Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-09-11
COMMUNICATION.
COMMERCE OF THE PACIFIC.

j
gatied to peruse in eonnexon with the great subject Of
opening overland communication with the Pacific The
irst extract shall make gives Senator BEsroSs
this commerce
"spces, aomatcs precious stones porcelans silks and
tea are the articles OF Asiac Silver and gold
the articles with which they purchased From the
est OF the world the precious metals have flowed into
Asa and tins drain which has been ncessant for several
thousand years. has become still more enormous in latter
times The Americans alone have carried twelve millions
eastern Asia within the last year. eight millions of which
carried 10 Oanton and exchanged for tea silk porcelain and
coons This course Of trade has occasoned prodigous
accumulation OF the precious metals Asia for what
Is carried there remains there there being nothing in the
mercial or political relations Of the countries
ter current and bring back into Europe America To
stop this drain and substitute for trade in barter would be
an object OF the first interest with any country especially with
the United States, which have mines to supply drain
ncessant and so enormous. To go further change
which would draw back part Of the gold and silver which
has accumulated in ASIA would be commercial operation
which no nation has yetaccomphed and which would open
vein of unryaled richness Both of these operations are
pactcabe not by the Europeans who have nothing which
they can substitute for silver; by the Americans while
they follow the track Of the people of Europe Yet there are
articles for which the Asatcs would only give the rich
productions OF their country, but freely exchange their gold
and silver, brought into their market by any These
articles are and bread Of the former Europe has
to send Of the latter but little and if she had any to spare
her geographical position the vast distance which ntevenes
would prevent Its expectation America, the contrary
doned to enemies the second has been carried to
Asia, because the Americans servey follow the track of
the Europeans and still more remote than they from
the seat OF commerce. The American navigator sails
the east raverses thirty thousand miles of sea, doubles
stormy and tempesuous cape order arrive in what is
called the East Indies In the tme what was the East
Indies to the ancens the West Indies the Americans
for they lie to the west of and but few ays sail from
coast The western shore of North America and the
eastern shore of Asia front each other-he mild and TRANQUIL
waves of the Pacific alone inervene in the boades
part as narrow the Atlantic and in the narowes at Beh
rings Straits only thirty miles apart Instead of going to the
east Americans should therefore go to the west TO arrive in
Asia and taking that route they would Immediately be able
to carry rs and bread into the markets of ASIA the first of
which is plaged from them by Engshmen and Russians
the latter would have to be raised from the fertile banks of the
Columbia river.
ell Sought after by all nations.-During thirty centu-
es the nations of the earth have oked to Asia in search of its
nch commerce. Sacred and pofane history exhibit the
picture OF merchants loaded with gold and silver raversng
the deserts cames the ackess ships in search
OF the rich productions in the east From the time of the
PhUncians to the English the present day. countries of
eastern Asia have been the chief theatres of commercial
tepse and the nation which shared this commerce in the
highest degree has acquired in all ages the first rank in the
arts, the Sciences national power and individual wealth.
And such will probably be the the end of the world
Nature has made but ASIA but country abounding
with the rich productions which found in the East Indies
and while mankind continue to love spices and aromatics
precious stones pocelans, fine coons silks and teas the
trade with Asia continue be sought as the bright
est jewel in the diadem Of commerce.
GIL Ancient channels of This comerce-These may be
traced by the ruins of the great cities which grew up with the
possession of this rade and peiished with its loss
"Tyre, 'Queen Of Cities It's first emporium The
commerce the east centred there before the captivity of the
Jews Babylon upwards of hundred years before the
coming of Christ (Roln) She traded to Arabia Persia
and India Her route by the Mediterranean Sea the
coast OF Egypt land to the Red Sea by the Ismus
Suez down the Red Sea and thence east by coasng voy
ages the countries about the Gulf of Persia and mouths
Of the river Indus The possession of this made
Tyre the richest and the proudest city the universe gave
her the command of the made her tackers the ho-
norables Of earth, (isaa and enabled her merchants to
dispute with kings in the splendor Of their living and the
of their expenses Nebuchaduezza king Of Babylon
conquered Tyre, and razed to its foundaons he did
not found rival city, and the of the India trade
Immediately restored the 'Queen ofe Cities all her for
mcI degrees of power and pre-emnence Alexander con-
quered her again. founded va city the of Egypt
and Tyre became IA place for fishermen dry their nets
(ExekieL)
The Jews in the time of David and Solomon succeeded
to the India trade. Their route the which the Phe
nicians followed from Tyre, and their country became the
theatre OF wealth, and their kings the abters of surrounding
nations.
In the reign of Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia new
route opened with India lay from the borders of Per-
STA through the Caspian Sea- up the river 0xus the noun
tans which divide from the river Indus those
tans with the aid Of the Bactan camel and thence down the
river Indus to the countries about its mouth then the chief
seat OF the India ade and the limit of the anciens their
trade the This covered distance of three
or 300 overland crossing the mountains and about 200 on
the river Indus
s'The foundation of Alexandra created new emporium
and opened route for the commerce of the east cho
sen with much Judgment that continued be followed
from the time Of Alexander the Great upwards of three hun
ded before Christ till the discovery the Cape Good
Hope in the fifteenth century. This channel was along the
canal of Alexandra to the Nile, the Nile Coptus thence
across the desert with camels to the Red Sea- aud thence
coasting voyage to the mouths of the Indus The Romans
in the fourshng times of the Republic and of the Empire
derived their supplies Of India goods through this channel
In the age another channel opened with India
lay land the desert from the bottom of the Me-
diteanean Sea to the Euphrae down that river to the
Gulf OF Persia and thence by the coasn voyage to the
mouths Of the Indus The distance between the sea and the
Euphrates 1.-TWO hundred mies) required station between
them found in grove of palm trees fertile spot,
well waered, in the midst ~ sands about midway between
the and the river It's inhabitants entered with ardor
the trade of conveying commodities from the river the
As the most valuable productions of nda brought up by the
Euphaies from the Persian Gull Of such small bulk
to bear the expense of long land carriage this trade
became considerable that the opuence and power Of Pal
myra increased rapidly, (Robertson) It's government
best suited to the genius of commercial citynRPuBLcAr
(Phny The edr) This spot then began exhibit the
ders OF which commerce is capable From trading station
II became opuen cy the capital Of great empire, the
seat OF science and the arts the rival of Rome Rome would
bear rival One Of the powerful of the emperors
Anelan) carried tho Of the empire against the City
o Commerce. Palmyra subdued its trade diverted TO
other channels and the ruins Of temples arrest the admiration
OF the traveller on the spot which the scat Of so much