260 



his bench, and the professional man his civic labors, and rush together 

 to its standard, in sacrifice of time and blood, to avenge the indignity. 

 Surely, the prosperity and greatness of our nation are no less calculated 

 to awaken a just pride in our hearts, and equally to demand our ener- 

 gies and devotion. In a free government like ours, the character and 

 condition of the nation does but reflect the character and condition of 

 the people; therefore are we concerned morally and patriotically jn 

 giving shape and tone to our public afiairs — to see that we fall not, un- 

 der partial or imperfect legislation, to the deplorable condition to which 

 Spain, Portugal, and other countries have been reduced — to guard 

 against distress and embarrassment pervading the nation — and, in short, 

 to see that our nation shall avail itself of all the natural advantages , 

 which Heaven has so bountifully bestowed upon it, exceeding by far 

 those of any other nation on earth. 



Agriculture cannot stand alone. Its prosperity is intimately connec- 

 ted with, and dependent upon the general prosperity of the nation, and 

 is therefore interested in promoting national industry, and securing a 

 proper division of labor. Portugal, perhaps, with her vines, was pos- 

 sessed of as great advantages in 1703, as the United States now pos- 

 sess for the purposes of agriculture ; yet in that year, after a highly 

 prosperous manufacturing career of upwards of twenty years, under an 

 absolute prohibition of the woolen cloths of other nations, their gov- 

 ernment was induced by the speciousness of Methuen, the English am- 

 bassador, to listen to the syren proposition of an abatement of one-third 

 of the duties on their Port Wines admitted into England, while the duty 

 on those of France should remain unchanged : Provided, Portugal 

 should not exclude British woolen manufactures. The treaty was 

 made and ratified, under the delusive opinion that Portugal would find 

 an increased and extensive market for her wines, and be able, at the 

 same time, to purchase cloths at a much less price than they had there- 

 tofore cost. In theory, it was plausible ; but in practice, most ruinous. 

 Its flourishing manufactures were destroyed; the nation became drained 

 of its gold and silver to pay the balance of trade which resulted there- 

 from, amounting annually to more than four millions of dollars, and 

 poor Portugal, through the superior statesmanship of Mcthuon, fell from 

 the happiness and i)ri>8perity which had before that characterized it, to 

 a hopelessly impoverished condition. Its own people, being without 



