No. 13a. J 189 



Boston and other neighboring jv-irts. To remedy the ev.il, th<^ 

 good people of MafiSachtisctts,and Connecticut, seriously proposed 

 to make a partition of Khode Island, and annex it to their respect- 

 ive territories — a mode of enforcing " law and order," to which 

 the citizens ot that spirit<-d and T)atriotic State would not very 

 readily have ^ahmitted. The revenue laws oi' i\e\v-York and 

 Pennsylvania were also rendered unavailing, by the refusal of 

 New-Jersey to adopt similar legislation. Perth Amboy was made 

 a fVee port, and at one time )iad an extensive commerce, and was 

 likely to l>eoome a powerful rival to New-York. These collisions 

 between the States resulted in the abandonment of all attempts 

 to protect Americ.m labor under the confederation. The advantage 

 which would be likely to result to their own manufactures, did 

 not escape the attention of the British statesmen of that day. 

 Lord Slieffield, in his " Remarks ufwu the Commerce of the United 

 States," exposes the wishes and policy of the HritLsh Government, 

 on this subject, .^s tbllows: 



"It Js certain that the confusion of the ^Vmeriran Statef can 

 now only hitrt themselves. They must pay Europe in the best 

 manner they can for clothing, and many articles for which they 

 are not likely to have the credit they had while in more settled 

 circumstances. If one or more States should prc^hibit the mami- 

 tacture of any particular country, they will find their way to 

 them, through other States, by various means. The difficulty 

 xrill only raise the price on the consumers in the State where the 

 articles are prohibitecl. The British manufactures found their 

 way into every part of the country during a most rancorous war, 

 and the most strenuous American manufactureis admit, that no 

 impost or excise law will, for a long time, be regarded in America. 

 In the meantim*^, Britain will have nothing to apprehend. The 

 United States will hardly enter into real hostilities with Britain. 

 Britain need not quarrel with them at all ; but shoukl either hap- 

 pen,, *ome ^/owf //iVq/m, cruising between Halifax and Bermuda, 

 and between the latter and the Bahamas, would completely cx)m- 

 aiand the commerc<e of this mighty continent." 



Thp>se ugret^ahle acticij)iitious of his Lordship were nut more 

 iadly disappointed by the adoption of tlie Federal Constitution, 

 than by o*:r naval victories in the Ia»st war with Great Britain. 



