Page:The corn law question shortly investigated.djvu/13

11 our exports of British and Irish produce and manufactures has increased within the last ten years, at the following enormous rate: —

From Russia, England draws the whole of her flax, hemp, tallow, hides, &c.; and yet the whole manufactures Russia takes in return, only amount to about a forty-fifth of our general exports. Were we to take her Polish corn in addition, duty free, would they be materially increased?—I fear not. Russia and Northern Europe know too well what must be the result; and the more perseveringly we attempt to force our manufactures upon them, to the ruin of their own, and the more decidedly such a design may be formed by the English Government, the less will that design be likely to succeed. It will have something more formidable than commercial rivalry to contend with,—national jealousy will be roused, and national policy opposed to it, upon just grounds. International commerce is beneficial when commodities are interchanged to the mutual benefit of the two countries, and to the promotion of the industry in both; it is injurious when it renders one country dependent upon another for the conveniencies, and in the last degree ruinous if it induce a dependance for the necessaries of life. If the British Government were either so far misled or intimidated, that it should consent