Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-05-08
MY. Eorsyth's Speech
IN THEHOUsEOFR REPRESENT TIVES,
MARCH -, 1918,
On sending Minister TO Buenos Ayres.
ICuNCLuDr.D

II tic sdnguine temper oil the speaker ndu
dpiutrti kim IN To "A icilet So deAOsatorl 10 The
CHAT cter of his .gss countr>, Al MAS not sur
ptixihg tiatlr should have criedin estimating
III. commercial II gUiit.ra' ii'tervst OF the Y.
States IA the >. \ OeIical. struggle. That We
have deep interest ia tre tate OF Spanish
America could not ue Ie ied hut il WAS
'noral iutpgest-the interest wheel, n'an tCitior
the condition of .aan IL ali qnar'ers - The weird.
Whichever may be the changes mat b+y LAX
pace. trOtu TIE Rio Brave Ia Cape lI"rn. no
e>,eU'idi,, favorable alteration can DE rtOduc-
ed IA the extent OF our commerce., III Tie pan
y or stability OF our political in,ttnioos....
spanish America would aiI0 d TO us but ~
tiu.- portion OiheTSi miitCI.S OfcNpUris. y i'i
the eX option 81 hes ifliherai - oirchOns bei
experts were OF the same Kind viii. the exports
OF thl, count -the great staples were coit";',
tobacco, iicV b; c..dsIuns, hemp. tic. her IN.
potts EolOptau Dld;iUtac3 lures. Mr.. +. I" ola
not use, as an Argument, tue Il. riculthrdl i!,ai
ry that miski ensue, under "a different statc Ct
things, 10 induce wish, ;hat the present cot
ditiOn ct spans America might cOGttite; but
he would use II IL demonstrate the 'AIs"N .!
the opinion that our commercial prosperity
vOuid lac greatly inci eaSUd ~ The expected
chance IN herpO.It,cal condition.. On dis poiat
he WOULD ash tle attention OF the cOnnn tee Ia
"A few sentences from q wotk Just pubI>nr,i,
whose author relied upCn The staieRcuiS oi
HumbuiIi, a man whose opportunities TO pro-
cuic anu atiI;, To select the most vdiuahie
aud ACCURATE information, WAS universally
kntwn. After givin. amostappaihng account
Ofthe ir.scltst.te OF thr imports 10 Mexico ~ ~
the u States, com. AIRED with those OF Il.
Britain, III says:
- Eat il the imports according TO The report
are b, no iReans promising. - il resi ecis tre
demand for our produ tons, sum, iicms Oi lac
eApOri. are Siso OF naturt To excite serIomS
reHectlOps III the minis oil those Who are con
ctrned Ia agricultural pursuits. Among the
exports 10 the other colonies, wcfi. ii the Ii
Gle 81 2G,3il bales or sacks OF -four, aud ,zO1
aIrcbas (of 25ihs each)oi cotton. Speaking OF
the Ntxican -four, Humboldt Says, - il enters
INTO competition at the ilavJi:a market with
that OF the u. states. " hen the r"ad ~ liich is
constructing from the table land OF PerO,e 10
Vera Cruz shall be com yirt,,y finished the
grain OF New Spain with eAporied tor Dor
teauN, Hamburg aud oremen. 1 he AigNtcsHs
viii then possess Il double advantage over tho
inha Ditants Of the y. States, that OF Il greater
feriIiIty Of the territory, and ihat OF lower
| Price of labor" And CA the articl. OF tobacco,
he observes that " lac cultivation of MeAicaH
tobacco might Decome branch OF agriculture
OF Inc very highest Importance. Il the ttdue IN
| 1T were free. ~ Vera Cruz the qu1Gtiy of
| tobacco produced la the districts OF DiZab4
| eud CordOva Id estimated at from 900 COZ los.
| H. z,O0O.OG0 lbs" The Indefinite increase OF
| the growth of to baccO is prevented BY the 10Y.
