The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-30
From the Sapannnh (Ga) Republican,
Trade with Africa.

Our readers have already been informed that
bill, accompanied by report, has been ntrot uctd
into the House Of Representatives., ior the establish
ment of a line Of mail steamers TO the Coast OF Al
rica The commerL jal ad dvantages which would be
likely to result from sucli enterprise are sufh
GENTLY important to engage the attention both OF
our merchants and congressman ~ Is stated mat
Great Britain conducts n traffic with Africa valued
ut y2S, 900 600 per annuIn, while we, Win com
merce amounting in exports and imports 20 "niy
about one million add quarter, are coinpelied W
keep up naval force the western coast, parity
to protect this British commerce, and at the same
time to suppress, far as may be, the slave trade
The question arises, why should we not, With ,hs
facilities enjoy, enter into competition for this
traffic of $50 900, ,0nOf Colonies and republics are
annually sprngiug up in that region, Whose com
.nerce must ultimately Prosc Ut Immense value IN
exchange for our manufactures OF cotton and other
fabrics. Ii becomes important therefore to at'ach
these colonies to our trade Egypt, prior TO t!ls
downfall of that empire, concentrated within The
valleys Of the Nile the most, II not the only, com
merce of that vast continent; but modern rcsear II
has satisfied us that westward--pursuing the undo
WAITING law of political dcstiny-the star oi Aiilcau
glory wends ts way. Liberia may yet become the
Thebcs of modern times, and number not her hun
dred brazen gates for the egrcss OF armies, bat
navies for the supply of the world and America her
treasure house
The principal exports of the African coast arc
IVORY palm oil, gold coffee, cotton, and various
that Great Britain imports annually 5000 cwt.--
tusk weighing about sixty pouuds-to obtain
which 1t lS necessary To destroy ABOUT ,VJU cIe-
plants every year. Her imports OF palm OIL, cur
ing last year, set down at 400 900 cwt., which
yielded duty of S230,000. We obtain our sur
plus of ths article through foreign custom honhes
and not direct, by which the committee ef the
House thinks it cost our importers thousand per
cent. more than il would IL we were able, by line
of steamers, to import from the natives, in eX-
change Tor American commodities. Grcat brtaih
has also managed to monopolize, since the cstab-
lishment of the colonies the immense amount OF
gold which they produce. The researches OF geog.
raphers have shown that the sands OF upper and
lower Guinea, not to say Liberia and SenegaDbia,
contain great quantities OF this rich treasure; but
of their monopoly in this respect we will not conf
plain. Possessing such country California,
with her gold mountains and gold lakes, it would
not be becoming in to bcyrudge 10 England
whatever of the precious dust she can glcan ironi
the sands of Africa. But this is only one item III
the thrifty trade she is driving with that country
The aggregate value of the exports Of the African
| colonies is reclxuned at over two and hall mil
lions, while their imports, principally from Great
Britain amount TO near thirty millions. Our share
Of this trade, if except Liberia, does not exceed
l, 1000 And yet the population of Bibcra is es-
timated at 81 900, that of Sierra Leone at 4oUUp,
and that of all other settlements at 500, 600, max
ing total OF 627 900.
II may be said that this trade is SMALL but then
il should be remembered that the colonies are yet
in their infancy-that they constantly extend
ing and increasing in population, and promise to
become of much Importance politically and com
mcrcally The committees report explains all the
moral and political advantages OF the plan; and
when the whole considered together, 1t strikes
that the subject deserves the most earnest and
deliberate attention Of Congress. IL Is aiso To be
borne in mind, that the steamers would touch at
| all the important islands of Airica-and some OF
these, we well know, occupy a conspicuous rank,
in commercial sense.