Weights, measures, and coins.
Guisot, in his history of Representative Government, well remarks, that ‘"The age in which we live has taken too much pains to seek guarantees in physical force, and has neglected to seek for them in the power of moral ideas;"’ and De Tocqueville, pursuing the same thought, has said that ‘"to constitute society, a great many people should think alike on a great many subjects."’ The Northwest has adhered to the Union because its moral ideas coincided with those of the Northeast, and differed from those of the South, although all its pecuniary interests were tied up with ours, and the Northeast was, and must ever continue to be, its greedy and rapacious tax-master.Now, there are no subjects that so often, or so seriously occupy the thoughts, attention, and business habitudes of a people, as their weights, measures, and coins; and when these are of values and denominations peculiar to themselves, they go far to distinguish and mould the people employing them into a distinct nationality. It will be hard to cut off our trade and intercourse with the North after peace is restored, and ruinous not to do so. Changing the language of trade is the most efficient barrier that has yet been suggested to prevent a renewal of business and social relations, with that section, which if renewed will make our hard-earned independence a mere shadow and a name.
The adoption of a decimal system of weights, measures, and coins, based upon some fixed, exact, and immutable standard, like that of France, was recommended to the Macon Commercial Convention in an essay entitled ‘"Commercial Enfranchisement of the South;"’ which essay will be found in the October and November numbers of De Bow's Review.
The Convention recommended the whole essay to the attention of Congress; and Congress will probably take action on the part relating to weights, measures, and coins, at this or the ensuing session. Many able pens, besides that of the philosophic author, have since been employed in advocacy of this measure; but it is a very dry, recondite, and abstruse subject, though one to us of vital and pressing importance.
We would add a single suggestion to the
many that have been made by others. The proposed measure would facilitate our trade and intercourse with France and other Mediterranean nations, and thus we should acquire new thoughts, new manners and customs, and a new and distinct civilization, compounded of many materials and derived from many sources, instead of being more imitators or copyists of England and New England.
We would cultivate the most friendly relations with England, but not with her alone, else we might become a mere parasite of here instead of a distinct, separate, and independent people.
