainly be restrained in the amo
nber Of its explosions. In cases of
Urgency arbitration offered a fair way of
listing grievances, and the influence of Il,