Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-11

slave may come and claim freedom ct any
court of Liberia, and it would be awarded
him; but SO far as have observed bnt few
that slavery does exist among the aborigiues
within the limits of Liberia. I don't believe
there is town within its limits that has not
visits from natives accompanied by their
slaves, daily. In fact, much of the produce
brought for sale in the Lberian. ports is
brought on the heads of native slaves i
don't make this statement in any spirit of
complaint against the Liberian laws or gov
ernment, but simply as fact. Any mis-
sionary or white trader will testify to lbs
truthfulness. Liberia has only about 25. 600
American negroes, and with this little hand
full cannot wage very extensive war against,
the institutions Of the vast unnumbered mul
titude of aborigines which press her ON every
side. And while do the justice to her more
enlightened citizens to say that they do ep-
pose slavery, am equally truthful in stating
that the Ignorant masses, fresh from slavery
themselves, which are picked up and sent
out by the colonization society, do not form
very able aiders and abettors in the crusade
for freedom.
The London Times, in speaking concerning
the negotiations between the English and
French commissioners for new commercial
treaty says it is impossible not to be struck
by the contrast between the circumstances of
the present negotiations and those of the ne
gotiations in Paris, twenty-one years ago,
between the French government and Mr..
Golden, when the era of commercial treaties
of the so-called free-trade type began. In
those days all was, hope and confidence
among free-traders. England had fourteen
years of unparalleled prosperity under the
new system. The French Emperor was him
self convinced free-trader, and though his
subjects were protectionists, it was believed
that they had only to get q taste of what
free trade, or the nearest approach to free
trade the Emperor could venture on, really
meant to be themselves converted to the new
gospel. Their conversion also to involve
that of the rest of Europe and the world. AL
this was before the American civil war, with
the high duties it entailed, and the long his
tory of material prosperity that followed
Notwithstanding the high duties. 1t was also
France which dethroned France from its pri-
macy in Europe. s'Now," continues the
Times, 1.-The free trade enthusiasm has all
died out. F1ance itself has not been con-
verted or half converted, while its political
defeats have indisposed it to that close inter-
course with its nearest continental neighbor
which free-trade would inevitably lead to.
Even if it had been converted, it has no long
er the old influence if France were a free
trading nation, it would not draw the world
after it. Above all, it would be useless to
deny that protectionists are not cowed by
free trade arguments as they once were. The
prosperity of France the United States, and
other countries under a protectionist system
has raised doubts which it is difficult to an
swer satisfactorily in a popular way, as to
what free-trade really accomplishes, while the
check to our own trade by the high tariffs of
foreign countries has produced strong feel
ing of resentment in this country against the
countries retaining them. which indisposes
people to listen to free trade argument. This
change of circumstances demonstrates, we
think, the real impolicy of the course which
was entered upon twenty years ago with SO
much exultation, and against which the most
vigorous protests were raised in our own col
umns at the time. The world was not to be
converted to free-trade by the careful edu-
cation of leading country whose rulers were
more intelligent than the mass. In spite of
all the development of trade between France
and England since the treaty, there has been
a persistent distrust and acrimony, and now
we have to negotiate new treaty, with
France as protectionist as ever, and with
protectionist ideas making way among the
electors, so that we are told to take whatever
conditions the French will concede to US in
case worse should befall"