Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 111 
Because of particular arrangements previously made by the 
United States with various countries, some by treaty and 
others by separate but reciprocal acts of the governments, 
various conditions had been brought about which would have 
a bearing upon the situation if British vessels were to be 
placed upon the footing of the most favored nation in Amer- 
ican ports. 'In the first place, British vessels would be allowed 
to import into the United States the produce of any foreign 
country whatever upon the payment of the alien duties, altho 
American vessels would be prohibited to import into British 
ports like produce upon any terms whatever. In the second 
place, the United States would have to abolish or suspend its 
discriminating duties, placing Great Britain upon the footing 
of the most favored nation in whose behalf they had been 
abolished or suspended.®^ The privilege of trading with the 
British free ports in America and the West Indies appeared 
to be in its advantages hardly reciprocal of the extensive con- 
cessions which the United States would be called upon to 
make. 
This was the stand taken by the very few American news- 
papers which commented at all upon the British acts. They 
were inclined to look askance at the new “liberality” of the 
British Government in its colonial trade. The National Jour- 
nal, for instance, believed that the act had “been passed ex- 
clusively with a view to benefit the navigation and trade of 
Great Britain”, and felt that should the United States acqui- 
esce in this project, it would “manifestly operate to the benefit 
of the British North American possessions, to the detriment of 
the substantial part of the trade of the Eastern, and a por- 
tion of that of the Middle, Western, and Southern States of 
the Union”. It ascribed the act to a political motive — 
to raise up a power more directly in the vicinity of the new American 
nations, that may enable her to exercise a more immediate and decided 
influence with them, in counteraction of that of the United States.^^ 
A New York paper, on the other hand, ascribed the change 
to a commercial motive, the purpose being 
to invite the whole world into competition with us in the supply of their 
West India Islands. Into competition with us, we repeat, for in that 
hope, and that alone, of raising successful rivals to us, has this great 
innovation been made on the old colonial system.^* 
VI, 265. 
National Journal, Sept. 13, 1825. 
Quoted in St. Christopher Gazette; and Charibbean Courier, Feb. 17, 1826. 
