Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1848-10-14
SO
THE HISTORY AND PRINCIPLES OF AN
GENT COMMERCE.

and Westminster Bank, delivered on the above SUD
iect 1t is an instructive lecture; and although we
shall be obliged, Ito give the whole OF t,) to continue
il through several numbers OF the Journal the read
crs time if he is Il merchant, will b. well employ
cd in pcrusing it, This cturc is confined 10
THE COMMERCE OF TYRE AND CARTHAGE
Oy,pjn et Nnrigation Rise Of Tyre and CWh &c
SlInifime Porm-Inf1"t"ce Of Nar's"hom--O Y"
Commerce-idcmt g,S q an IhSi"r S'ta"'t"h-
Sbi1s of the InciemtS--LORg F0ydges- Carrying
Ttade- .InnutIct,ucS--H Ne ring Dyeihg rot
tern Thinning WWEing q heta$, c0io'Hts-
CJiOHim 1iide-Rat Of " se$ -EmtSFd'iW'-
Ircnmtlation Of ClpitIi- 60 Credit Ban6"S-
IotomrU-P, yfncrshtos- Joint Stock Companies
- Commercial Character Of The Cdrh"g"'H"s'
rive copy from Hunts Merchants Magazme.l
In nv first lecture laid down some OF the elrmen.
tary principles of commercial scie"ce; we stated
that the OF country depended on IT'S pro-
ductions- its consumpIon-on ITS poslhoh-oh us
means of communcaton-on the state OF Its arts aud
scienccson the nature OF It's laws, and on the genius
and character Of the people. We chdeaVorcd TO H.
lustrae these propositions by facts taken from the
history of ancient Egypt. In my last lecture we
traced the progress OF society from an uncl'lllzed 10
commercial state; we viewed the establishment OF
the right Of private propcrty-thc ADMINISTRATION OF
iustice-thc founding of cltics-the appointment OF
markets and tairs-and the introduction OF money
and bankers. These principles we cndeayorcd 10
illustrate by facts taken from the history OF ancient
Greece. We now view society arrived at state Of
maturity Property is rcspcctcd--the laws are en-
forc,d-the arts and sciences are culuvatcd-the ne
cessares of life acquIred-a taste Tor luxury has
arisenand the people are looking about IN quest oil
the means to enrich themselves with those produc-
tions which their soil and climate cannot supply
If we wish TO trace the means by which these de-
sres gratied, how can we do better than to IN
yestigate the history of Tyre and of Carthage:
The country called PhGnicia was situated on the
coast of the Mediterranean sea, to the OF
Canaan, and to the south west of Syria. The tern
tory was but small, and, like most other ancient
of first Sul
pendent states. The two largest cities were Tyre
aud Sidon. Old Tyre was situated on the land, and
withstood siege OF thirteen years by Nybuchadncz-
Ear Ultimately il was taken; but iht Ilrlans nav
ing command of the sea- rcmov d themselves, their
families, and their property, before Ntbach1dnc[Atr
could take possession OF the place. The yrians al
forwards returned, and built New Tyre, which was
at a little distance from the land, and was founded on
a rock about three miles in circumference This new
city was bcseged by Alexander the Great, and
taken, with great slaughter after siege OF seven
months Tyre is thus 'scrIbsd IN the itjy scrip
tures-'A joyous city, whose antiquity Is OF ancient
days, whose merchants princes whose tralhckerS
are the honorable OF the earth. - yrus did build
herself a stronghold, and hraprd mp SILVER as The
dust aud fine gold as the miro OF the street When
the waves went forth out Of the seas, thou hll"dNt
many people, thou didst enrich the kings 81 the earth
with the multitude of thy rcn and Of my mcrchan-
disc" Tyre carried on considerable traihc with
the adjacent country Of Jud,a, Solomon king OF
Israel, made a treaty with Hiram, king OF Tyre, by
virtue of which the IyrIIus hSwud timber IN the
Joppa, from whence il was carried to Jerusalem, to
construct the Temple, and other public buildings, and
in return Solomon supplied Hiram annually with
wheat and barley, and wine and on all OF wneh
Judea produced in abundance. Afterwards, when
Solomon fitted fleet AT Eziongrbrr 10 go to ar
shish, Hiram furnished him with sailors, a the ~
rians understood maritime affairs much better than
the Israclites In subs SOU nj prlJd alter the al
vision of the ten tribes Ahab, tn king of Israel
married Jezcbcl, the daughter OF Ethbial, king OF
Sidon, and introduced the worship OF Baal, the god
of the SldonlanS; and afterwards the worship OF the
same idol was introduced by r daughter, Athallah,
into the kingdom Of Judah. At still Later period
in the Jewish history, We find the Iyrans brought
fish, and all manner of wares 10 J"rusalcm and were
threatened with punishment by y, hrmlah tor eX-
posing them for sale on tht Sabbath day.
