COMMERCIAL RESTRICTIONS. 115 



establishments ; none except a native being per- 

 mitted to be at the head of a mercantile house : 

 while the duties paid by foreign goods were so 

 great as to amount nearly to a prohibition. They 

 had thus voluntarily reduced themselves in a great 

 degree to the state in which they were placed be- 

 fore the Revolution. This arose from ignorance 

 it is true : but ignorance is sufficiently excusable 

 in people purposely misdirected in their educa- 

 tion. It was pleasing, however, to observe more 

 correct views gradually springing up, and in the 

 quarter where they were least likely to appear — 

 amongst the merchants themselves ; for whose 

 benefit these absurd restrictions had been impos- 

 ed. The following translation of a letter, pub- 

 lished in the Guayaquil newspapers, will show the 

 progress already made in the right path. It is 

 written by one of the merchants, who probably 

 derived more benefit than any other from the re- 

 strictions he condemns ; but his good sense and 

 liberal views showed him that if they were remov- 

 ed, his gains would become still greater. 



To those who recollect the state of the press, 

 and of everything else in former times, such a let- 



