Charles Gravier Quotes
No interest can divide two peoples connected only over vast tracts of sea; the relations of commerce will form a chain which, if not eternal, will be of long duration.
He was advocating a relationship with the American Revolutionaries and some skeptics were concerned about what would maintain the relationship over time.
Charles Gravier, 1717-1787, Comte de Vergennes, French Foreign Minister, Statement to the French King & Council, August 31, 1776
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
In the particular case, the issue was whether the businessmen of our French allies should suffer from a devaluation of American currency that was then contemplated. American merchants would pay for goods in devalued currency and pay back loans with the same. Americans, and most other trading nations, have been on both sides of this issue ever since as a function of the specifics of the issues and the times.
Shaw carefully reported on the customs, laws, and traditions of foreign trade with China. He counted 43 European ships that landed in Canton in 1887 full of goods to trade and left full as well.
Congress was delighted with this report. This quotation is interesting for a number of reasons. In this first contact between Americans and the Chinese, foreign trade was the main subject of interest, and when the Chinese saw the size of the new nation, their immediate interest was to sell America Chinese manufactured goods. By the start of the 21st century, the largest trade the world had ever seen was that between American and China with us getting Chinese manufactured goods just as the 1785 Chinese and Americans at this meeting envisioned.
Turgot was one of the most advanced economic thinkers in Europe and realized, even before most of the Americans, that by freeing itself England, that the Americans would be forced to become free traders and that in turn would make America a major Economic power despite the fact that American economic policy over the years vacillated between protectionism and free trade.
Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes was a French statesman and diplomat. He served as Foreign Minister from 1774 during the reign of Louis XVI, notably during the American War of Independence.
