Year: 1864

tercolonial railroad from Halifax and
ST. John, and perhaps other ports, to
the interior Of their country, thus
completing the only remaining link in
their present vast system Of internal
communication, and giving them un-
inter upted access from Lake st. Clair
and Lake Huron to the ocean, through
their own territory at all periods Of
the year. Their people, by CONNER
cjally uniting the Provinces together,
may soon accomplish the develop
ment of a system of home industry
which will make them independent Of
our manufactures, and competitors
with us in every neutral market
They will become their own shippers
and traders for all commodities Of for
eign origin. Although we may ban
ish them and their produce and mer-
chandise from our routes of commu-
nication with the Atlantic, it is not
likely NO shall divert the traffic in
American produce via the St Law
renee by any Legislation we can adopt.
We cannot legislate for the Canadians.
We can cut them off from the use of
railroads and canals, but may fail in
persuading them to adopt Legislation
OF the same suicidal character. 1t is
to be expected that they will keep
their channels for freight open to our
produce. We cannot compel them to
grant us monopoly of this kind; but
ii we should exclude them from our
thoroughfares their carrying syst ,m
will reap the benefit of doing business
for both countries-we transacting a
part of it for one only. Mr.. Ward
was opposed to any legislation that
would prevent the free importation of
the common necessaries Of human life;
to every system that under any spe-
cious name, hiding ON error or pre-
tence, signifies dearer food and in
creased taxation ON the raw materials
used in the manufactures-to any
system whether called protective Or


not, which means diminished COM
merce by expelling colonial produce
from our canals and railroads to in
crease the employment of British ship
ping through British senports at the
expense Of our own. Difficulties
which now appear to be insuperable
may vanish before united effort and
free 60 ference of intelligent commits
sioners on both sides. "The first no
tion," sail DeTocqueville, (Which
PRESENTS itself to party, as well as
an individual, when it has acquired
consciousness Of its own strength, is
that of violence; the notion of persua-
stan arises, at later period, and is
derived from experience" Let us at
least try what can be done through
reason and negotiation. before we re-
sort to u rupture of existing ties and
undo tho work already accomplished
in the right direction, after much ef-
fort. We are too apt to think the in
forests Of one nation can only be ad-
vanced at the expense of injury to an
other. In reality and under a true
system of reciprocity, each of us would
receive the benefits of natural advan-
tages enjoyed by the other, which in
turn is benefited, not by withholding
participation, but by inviting it. This
principle is as true and should be AS
universally admitted as those of me-
chanical improvements or labor saw
ing machinery. A prohibitory or ex
elusive system would be no less un-
natural and injurious as to every COM
mercial, political, and mora result
than if we separated New York from
Massachusetts, and both of these from
Ohio, Illinois or Iowa Let us th' II
regulate our intercourse, not by fear
of destruction, but by creating or
rather developing, a system of recip'
rocal benefits in accordance with the
manifest designs of Him who made
the world.