NOTES ON ECONOMICAL SCIENCE. 109 



jealousy of our neighbours, accustomed on all sides to protection of 

 special interests, still more we may suppose from the peculiar position 

 in which they are placed in consequence of their recent internal strug- 

 gle, the United States have seen fit to put an end to this treaty. Their 

 government having involved itself in an immense debt and being forced 

 to a very heavy taxation, not only feels compelled to tax for revenue 

 all imports, without letting any escape, but in conformity with it3 

 established principle of action, deems it just to the industry of its own 

 citizens to prevent, by high duties, less burdened neighbours from sup- 

 plying their markets with advantage. The effect must be a great check 

 on the intercourse between the countries, and possibly on our side a 

 diminution of the profit of that which does take place, and it becomes 

 an interesting problem to determine the course which we ought to 

 pursue in our new circumstances. So far as any thing is in our power, 

 without an entire change in our own approved policy and an abandon- 

 ment of what we deem essential to our best interests, it would, without 

 doubt, be wise in us to study the convenience and give our aid to the 

 plans of our neighbour. Any course dictated by resentment at the 

 loss of certain advantages, or by a desire to annoy or to take advantage 

 of the difiiculty of guarding a long frontier, would be altogether 

 unworthy of the 'character to which we ought to aspire and would not 

 fail to be ultimately injurious to us. Our policy in the case cannot be 

 entirely regulated by economical laws, for there are cases in which such 

 laws may point to one course, while the advantage of the nation on the 

 whole might lead to a different one. The cultivation of friendly feel- 

 ings with a neighbour is, in itself, not a small thing, and when a great 

 nation has decided on its course, it is wiser to assist than attempt to 

 counteract it. "We should at least avoid provoking bad feeling and 

 inviting injuries or enmity by any conduct of ours which is not forced 

 upon us by the necessities of our own affairs. 



It might possibly be plausibly argued that now would be the time 

 for us to try the possibility of obtaining revenue by other means than 

 customs duties, to reduce such duties to the lowest amount, or abolish 

 them, and leave it to the ingenuity of our citizens to find means of pro- 

 fitable dealing in spite of prohibitions. Such a change in our present 

 plans would, however, in the circumstances, be highly objectionable. 

 Something is due to respect for moral principles and influences ; some- 

 thing to the comity of nations ; something to our manifest interest in 

 keeping on the ]t)est terms we can with all our neighbours, and to carry 



