The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-20
The City OF New Yorkshire Past-Th>
Present-and the Future.


The city OF New York-The Past-The
Present-and the Future.
We recently published an article on the pre-.
sent prosperous state Of the city of New York,
md the whole country, and augured that we
are now entering on a career of speculation and
prosperity that will continue for a number of
years, unless some contingency should intervene
10 prevent it.
While, however, we direct oursattenton to the
present and the future, it is WE'LL perhaps, that
should occasionally recur to the past, lest we
might in few years outlive our memories, ard
be bereft Of any link by which we could connect
ourselves with what passed within compare
lively short time. We shall, therefore, brush up
the memories OF our readers, and take them
back few years, with the view of illustrating
the city OF New York then, and contrasting it in
IL, present state of extension, opulence and popu-
lation.
We shall 60 no farther back than the year 1908.
From that year to 1914 the British orders in coun-
cil-the Berlin and Milan decrees-our own non.
intercourse acts-our embargo, and finally the
war with Great Britain, acted on the United
States, and on this city in particular, because it
was the focus OF the country, as does sudden
and violent squall on ship at sea. 1t threw us
on our BEAM ends. The course OF events in those
years occasoned great and irreparable loss to our
merchants, and paralyzed their movements South
street, and the wharves on the East River, which
before that period presented a busy scene, were,
comparatively speaking, deserted. The same iner-
Tia was visible in Boston, Philadelphia and Balti.
more. After the war was over, however, matters
assumed different aspect. Energy and enterprise
once more asserted their sway, and the gloom
aad dependency that for many years hung like
black cloud over our city, was dispelled by the
sunshine peace. This was manifested in many
ways. Commerce was relieved of the iron fetters
that controedit. New York sent her vessels and
her seamcn 10 all parts of the world packet
saips were built and traded regularly between
Liverpool and New York, departing from each
port as regularly rs they do now, and creating as
much excitement on their arrival here as they
did few years ago, before steam power was APP
led to ocean steamers.
The trade with China, which, before then,
was small, grew into importance under the en-
terprise Of John Jacob Astor and others, and
continued successfully by Thomas II. Smith
The Russian trade was pushed By Samuel
Hicks, Mr. Jones, and others The South
American trade fourished under Peter Har-
VI
rard, and several others The most extensive
importing and exporting merchants at that time
were Jonathan Ogden, Archibald Oracle, J. Wad
dington, John Taylor, John Mason, A. Mitchell,
ana some sothers. Whitney, McCoun, Storm,
Tooker, Nevius, and others, controlled the gro-
Gerry trade. The Jobbing business was in the
hands of Smith Crays, Laverty, Robbins, Kelly
and others. The auction business was managed
by the Homes, and so well was it conducted, that
the prices current at their sales governed business
in other cities. Others, among whom were Peter
Remsen, Goodhue, Talbot and others, entered
into it, and received consignments of whole car.
goes ofteas, &c (which were owned in other ports,
but transmitted to them for sale.
S Thus on from 1920 to the present time, our
steamers ami packet ships have increased in
numbers, magnitude, and splendor, that have
no parallel, attracting and concentrating at this
port the chief business OF the continent In the
meantime, the packet lines, and fine ships of
our sister cities, were not sustained and have
mostly withsred away.
Should we be exempt for the next twenty years
from the desolations of war-should both poti-
clans and Congress their agitations our pro
gress up to 1865 promises far more brilliant re suits
TO our city than we have ever realized and ere
let us revert for moment to the progress in
population, even under the vicissitudes of the
period we have mentioned, to 1856
In 1905 our population was. .......". 1910
10 1870 100 065
lnlo45 1862 900
In 1865 ,.,..,..,,
The blank for 1865, we leave to others to fill up
At guess we should put down 100000 or more,
without reference to Brooklyn, or other adjacent
places. Tojudge from the past-the extraordinary
rate at which New York has progressed since