374 [Assembly 



tions of the public, of the economical principles in connexion with 

 it which lie at the basis of their own prosperity; and the ruin to 

 their interests and employments which they invite. Can any one 

 who has the least appreciation of the relative position of these 

 masses, thus brought into collision, doubt the result? the European 

 millions will belie their humanity if they allow us to enjoy our com- 

 parative ease and luxury, our ten hours labor and daily animal food, 

 while they have their vegetable diet and fifteen hours of daily drudg- 

 ery, if they can but have access to our market with the results of 

 their labor and capital in open competition with ours. 



The European famine ot the last year, by a double action, in- 

 creasing our exports and preventing theirs, has held back the ava- 

 lanche which only waits the return of comparative plenty there, to 

 decend upon us, not only from Great Britain, who by the recent 

 change of her commercial policy, has reached an unread chapter in 

 her history, the first lesson of which she has just learned in the re- 

 vulsion of her currency; but from Germany and France when it is 

 to be feared we shall learn again, unless a change of commercial 

 policy is speedily adopted, the blessings of " free trade." 



It is a remarkable fact in the history of opinions, that the idea of 

 " free trade," should have taken so powerful a hold upon the public 

 mind both in Europe and America. In spite of the strong tenden- 

 cies to conservatism, and the firm adherence to old maxims charac- 

 teristic of the species, we find the whole civilized world more or 

 less affected with the idea, and especially is this true of the more 

 enlightened and benevolent ; the dress of the idea is its only recom- 

 mendation, freedom is the talisman which now moves the world, 

 and without examining its character, this base counterfeit has ob- 

 tained currency; while we will not brook the most trifling interfer- 

 ence of Europeans with our territory, or our institutions, we invite 

 them to interfere in our irKliistrial pursuits, as if an empty stomach 

 would not inevitably reduce a man to the condition of a slave. 



" Free trade," the legitimate offspring of infidelity, is begotten of 

 its seminal principle, the denial of the depravity of human nature. 

 Among benevolent beings, the whole object of whose life is the hap- 

 piness of their fellows, " free trade " may result in the general good, 

 but among men, " free trade " is but a modification of the licen- 

 tiousntss o^ free -property and free ivomen, abolishing all private 

 rights, all the restraints of law, and tending to barbarism with all 

 the force of human passions when left without restraint. As the 

 individual man can make no progress until secured i« his rights of 



