The record-union., 1898-12-02
OUR MERCANTILE MARINE.
jefferson on the Value Of Ship
building.

The shipwrights and shipowners of
their day were probably more infiuen-
tial than any other class of our people
in bringing about the convention of
1887, in which the Constitution of the
United States was adopted. Stagnation
in business and in industry prevailed
on every hand, with starvation and an
archy threatening unless relief came.
In nothing, therefore, were the found
ers of the nation more determined than
in seeing to it that the shipbuilding
industry and shipowning were encour-
aged in every way possible. The lack
of strong central Government had
given foreigners complete control of
our carrying, both domestic and for
eign, and despite our ability to build
ships much cheaper and far better
than our rivals, their possession of
ships and their control of the carrying
prevented our own people from ventur-
ing into competition with them.
1t is not necessary to recite the meas
ures that were adopted for the en-
couragement of shipbuilding and ship
owning any more than toi say that they
succeeded. The result was that every
where new enterprises sprung up, en-
ployment was to be had on every hand,
our own people built up an enormous
shipping whose profits enriched the
nation so rapidly as to give it power
in foreign courts that it had never be-
fore possessed, and our credit in the
financial centers of Europe as result
was always first class. After four
years of wonderful development in
American shipping we had increased
the tonnage of American shipping in
the foreign trade three-fold. But still
our people were not satisfied
Thomas Jefferson was at that time
Secretary of State in the Administra-
ton of President Washington, and, at
the request of Congress made during
the third session of the first Congress,
he prepared a Report on the Privi-
ileges and Restrictions of the Com
merce of the United States,'' which he
did not complete for nearly two years,
during all Of which time he was keenly
studying the subject. His report bears
date of December 16, 1893, when his
mental powers were in their very
prime, the clearness of his judgment
unimpaired and his command of the
English language such as to enable
cisiOn and felicity which it is a delight
to study In that memorable report
he said, in part:
If particular nations grasp at un-
due shares of our commerce, and more
especially if they seize on the means
of the United States to convert them
into aliment for their own strength
and withdraw them entirely from the
support of those to whom they belong,
defensive and protective measures be-
come necessary on the part of the ma
tion whose marine resources are thus
invaded, or it will be disarmed of its
defense; its productions will be at the
mercy Of the nation which has pos
sessed itself exclusively Of the means
of carrying them, and its policies will
be influenced by those who command
its commerce. II we lose the sea-
lmen and artists whom 1t now employs.
we lose the present means of marine
defense, and time will be requisite to
raise up others, when disgrace and
losses shall bring home to our feelings
the disgrace of having abandoned
them
It will be thus clear that the ques-
ton of being able to build and own
our own ships was not with jefferson
q purely economic one; indeed, it was
essentially q national, q defensive, a
military one-its economics with him