CHAPTER VII.

JEFFERSON'S REPORT ON RESTRICTIONS ON TRAFFIC.

Foreign Countries and their Trade. As the officer of the Government charged with the guarding of our commercial and sea-carrying interests, the Secretary of State, then Thomas Jefferson, in the summer of 1792, made an investigation, and in December, 1793, reported to Congress upon the "privileges and restrictions" of foreign countries. As this report carried considerable weight, and was made the foundation of subsequent efforts of Congress and the Executive to improve the circumstances of our trade and transportation, we shall here quote it in part : —

"The countries with which the United States have their chief commercial intercourse are Spain, Portugal, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, and their American possessions.

"Our navigation, depending on the same commerce, will appear by the following statement of the tonnage of our own vessels, entering our ports, from those several nations and their possessions, in one year; that is to say, from Oct. 1789, to Sept. 1790, inclusive, as follows:

"Spain, 19,695; France, 116,410; Netherlands, 58,858; Portugal, 23,576; Great Britain, 43,580; Denmark, 14,655; Sweden, 750; total, 277,524 tons."

After detailing the commerce and the restrictions upon it, Mr. Jefferson sums up as follows:

"First. In Europe, our bread stuff is at most times under prohibitory duties in England, and considerably dutied on reëxportation from Spain to her colonies.

"Our tobaccos are heavily dutied in England, Sweden, France, and prohibited in Spain and Portugal.

"Our rice is heavily dutied in England and Sweden, and prohibited in Portugal.

"Our fish and salted provisions are prohibited in England, and under prohibitory duties in France.

"Our whale oils are prohibited in England and Portugal. "And our vessels are denied naturalization in England, and of late, in France.

"Second. In the West Indies

All intercourse is prohibited with the possessions of Spain and Portugal.

"Our salted provisions and fish are prohibited by England. "Our salted pork and bread stuff (except maize) are received under temporary laws only, in the dominions of France, and our salted fish pays there a weighty duty.

"Third. In the article of navigation - our own carriage of our own tobacco is heavily dutied in Sweden, and lately in France. We can carry no article, not of our own production, to the British ports in Europe. Nor even our own produce to her American possessions. Our ships, though purchased and navigated by their own subjects, are not permitted to be used, even in their trade with us. While the vessels of other nations are secured by standing laws, which cannot be altered but by the concurrent will of the three branches of the British Legislature, in carrying thither any produce or manufacture of the country to which they belong, which may be lawfully carried in any vessels, ours, with the same prohibition of what is foreign, are further prohibited by a standing law (12 Car. 2, 18, sec. 3) from carrying thither all and any of our own domestic productions and manufactures. A subsequent act, indeed, has authorized their Executive to permit the carriage of our own productions in our own bottoms at its sole discretion; and the permission has been given, from year to year, by proclamation, but subject

every moment to be withdrawn on that single will, in which event our vessels, having anything on board, stand interdicted from the entry of all British ports. The disadvantage of a tenure which may be so suddenly discontinued was experienced by our merchants on a late occasion (April 12, 1792) when an official notification, that this law would be strictly enforced, gave them just apprehensions for the fate of their vessels and cargoes dispatched or destined to the ports of Great Britain. The Minister of that Court, indeed, frankly expressed his personal conviction, that the words of the order went further than was intended, and so he afterwards officially informed us; but the embarrassments of the moment were real and great, and the possibility of their renewal lays our commerce to that country under the same species of discouragement as to other countries, where it is regulated by a single legislator; and the distinction is too remarkable not to be noticed, that our navigation is excluded from the security of fixed laws, while that security is given to the navigation of others.

"Our vessels pay in their ports, 1s. 9d. sterling per ton, light and trinity dues, more than is paid by British ships, except in the port of London, where they pay the same as British.

"The greater part of what they receive from us is reëxported to other countries, under the useless charges of an intermediate deposite, and double voyage."

The Remedies for Restrictions. As for the remedies practicable or possible, and the philosophy underlying the same, Mr. Jefferson entered at length.

