The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-29
Good HdviCe by
ThoS. Jefferson

n MONG the fathers of the republic
IAN Thomas Jefferson stands out pre-
IU\ cmincntly as the earnest. persist
i'm ent advocate OF obtaining the full
est and frcest access possible to
foreign markets for American produc-
tions, To this broad policy of states
manship he united the kindred one OF
fostering by every legitimate means the
carrying trade both ways, so as to build
up commercial marine that should be
source of profit in peace and re-
source of defence in war. jefferson, in
fact, was the father of these twin poll
cies of national progress, enrichment aud
commanding strength on the ocean. AS
disclosed by himself in his autobiography,
written i'm 1921 but not published until
long afterward, and also in letter to
President John quincy Adams in 1926,
he was member of the committee OF the
congress of tho confederation which con-
sidered this whole question. 81 was
he wrote to Mr.. Adams. las you sup
pose, the draughtsman of the instruc-
tions actually agreed to. ana was joined
with your father and DR. Franklin to
carry them into execution"
g.
That appointment was made in 1854
In March, 1888, jefferson succeeded
Franklin as minister plenipotentiary at
the court of Versailles, and in the fol-
lowing June John Jay. who bad charge
of the foreign affairs of the confedera-
tion, wrote jefferson an unofficial letter
soliciting his views on the. question
"whether it would be useful to us to
carry all our productions, or none" JEFF
ferson's answer is most important for
in it is formulated the exact Jefferson
ian doctrine on this subject, all theories
swept aside, which is of far greater
moment at the present time than it was
one hundred and thirteen years ago. This
Is what jefferson said
"Our people are decided in the opinion
that 1t is necessary for us to take a share
In the occupation of the ocean, and their
established habits induce them to require
that the sea be kept open to them, and
that that line of policy be pursued which
will render the use of that element to
them as great Is possible. | think 1t is
a duty in those intrustcd with the ad-
ministration of their affairs TO conform
themselves to the decided choice of their
constituents; and that. therefore, we
should in every instance preserve an
equality of right TO them in the trans
portaton of commodities. in the right of
fishing and in the other uses of the sea.
o.
But what will he the consequence?
Frequent wars without a doubt. Their
property will be violated on the sea and
in foreign ports, their persons will be
insulted. imprisoned etc, for pretended
debts, contracts, crimes, contra band. etc.
These insults must be resented, even if
we had no feelings, yet to prevent their
eternal repetition; or in other words,
our commerce on the ocean and in other
countries must he paid for by frequent
war The iustest dispositions possible in
ourselves will not secure us against it,
1t would be necessary that all other ma
tions were Just also. Justice, indeed, on
nl rf frp ,r.ar
which would have been produced by a
contrary disposition. But how can We
| prevent those produced by the wrongs
of other nations? BY putting ourselves
| in condition to punish them. Weak.
ness provokes insult and injury, while
condition to punish often prevents
| them. This reasoning leads to the neces.
| sity of some naval force, that being the
| only weapon by which we can reach ar
| enemy I think it to our interest to pun.
| ish the first insult. because an insult
unpuniShCd is the parent of many others
| We are not at this moment i'm condi.
| tion to do it, but we should put our.
selves into it as soon as possible"
| If this policy outlined by jefferson
| more than a century ago had been car
red out, the United States would today
| have command of the markets of the
world our commercial marine would fal
| surpasS that of any other nation; oul
| navy would he supreme in every sea
| and the nations wealth would be count
| ed in figures that stagger even the i'm
| aEination. But putting away all idle
| speculation in regard to what might have
| been, it is the policy which commends
| itself to the wisest craftsmanship of oui
| own day, which this most progressive Of
| all generations of Americans is eager tC
| enter upon, the policy whose colder
| prizes are placed within our grasp by
the fortune that sways the fate Of EN-
| pircs.
jefferson never departed in any essen.
| tial point from this policy. He reaffirmeC
| it and developed it eight years later
| when as secretary Of state in Washing
| tons cabinet, he wrote his celebrated re
| port ION the privileges and restriction!
on the commerce of the United States il
| foreign countries" which is justly char
acterized in history as the ablest anC
| most comprehensive state paper eveI
! written on that subject. And still later
| when he became president, he declared il
| his second annual message that ito main
| tain commerce and navigation in al
| their lawful enterprises is one of tn,
| landmarks by which to guide all our pro
| ceedings" To advance and protect com
| merCe and navigation was one of tn,
| controlling motiveS that impelled him t
make the Louisiana purchase the fol
| lowing year, thereby, in that one act
| rendering the greatest service ever per
| formed, perhaps by one man in the tielC
of human industry.
| o.
| The party that lives up to these Jeffer
sonian precedents and policies will be tn,
party of the twentieth century.