On this page
- Departments (1)
-
Text (3)
-
Untitled Article
-
;¦ C O M ME R C I A L-.
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
" A NEW " HA 2 STSA" WANTED . We have been reminded in tlife course of the week that the mighty Emperor of the French had given way to the iron masters and distillers of Francein a bad cause . Against his own convictions and declarations he has maintained and intjreased the protective duties by which they are allowed unjustly to tax other Frenchmen . If commercial men can effect so much , even influencing the Emperor , in a bad cause , can they not effect more in a good
one ? It is , in fact , understood that in deference to them certain pacifying remarks have been made in the French Gtaverument journals . The French Government has become professedly peaceful in deference to the merchants . Powerful , however ; as the commercial community of Europe may be , it was seriously alarmed and injured last week by the rumours of war in Italy ; Against the consequences of such rumours it required to be assured as much as against the consequences of fire . It is liable to great damage [ from wanting
such ah assurance , which it cannot have unless it can command it by its own power . A problem now , therefore , arises for consideration of deep and lasting interest : Gan peaceful commerce assure its own welfare against war , arid the rumours of war , as it assures the separate portions of its property against the consequences of fire ? A prooable solution of the problem for the future may be found in the past , and , therefore , we briefly remind our commercial readers of the old- " Hansa , " and suggest the possibility of now forming a hew one
adapted to the circumstances of modern society . The Hanseatic League , so called , says Mr . McCuIlpch , from the old Teutonic word " Hansa ^" signifying confederacy , was an association in the thirteenth century of the principal cities of Germany for the better carryinff on of commerce and for their mutual safety and defence . " This . confederacy , consisting of between sixty and eighty citiesj several of which are now unknown , . " contributed to introduce the blessings of civilisation into the North . It repressed piracy by sea and admi
robbery by land . " It had fleets and armies , - rals , generals , and politicians , all raised and paid by voluntary or self-imposed contributions , and amongst its members were some of the most enterprising and wealthy merchants of the age . When physical force was the prevailing rule of society , it could only put down , robbery and wrong by the strong hand , and the " Hansa" was then necessarily an armed confederacy for the protection , of trade . With success grew ambition , arrogance * and iii-r justice , and , in common with many individuals and states , the " Hansa " adopted and used the arts it
was established to resist . This hastened its decay . As Governments grew more enlightened , and took on themselves the duty of restraining by their organisation all violence but their own , its useful functions merged in them . As the peaceful arts and the moral habits it was originally established to defend and enforce became general , the reason for its separate existence ceased , and it died away . Open piracy by sea and robbery by land , which had been the practices of Governments , were in process of time put down by them , and then the Hanseatic
League sank into oblivion . A similar confederacy for assuring trade against damage , acting pn the principles prevalent in modern sooiety ,, and practising only arts congenial to modern civilisation , might ; now possibly bb formed and effect great benefits * It might guard the commercial community pf Europe against such disasters as it actually suffered last week merely from rumours that it was threatened with still greater disasters . Last Saturday we directed attention to the late rapid increase of trade in evory part of the civilised
world . Throughput society there is an irrepressible tendency tp become more and moro commercial . All men arc in faotto some extent buyers and sellers , they , are all in one sense traders and determine the property andpossessions pf each , and all by mutual exchange . Even the destroying classes have an interest in necessaries , comforts , and luxuries being cheap and abundant . The interests of commerce , therefore , , though sometimes' called narrow and selfish , are now identical with all the best interests pf sooiety . In protecting their own interests
oommercial men would really protect the interests of all * > ' ¦ ¦¦¦¦ It is so ordered at present that the ^ men whose interests are more immediately injured by reports and rumours such as prevailed last week are precisely those whose services are most necessary to sovereigns , that they may successfully begin and carry on war . Great as has been the increase of revenue in all the states of Europe from expanding trade , it has not equalled the increase of expenditure . In the midst of peace most of the Governments of Europe have been running into debt , and they cannot raise a large additional revenue by t . avjifmn wit . hmit nrbvokinsr the discontent of their
subjects , and endangering their thrones . They will all be disposed , therefore , to borrow ; in fact , having no reserve of cash , and unable to command aii immediate supply , they must borrow to begin war ; Formerly capitalists and moneylenders found their accounts in encouraging a war expenditure , which made loans necessary , put money into their pockets , and secured them p ^ ower over the future produce of their fellow-citizens . But circumstances are hoyr changed . For the last thirty years the great capitalists , the opulent members of the Stock Exchange , the great banking
firms , have found a more beneficial means or ac ^ quiring wealth . They have collected and supplied the capital for new industrial enterprises , railways , telegraphs , mailrpackets , &c . &c , which are the pride and glory of modern civilisation . They have become the servants rather of peaceful progress than war-making obstruction ; and find a greater advantage in promoting profitable undertakings than in contributing to waste and destruction . They have been accused of serving the cause of despotism , now they may , or rather must , serve the cause of freedom' and peace . Why should they not , throughout Europe , come tp a common resolution to refuse disturber ?
