Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 127 
lowing editorial from the New York Evening Post is typical 
of the attitude of the Opposition press : 
After ten years of negotiation and legislation upon this subject, 
and when both governments had become sensible of the advantages of 
a liberal reciprocity in trade, we confess we had not anticipated another 
unprofitable war of restrictions, at the mutual expense of two countries, 
whose interest it ever should be to cultivate a friendly and unrestricted 
intercourse. We were at first apprehensive, that Ministers, abandoning 
those liberal principles, for which they have been so justly distinguished, 
were about to make their first retrograde movement, by disturbing our 
commercial relations. But on examining the question, we regret to find 
that we have not in this instance, displayed our accustomed liberality: 
and that either from too much caution, or a desire to gain too much, we 
have brought this measure upon ourselves.^^ 
Thruout the country, however, from Maine to Virginia, 
the most prevalent and widespread reaction toward the Brit- 
ish order was the belief or hope that the difficulty would yet 
be adjusted thru the skilful diplomacy of Albert Gallatin. 
This hope was expressed both by Administration and Opposi- 
tion papers, with perhaps only a slight difference in the degree 
of assurance.®^ Said the Daily National Intelligencer : 
At the latest date, Mr. Gallatin had already entered into conference with 
the British Government on this subject, and we look with some confi- 
dence to the revocation of the order before the time arrives for its taking 
effect.^^ 
The Richmond Enquirer, however, was not quite so confident, 
expressing only the hope that Mr. Gallatin would ''lose no 
time in bringing the dispute to a complete and amicable 
termination''.^® 
This in fact was precisely what Gallatin was endeavoring 
to do. He had been commissioned with a negotiation which, 
in the view of Henry Adams, "was probably the most compli- 
cated and arduous ever trusted by the United States govern- 
ment in the hands of a single agent".'^^ The West India trade 
question was only one of a number of troublesome disputes 
entrusted to him for settlement, but the British order in coun- 
Quoted in Boston Commercial Gazette, Oct. 12, 1826. 
New York American (for the country). Sept. 29, 1826. New York Gazette, Sept. 
27, 1826 quoted in National Journal, Sept. 30, 1826. Gazette of Maine, Oct. 3, 1826. 
Baltimore American quoted in Richmond Enquirer, Oct. 20, 1826. Daily National In- 
telligencer, Sept. 29, and Oct. 2, 1826. Niles' Register, XXXI, 28. Rhode Island Amer- 
ican, Dec. 5, 1826. Norfolk Herald quoted in Neioport Mercury, Oct. 14, 1826 ; and 
many others. 
Daily National Intelligencer, Oct. 2, 1826. 
Richmond Enquirer, Oct. 3, 1826. 
Adams, Life of Albert Gallatin, 613, 614. 
