CHAPTER V.—COMMERCE.
In the rapid growth of their commerce, the United States have enjoyed a most wonderful prosperity. We have, in a previous chapter, alluded to the restrictive measures adopted by the mother country, while we remained in colonial subjection, and it will not be necessary to enter into farther details on that subject. During the revolutionary difficulties, the traffic which had previously existed was of course suspended, and after the peace, commerce was still embarrassed with numerous impediments. These found their origin in the very nature of the confederation, and were inseparable from the confused and ineffective powers of such a political system. Congress had no power to impose any duties without the unanimous consent of the states, and it is apparent at once how entirely impossible it was, under such circumstances, to adjust a system that should be universally acceptable. The foreign articles on which Pennsylvania laid a duty, New Jersey admitted free; facility of smuggling from one of these states to the other was unavoidable from their situation.
The several states laid different rates of duty on foreign tonnage; in some, one shilling sterling per ton was imposed on vessels which in other states paid three shillings per ton. Such was the misunderstanding among the several states, that there were no general commercial regulations; nor could congress enforce any, while the opposition of any one of the states could prevent the passage of any act on the subject. The evil of this condition of affairs was flagrantly manifest, when, to provide a fund to discharge the public debt, and to pay the arrears of the revolutionary soldiers, it was proposed to congress, during the operation of the articles of confederation, to lay a duty of five per cent. ad valorem on all foreign merchandise imported, and the opposition of Rhode Island alone was sufficient to defeat the plan.
European nations gladly availed themselves of the embarrassed situation of our affairs, and labored to throw every obstacle in the way of our increasing commerce. They refused to negotiate commercial treaties; for even those nations which were ready to countenance our assertion of independence, were not ready to receive us as competitors and rivals in a struggle where their own interests were so deeply involved. The call for an amendment of the regulations on foreign trade, was one of the leading inducements to the change of the old confederation, and the new constitution embraced the necessary provisions for the establishment of a successful intercourse with foreign nations. Not long after the adoption of the new constitution, Mr. Jefferson, then secretary of state, proposed a liberal system of policy in relation to this intercourse. His report on the subject of our commercial relations at that period, contains a variety of interesting matter, which enables us to make a correct comparison between the condition of our trade at that period and its present very great increase. This report was prepared in the summer of 1792. The countries with whichthe United States had commercial intercourse at that period were Spain, Portugal, France, Great Britain, the United Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, and their American possessions: and the articles of export, which constitute the basis of that commerce, with their respective amounts, were,
| Bread stuff, that is to say, bread grains, meals, and bread, to the annual amount of | $ 7,649,887 |
| Tobacco | 4,349,567 |
| Rice | 1,753,796 |
| Wood | 1,263,534 |
| Salted fish | 941,696 |
| Pot and pearl ashes | 839,093 |
| Salted meats | 599,130 |
| Indigo | 537,379 |
| Horses and mules | 339,753 |
| Whale oil | 252,591 |
| Flax seed | 236,072 |
| Tar, pitch, and turpentine | 217,177 |
| Live provisions | 137,743 |
| Ships | |
| Foreign goods | 620,274 |
To descend to articles of smaller value than these, would lead into a minuteness of detail neither necessary nor useful to the present object.
The proportions of our exports, which went to the nations before mentioned, and to their dominions respectively, were as follows:
| To Spain and its dominions | $ 2,005,907 |
| Portugal and its dominions | 1,283,462 |
| France and its dominions | 4,698,735 |
| Great Britain and its dominions | 9,363,416 |
| The United Netherlands and their dominions | 1,963,880 |
| Denmark and its dominions | 224,415 |
| Sweden and its dominions | 47,240 |
Our imports from the same countries were,
| Spain and its dominions | $ 335,110 |
| Portugal and its dominions | 595,763 |
| France and its dominions | 2,068,348 |
| Great Britain and its dominions | 15,285,428 |
| United Netherlands and their dominions | 1,172,692 |
| Denmark and its dominions | 351,364 |
| Sweden and its dominions | 14,325 |