pecuniary support to any and every public The future payment of the annuities already charged on peaceful industry is implicated , and it is something like suicide for them ' to furnish the sinews of war to any belligerent . They would help to reduce , if not destroy , the value of the State securities they and their families hold . They justl y set their faces against insurrection as destructive bt property , and should , on the same ground , though with more forethought , oppose the oppression which goads men into insurrection . They should oppose also the legitimate war winch carries with it excessive taxation and undermines the power of Government . They have
have been deemed the enemies of liberty—they now an opportunity of at once defending their own interests and showing themselves to be its friends . They can command the continuance of peace , which experience has taught us is the best means of promoting and securing freedom . What is true of moneyed capitalists is true of merchants j war impedes production and exchange , and checks or annihilates their business . They can only grow rich by exchanging produce . Whatever momentary advantage war may give to the owners and importers of saltpetre , the manufacturers of muskets , &c , many years of rapidly expanding trade have now convinced mercantile
men that peace is much more favourable to their interest than war . Some gambling spirits may prefer the excitement of its hazards ; some unobserving minds may point to the Success of trade during the great French war , when a monopoly of colonies and a monopoly of new inventions made England prosperous in spite of war ; but those who know of the disturbances in 1810 , 1812 , and are aware of the general degradation of the multitude which ensued between 174 ) 3 and 1815 , are aware
that the nation- at large suffered much from that war , and thai thcgamBling spirit then evoked has since been the parent of much fraud . What should prevent merchants who have correspondents in different , countries , the one being necessary to the other , both having a common interest and being on terms pf frien . dsmp—from coming " to an understanding to opposo , 1 > y a clear statement pf opinions , the war which i * so ruinous to all P Their competitprs and rivals , if they have any , are in their own country ; their helpmates ana friends are abroad . Thp wine-grower on the Garpnne er the Deurp , and . the importing merchant on the Thames
or the Mersey * have a common interest in the continuance of the exchange by which both arc enriched . The same principle is true of all the merchants ^ nd producers of different countries who trade with one another . To preserve peace is the common interest of merchants all over tile world , and it would seem fitting that they should forcibly advocate its continuance and exert themselves to secure it . Everywhere they can influence public opinion ; journals of every kind and description are now anxious to catch their views , to record
their doings , and promote the success of trade . They exercise a great , though it be a silent , influence over the press , and through it , without putting themselves to much trouble or expense , mav control the conduct of Government . The " Hansa" now required is not a league of cities and towns , but of individuals living m different places , already in communication and having a common interest with one another . It would exercise a moral rather than a physical power . It would need neither armies nor fleets , neither generals , admirals , nor diplomatists , for there is neither open robbery nor piracy to suppress . It would have less to beat down violence than stifle it
at its birth , which , wanting the support of the commercial classes , would never germinate into vigorous life . It would be able to prevent any ambitious despot from injuring by his capricious proceedings the industry by which they live . They know that wealth and power are born of industry and skill , and that the attempt to acquire them by conquering territory is a , mere prejudice derived from the time when men lived , like the Red Indians , by the chase , and required many square leagues of land to subsist a family . The commercial classes may , therefore , on the soundest principles unite in
different countries to keep in check the silly desire for territorial aggrandisement ; Sovereigns themselves , indeed , have now become ashamed of this , and put forward some pretext of preserving order or promoting liberty for the gratification of their ambition . They are rarely , however , the friends of either , and are always tp be distrusted when they propose to secure either by the sword . Better knowledge should now be enforced on them , and a league of commercial men to support the interests of commerce , would be by its very existence an effectual teacher .
Such confederacies are very common amongst different classes , but in general the object of them is to erect a barricade against an individual Government , or extort from it some peculiar advantages . The clergy of all Christendom in former times formed a combination against all Governments . At the bottom of most of such combinations lies the idea that the Government is , or may be , an enemy ^ and must be compelled to be a friend , or must be resisted . Now , the merchants and moneyed capitalists continually find that certain proceedings of more than pne Government are inimical to their
welfare . Besides the war , now or recently threatened , they a \\ suffer from tariffs , and alterations in tariffs , and from laws dealing too often with foreign trade , as if it were an injury to homo trade - Commerce , as the commencement and growth of new enterprises and new interests , on which the old and established and sometimes barbarian interests look with apprehension > often requires especial protecr tion . As the rule , Government is everywhere conservative , or attached to what is established , and is apt to treat trade , much of which is always new , as ignoble , and only now and then docs it ; respect trade sufficiently to trust it with freedom . On all such matters , a modern Hansa might
enlighten Government , and procure freedom for traffic as essential to the welfare of every people , and the growth of every state . Nor need such a > confederacy , if common to the moneyed and commercial classes of every nation , fear any charge of want of patriotism ; tor the means by which it would promote its own welfare would effectually promote the welfare of every state . / The . classes wo refer to have , a natural and just ambition to make themselves powerful and respected , and they arc now invited by the circumstances of the tunes to take a high and honourable place , as the promoters of peace and freedom , in the public estimation .
;¦ C O M Me R C I A L-.
C O M M E R C I A L .
Untitled Article
120 THE LEADER . [ No . 461 , Jantxajvt 22 , 1859 .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 22, 1859, page 120, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2278/page/24/
-