Pitt, to admit and legalize (as the case then required) the commerce
of the United States into the British ports and dominions. But neither
the one nor the other has been completed. The commercial treaty is
either broken off, or remains as it began; and the bill in
Parliament has been thrown aside. And in lieu thereof, a selfish
system of English politics has started up, calculated to fetter the
commerce of America, by engrossing to England the carrying trade of
the American produce to the West India islands.
Among the advocates for this last measure is Lord Sheffield, a
member of the British Parliament, who has published a pamphlet
entitled "Observations on the Commerce of the American States." The
pamphlet has two objects; the one is to allure the Americans to
purchase British manufactures; and the other to spirit up the
British Parliament to prohibit the citizens of the United States
from trading to the West India islands.
Viewed in this light, the pamphlet, though in some parts dexterously
written, is an absurdity. It offends, in the very act of endeavoring
to ingratiate; and his lordship, as a politician, ought not to have
suffered the two objects to have appeared together. The latter alluded
to, contains extracts from the pamphlet, with high encomiums on Lord
Sheffield, for laboriously endeavoring (as the letter styles it) "to
show the mighty advantages of retaining the carrying trade."
Since the publication of this pamphlet in England, the commerce of
the United States to the West Indies, in American vessels, has been
prohibited; and all intercourse, except in British bottoms, the
property of and navigated by British subjects, cut off.
Pages:
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274