Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-11-15

TINS advantage " the latter city over all the
rest, tina, even tho costs and charges of re
shipment. freight, SC, &C., added 10 the
profits upon the importation paid TO the New
York merchant, upon the small quantity of
commodities consumed in and around eac b
of the Southern lnr,s, do not enable our ow u
merchants TO perform The foreign operation.
except To a very limited extent. But il will
be very different matter when one ,halt, or
even one-third OF the materials of the com
MERGE oil the mighty West passes throuy b
one OF The Virginia ports, burdencd with this
additional, and, as il will soon appear, most
unnecessary tax. The serious amount of
hat tax upon so vast quantity ni goods,
will at once excite attention. and enquiry
AL minds will Immediately be directed 10
life means OF its removal; and happily, those
means are not remote, nor will the object be
difficult Of accomplishment. A direct i'm
port and export trade al Norfolk, for which
the natural facilities are as great as at
New York, at once removes the diff.
Gully and takes off the burden. 10 other
words, a demand will thus be created at Nor
folk, for the employ mcnt Of an immense
capital-a capital amply sufficient To COM
pete with that Of N. Y in the foreign i'm.
port and export trade of the country II has
heen already sauwn, that by an invariable
law OF political economy, this demand will
certainly and very promptly lie answered
10y corresponding supply: aud thus, and
fhus only, can her legitimate share of the di-
rect foreign commerce of the u S. be res
,"red 10 Virginia This is the only solution
of the Important and difficult problem which
the Commercial Con sen,iou was called to
work ont Tor the people, and for the Legs-
lature Of Virginia.
have referred exclusively In the central
Improvement IN the ILLUSTRATION of our true
position, and OF our true pulley. not because
l do not regard other Improvements as Of
very great Importance, as deserving the lib
erai patronage OF The Legislature and of the
people, and as very efficient auXiliaries in
accomplishing the great result But il is as
auNiiiaries only TO this great and conn and-
ing enterprise that all the others should be
regarded The influence OF all other i'm
provemens added To the results of the cen.
trail line, i'll tend To swell our commerce
and To extend our resources Each will op>
ersie efficiently in producing the great re-
suit. But while the central work remains
unfinished, all the rest would produce but
an inconsiderable effect. The reason oftbis
IS obvious. Although each one Of the i'm.
Provemenls referred TO may penetrate ye-
~ rich and extensive district of country. and
attract The trade of that district tn one of our
Virginia towns, yet the only effect of the
improvement will he 10 make that town a
point in the channel Of intercourse between
such district and Northern port. The
mighty stream of Western commerce will
still flow TO N. York, and concentration
there, OF that immense capital which defies
and bears down all competition. But the
instant that Virginia connects one of her
seaporis with The Ohio river, she can invite,
and To large extent command, The almost
entire commerce Of The West The Ohio
river Is the great, the common highway of
all the Western States. Upon lis bosom
floats neatly the whole Commerce of ,his
mighty region. When you reached the O..
hio river, you nave, al The same momen,
reached every other point of the great Mis-
sissiPpi Valley. II made al once ac-
cessible 10 yoi, and all will gladly seek,
through your improvement, an outlet 10 the
Atlantic.
Thus, at least. think our neis hbors 10 the
North and 10 the South of US OF what con.
sequence Dies Is fillmore regard it, tina, she
has penetrated with her railroad through
the wealthiest counties of Maryland, to The
richest district OF Virginia, ,ohile the term,-
1iatton Of that railroad IS not yet upon the
BANKS ofthe Ohio? Totha. object she looks
with unaverIed eye and eager expectation,
as the only result worthy OF her enterprise,
and presenting the sure promise OF an ample
reward for all her exertions and her sacrifi.
ces. And the newly awakened and wisely
directed energies OF our Southern rival, the
city of Charleston, disdains To strike for
less noble prize than the mighty tide OF com
merce which huais upon the Ohio. And
will Virginia, with her commanding and
unrivailed position, falter now, for mo.
ment in the effort she is making TO secure
To herself the principal portion OF this great
trade? VIII she still suffer mean, sections
al jeaouses and narrow contracted views
OF her destiny and her duty, TO distract her
councils and paralyze her energies? trust
not, Sir. And Of one thing am certain,
tina, il the merchants OF Virginia possess The
enlarged minds, and the iar-seeng intelli-
gence of their rivals and their brethren in
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and
Charleston, they viii! not permit the oppor>
iunity OF their re assembIage in CONNER.
ciai Convention to pass away without so
lemnly declaring TO the legislature and peo>
pie of Virginia, that, until our cities arc
placed in position 10 command large Dor.
lion OF the trade of The great West, eli other
/ efforts TO re-estabish our foreign commerce
mus! be vain and futile. Such ON expres
sim from such body could not but exert
the happiesl Influence upon the fortunes. OF
OF the State at this critical period of her his.
tory.
MEMBER OF THE LATE
COMMERCIAL CONVENTION