The Tyrians were remarkable Tor their know ledge
of navigation, their skill III manufactures, and the
extent of their commerce. The most ample account
we have of the commerce OF aucl Mt Tyre Is CON
tanned in the 9th chapter Of tn Prophecy OF kze-
kiel. In the prosecution Of their commerce they
found it useful to establish colonies for conducting
their trade with those countries IN which the colo
nists were settled They said to have planted
above forty colonies different parts OF the coast OF
the Mediterranean sea. Ia point OF government
these colonies, like those OF Greece, were indcpen-
dent of the mother country, aud had the entire
agement of their own affairs. Among these coloncs
the most celebrated is Carthage.
Carthage stood on the OF Africa, at about half
way from PhCenicia TO the Straits OF Cadz. 1t was
situated on peninsula, about forty five miles in cir
conference, which joined the main continent by a
neck of land about three miles across. The city, III
the zenith OF its grcatnes. about twenty three
miles in circumference, and contained population OF
about 700 900 people. AT this Tine II held dominion
over all the of Africa, territory above 400
miles in length, and containing three hundred cIes
il also possessed the greater part Of SPAN and Sicily
and all the islands the Mediterranean sea TO the
Straits Of Sicily. THIS extensive empire was not
acquired so much by conqu, ST as BY commerce and
colonization. The government like that Of most
ancient States, was republicans; but what is remark
able, and what distinguishes it from other ancient
republics is that during the whole six hundred years
Of its existence, there as no instance OF civI war
Ancient writers attribute this TO the cXcellency OF
the Carthaginan political constitution, but IT was pro-
badly owing TO the good sense and commercial habits
of the people.
The Carthaginians exccllcd in the arts and sci
ences, but all the monuments OF their greatness were
destroyed by the Romans. We have no acc punt Of
the Carthaginans except from Greek and Roman
writers, the latter of whom were their enemies and
destroyers. Had we as minute an account OF the
rise and progress of Carthage, we have Of Greece
and of Rome, it would probably form the most use
full branch of ancient history.
The following account is Civ II of their trade
''The commodities they suppl d other nations with
in great abundance seem 10 have been corn, and
fruits of all kinds, divers sorts OF provisions, and
high sauces, wax, honey, oil, the skins Of wild
beasts, &c. all the natural produce OF their own ter
ritories. Their staple manufactures were utensils,
toys, cables, made of the shrub Spartum, kind OF
broom all kinds of naval stores, and the color from
them called Punc, the preparation OF which seems TO
have been peculiar to them. From Egypt hey fetch
cd fine flax, paper, &c; from the coasts Of the Red
Sea- Spices frankincense, perfumes, gold pearls and
precious stones. From Syria and PhGnlcIa, purple,
scarlet with stuff tapestry, costly furniture; and
from the western parts of the world, in return for
the commodities carried thithcr, they brought back
iron, tin, lead, copper SC. So famous was Carthage
for its arfcers, that any singular invention or
quisite piece of workmanship, seems to have been
called Punic even by the Romans. Thus the Pune
beds or couches the Punc windows the Punc wine
presses, the Punc lanterns, esteemed the more
neat and elegant by that people"
The history Of Carthage, imperfect it is,
seems adapted to teach us those means by which