The Arkansas banner., 1844-01-23

IS true, are too weak or insignificant at pre-
 sent to command attention; vet, in the ever
 changing vicissitudes of people and nations.
 any or all of them may in time become
 troublesome, Ii not formidable neighbors.
 We are situated down stream with regard to
 them all. With wind and tide in their favor.
 our deienceless coast would but invite attack.
 At the first onslaught the Gulf States would,
 m military point of view, occupy the posi-
 ilon oi an army on the plain, which, from
 It's position, IS compelled to wait and watch
 the movements of the enemy on the heights
 above. In case of such descent, shall we
 send to the North for the navy to come and
 drive the enemy away? Should we not
 rather build upa dock-yard at Memphis, from
 which we could equip our Gulf forces and
 send down for it's defence and protection fleets of armed boats and swift-footed crusiers manned with the expert watermen and sharp shooters of the West? The boatmen of the
 Mississippi are stout and brave they alone are strong enough to protect and defend the Cult of Mexico against the world. But with out their aid, unless they be provided with the means oi resistance, and unless help for the navy be derived from this quarter, our assailant, if he were any of the great naval powers of Europe, would block up the Straits
 of Florida, forbid our fleets from the N orth
 to enter the Gulf; again he would light his
 camp-fires on our shores, and compel the Southern people once more to look to their
 cotton bags for defence.
 In war with England was ever French fleet known to pass the Straits of Gibraltar against her will? She has barred up that rock-made door with thousand pieces of cannon, and by her strength at that pass she has always weakened the power of France on the ocean by dividing the French navy, one part of which she has constantly locked up Tn the Mediterranean, and the other part she has invariably locked out. As complete as IS her command over the entrance to that sea, she has, by means of her arts and her arms, and those ssancent and unsubsidized allies of the realm," as the winds of heaven have been called, made herself complete mistress also over one entrance to our Mediterranean Gulf. What, therefore, though we should erect Toulon at Pensacola, and line the Mississippi with boat yards' There is not, from Pensa- cola, around by the Capes of Florida, to Sa- III SCOlSiSis d Ol Il lIlOuSailQ miles, one single fortified harbor or port of refuge to which the trader, if pursued by an enemy, could flee for shelter. Unless we should secure some strong point within this distance, England, from her greater proximi- ty, by means of her strongholds in the West Indies, would command this pass also; she could turn the key upon our Gulf forces, and effectually divide and weaken our navy, by locking up one part of 1t in the Gulf and shutting out the other from its assistance
 Of all sections of the Union, the States of the Gulf and South Atlantic are most open to aggression and liable to attack. Here na- tlonal defences are most needed, and should be strongest; but here they have been most neglected, and are weakest Shall the N orth be defended and not also the Souths Con- slder the commercial resources of the South and West-their kind soil and genial climate their present wealth and future destny- and say why is it that so little has been done to foster their interests in peace, to protect their merchandise in war; Is 1t because the N Worth exclusively is the source of trade the producer and the exporter of all the great staples of commerce.? Far from it. We have explained the exposed situation of the Gulf, and dwelt on the neglected defences of the South. We shall now endeavor to show, for we think we can, that at least two-thirds of this commerce takes 1t rise in these ne- glected regions, and first tempts the dangers of the sea from this exposed quarter.
 The commerce of the United States Is es- tlmated by the Secretary of the Navy, in his last annual report, at one hundred and fifty millions of dollars a year. This estimate only includes those articles which constitute the surplus produce of the States, and which, therefore, are sent off either through the ;oasting or the foreign trade to be exchanged or another hundred and fifty millions of dol ars i'll value. Consequently the value of he return cargoes is not included. But we include the coasting trade, because vessel with cargo from New Orleans to New ork or Boston is just as much exposed 0 dangers, and requires the same de- gree of protection on her way out from the fluff as though she were bound to Europe. )f what, let us ask, by the way, does this 5early commerce of one hundred and fifty millions of dollars consist It consists ,hiefy of cotton, of sugar, and tobacco; off 'orn, rice, and flour; and of pork, hemp, ard, and beef Where do these articles grow, md whence do they come? They grow lpon the eesavannahs of the South, and they ome down from the plains of the West, trough thousand streams and channels, to he Gulf of Mexico; in that great ventricle of they receive new impulse, and re sent out from it through the Straits of florida into those ramifed veins of trade which give lie and health, vigor and anima- ion to all parts of our great commercial sys- em.
 With these questions and explanations, we nter upon the proof of our proposition, by rst taking hasty glance at the cotton trade, he great staple of commerce.
 We have before Us a memorandum obtained ,om the private papers of our venerable Con- ul at Liverpool, the late Mr. James Maury n it the imports there of American cotton re stated
 At 5 bales in vessels for 1785.
 At 6 9s ? < 1786.