iation, others for conciliation; and meanwhile
American shipmasters went about their business, with no room for
theories in their honest heads, and secured more and more of the world's
trade. Curiously enough, the cries of calamity in the United States
were echoed across the water, where the "London Times" lugubriously
exclaimed: "The shipping interest, the cradle of our navy, is half
ruined. Our commercial monopoly exists no longer; and thousands of our
manufacturers are starving or seeking redemption in distant lands.
We have closed the Western Indies against America from feelings
of commercial rivalry. Its active seamen have already engrossed an
important branch of our carrying trade to the Eastern Indies. Her
starred flag is now conspicuous on every sea and will soon defy our
thunder."

It was not until 1849 that Great Britain threw overboard her long
catalogue of protective navigation laws which had been piling up since
the time of Cromwell, and declared for free trade afloat. Meanwhile the
United States had drifted in the same direction, barring foreign
flags from its coastwise shipping but offering full exemption from all
discriminating duties and tonnage duties to every maritime nation which
should respond in like manner. This latter legislation was enacted in
1828 and definitely abandoned the doctrine of protection in so far as
it applied to American ships and sailors. For a generation thereafter,
during which ocean rivalry was a battle royal of industry, enterprise,
and skill, the United States was paramount and her merchant marine
attained its greatest successes.

There is one school of modern economists who hold that the seeds of
decay and downfall were planted by this adoption of free trade in 1828,
while another faction of gentlemen quite as estimable and authoritative
will quote facts and figures by the ream to prove that governmental
policies had nothing whatever to do with the case. These adversaries
have written and are still writing many volumes in which they almost
invariably lose their tempers. Partisan politics befog the tariff issue
afloat as well as ashore, and one's course is not easy to chart. It is
indisputable, however, that so long as Yankee ships were better, faster,
and more economically managed, they won a commanding share of the
world's trade. When they ceased to enjoy these qualities of superiority,
they lost the trade and suffered for lack of protection to overcome the
handicap.

T