al monopoly, winch not only prescr.Des ihe
| quantity, Dn, the very districts IA which only
| II cav lie cultivated lie also observes ON HE
| subject et tie cSitun 0f uexirO, that " New
spain snrp..es Europe auuualiy " Ill 90 $50
lbs. OF cotton I'iis quantlt, thou. II ia Itself
| very IncGusidetalie. ~. however, SiA tines
greater inaa ,i'"l eA feSieC by ibc U.st,trs, IT
HER avn growth, ~ iIgi: ana III l. Years HE
| produce oi .Uiioh has BECOME III TIE =. states
! 3i7 iiises greater. When IVA consider tbr ply
! steal positions % the u. ststes aud Ne.jCO, Fp
can hardly e"tcIidIn dSubt. t,ial these two
countries will one day he enabled 10 produce
! All tie cotton employed III thc H,ahutdcuures
of Europe. The great staples Of the 4. States
| are grain, toHr. tobacco, nee cotton, anu the
| products of our fisheries, and lumber. IIue
| bulk, character of these articles rVqHires, aud
actually employs, 80 mHCh hippI!:g Tor this
| transportation, that in point OF mercantile
| tonnage, We are already superior 10 ATTY uat lon
| ia LUrope, Great Britain excepted Consider
Ing, therefore, the Importance ot these staples,
| 80 their tendency tn our internal wealth, and
| their influence on our iaaIiiIn,e strength, we
| cannot contemplate, witiIuLi feelings of great
concern, any contingency, however remote,
| winch ma! operate unia. crabiy to either"
MIR. +. would Tot taiig,a The committee by
toHo"Ine the author IN as investigation of this
subject, through tue uhc.e extent oi spanish
America, but would cOntcut hn'scl! with quot
ing that portion ct tie HOrk wh!cis related to
the provinces OF Ia Plata the immaculate OBJ
Ject Ot t!eIr present enquiry
he climate and sOli az DienOS A}rPs me-
Singuiariy favorable to the grOwtiI OF ,'aeat
and barley and whenever this country Shall
have acquired competent population, the
extent OF rs produce ~ both Viii be eqGa' 10
amy demand, however great. During ihe late
war in Spti1, considerable quantities were ship
ped, under contract with tie British govern
inent, To the ports OF spain and Portugal. I'm
derthese cIrctlnstaHce ii Is 10 he expected that
in any event, our commercial intercourse with
this couI try, willnot be an object OF national
importance.
"Our observations respecting BueuOs Ayrcs
apply with still more force 10 Chill because
the latter isSlil more remote, beng situated
on the Pacific Ocean, III nearly the sane .ati-
tude with BuauOs AyreS, and cVrIespendin.
with II IN It's productions
IT must be sufficiently Obvious, from these
extracts. that the hope of commerCial sdiuntust
be founded upon our ability To be the carriers
OF Spanish America, in her commerce with the
world or IN our ability to compete with other
natiousin the supply of such manufactured ar
tlcifs us arc consumed By her inhabitants. IN
the direct commerce from Europe to South 4.
merica, we cannot hope TO participate. Every
nation wisely regulates this subject liz our.
selves. Competition IS confined TO their own
vessels. and those Ofthe nation with whom il
has direct intercourse. We must I've able 10
perform cirCnit9nS Voyages with greater idCiii
~ aud ~ smaller expense andiTecl VOYAGES
are performed by other nations. a contest
hopeless. unless waTTageS amC"g all the other
| maritime powers OF thc earth. Even in this
extraordinary state OF the world, we should
have TO contend with the naval enterprise Of
| tie newly created empires. IhiSis considered
/ a. OF butiittle consequence by the Sppakcr.-
| He suPposes HAT Spanish America .an never
| become . great maritime power: AID for What
| reason A strange one indeed. They are too
| near tie sun. Tie climate is too warm and ne.
taxing +; the Inhabitants cannot contend on the
! ocean VIII The hardys and euterpfiziug children
OF the bleak ana hTaciDg regions OF "A northern
| sky. Allhstory condemns this strange theory.
| ASK your naval heroes ifthcy have not found
| that tie sailors Of the southern are equal in
| strength, activity, courage and Lardil,Ood 10
| their northern brethreny IT they would not
prefer the sailors Of LOnisianatO the natives Of
! the frozen md barreU regions OF Labrador
| u the Improvement Of orr Souih American
| brethren keeps pace with tie anticipation Of
| the gentleman from Kentucky, their eHauci-
| patton willcreatc for usiUrmldable rivals nag