"Such being the restrictions on the commerce and navigation of the United States, the question is, in what way they may best be removed, modified, or counteracted?

"As to commerce, two methods occur. 1. By friendly arrangements with the several nations with whom these restrictions exist; or, 2. By the separate act of our own Legislatures for countervailing their effects.

"There can be no doubt but arrangement is the most eligible.

that, of these two, friendly Instead of embarrassing com

merce under piles of regulating laws, duties, and prohibitions, could it be relieved from all its shackles in all parts of the world;

could every country be employed in producing that which nature has best fitted it to produce, and each be free to exchange with others mutual surpluses for mutual wants, the greatest mass possible would then be produced of those things which contribute to human life and human happiness; the numbers of mankind would be increased, and their condition bettered."

Utopian Statesmanship. While this philosophy might be creditable to a kind-hearted sleeper in dreamland, as being visionary and humane, it will not bear application to the nations of the world, because it takes no account of human nature, and pays no attention to the law of evolution. Progress is the higher law of man. To progress, a nation must extend its knowledge and perfect its character, since otherwise it cannot improve and rise from one plane to another in civilization. Free commerce does not, practically, mean general advancement. It means that one nation shall monopolize a few industries, or a few arts one agriculture and another navigation, one manufacturing and another banking; it destines one nation to become rich and another to remain poor; one to become enlightened and another to remain ignorant; one to acquire mastery, wealth and power, and others to be dependents and slaves. It is only by every people having the opportunity to study every science, practice every art, and fully exercise their intellectual faculties, that human liberty with perfection of character, can be attained. Each nation or people or community should have equal opportunity. Any one finding itself at a disadvantage must be free to regulate its intercourse with regard to an improvement of its circumstances. This is at once both natural and divine. "Free commerce" cannot amount to a rational dream. Just and equal commerce is quite another thing. However, we will hear Mr. Jefferson through.

"Would even a single nation begin with the United States this system of free commerce, it would be advisable to begin it with that nation; since it is one by one only, that it can be extended to all. Where the circumstances of either party render it expedient to levy a revenue of impost, on commerce, its freedom might be modified in that particular, by mutual and equivalent measures, preserving it entire in all others.

"Some nations, not yet ripe for free commerce in all its extent, might still be willing to mollify its restrictions and regulations for us, in proportion to the advantages which an intercourse with us might offer. Particularly they may concur with us in reciprocating the duties to be levied on each side, or in compensating any excess of duty by equivalent advantages of another nature. Our commerce is certainly of a character to entitle it to favor in most countries. The commodities we offer are either necessaries of life, or materials for manufacture, or convenient subjects of revenue; and we take in exchange, either manufactures, when they have received the last finish of art and industry, or mere luxuries. Such customers may reasonably expect welcome and friendly treatment at every market. Customers, too, whose demands, increasing with their wealth and population, must very shortly give full employment to the whole industry of any nation whatever, in any line of supply they may get into the habit of calling for from it.

"But should any nation, contrary to our wishes, suppose it may better find its advantage by continuing its system of prohibitions, duties, and regulations, it behooves us to protect our citizens, their commerce and navigation, by counter prohibitions, duties, and regulations, also. Free commerce and navigation are not to be given in exchange for restrictions and vexations, nor are they likely to produce a relaxation of them.

Navigation Superior to Commerce. "Our navigation involves still higher considerations. As a branch of industry, it is valuable, but as a resource of defense, essential.

"Its value as a branch of industry is enhanced by the dependence of so many other branches on it. In times of general peace, it multiplies competitors for employment in transportation, and so keeps that at its proper level; and in times of war, that is to say, when those nations who may be our principal carriers, shall be at war with each other, if we have not within ourselves the means of transportation, our produce must be exported in belligerent vessels, at the increased expense of war freight and insurance, and the articles which will not bear that must perish on our hands.

"But it is as a resource of defense, that our navigation will