The Rhode Island Republican

FROM THE LEXINGTON REPORTER.

OUR COMMERCE WITH ENGLAND.

A trade to Britain only, without a free trade to the continent of Europe, is ruin both to the grower of produce and the merchant who exports it.

This truth no person, we are persuaded, who has read the examinations before the British parliament, in the first origin of the orders in council, will have the impudence to deny—or who has any knowledge of the imports of the U. S.—This truth, it is necessary for the farmers of Kentucky to consider well, and never more than at this present moment. An infatuation has gone out from one end of the U. S. to the other (merely for want of consideration only) and that infatuation has been encouraged by a British faction—and many good citizens, both federalists and democrats, in their rejoicing at the prospect of peace, have been led away; that British trade, now the embargo was removed, was all we wished for: that it was meat, drink, clothing and firing!

Indeed one renegado printer of an eastern paper who has often exhibited his idiotism in Congress, says "now we have a prospect of settling our differences with Britain, we care nothing of France."

No other constructions, can be placed on his assertions, than this one—

The commerce of Europe is of no value to the United States!

This is the exact language of a tory and British agent.

We would ask this illuminati, for he never writes but under a claim to inspiration—

"Who is to consume our 100,000 hogsheads of tobacco? for Great Britain only consumes 12,000 at most;

Who is to consume all our cotton? for half the cotton imported into Britain, is only spun and then re-exported to the continent of Europe, a trade forever ended:"

To what market are our merchants who trade to China, to the East-Indies, who collect coffee and sugar from Batavia, or from the West-India islands, in exchange for provisions, where are they to re-export merchandize.

We import from Great Britain, annually of her manufactures ten millions sterling—our exports to Great Britain, are only four millions sterling:

Will Britain suffer us to import those articles into her dominions (and not one fourth of those importations are consumed in the U. States) no, not one cent's worth.

If we have not a free trade to the continent of Europe, how is the difference to be paid for?

The country merchant and the importing merchant who deal in British manufactures, are most of all others interested in this free trade—for if our farmers are prevented from procuring a full price for their produce, how can the store-keeper expect the farmer can buy his merchandize?

We do not believe that Britain will suffer a free trade to the continent of Europe, for our vessels. We are certain,

"That a trade to Britain only, without a free trade to the continent of Europe, is ruin both to the grower of produce, and the merchant who exports it."