The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-22


virginis, and the call for Planters convention
at Macon, Georgia. have revived the discussion
concerning direct trade between Southern aud
European ports
We shall devote some time and space occa
sionally TO this subject for although it has beer
much discussed for the last twenty years, W,
know Of no topic which is less understood. Re
cent events have given much greater importanc,
to it, than it ever possessed before.
Within few years. and since the tariff o
is46 was adopted, the total foreign trade of thin
country has increased fifty per cent Our i'm
ports and exports, which amounted before thai
act, to about Que hundred and twenty millions
each, have risen to nearly two hundred millions
And this change has been, to some degree, at the
expense Of our domestic trade In 1916, the
consumption of raw cotton 10 the United States
was 427.567 bales In the present year. ii is as
certained to be about 464 900, and 10 this year
much larger portion must have been used by
Southern factories and consumed at home. than
before. Whilst, therefore, the foreign trade has
increased 30 much, and is advancing more ra-
pidly than the domestic it becomes important
for the South to see that she gets her share.
We are not advocates of commercial or
manufacturing policy. We do not desire to in
crease the proportion of merchants and artizans
in the South. We don't believe that the wealth,
power, knowledge, morality, comfort, or inde-
pendencs of the South, would be promoted by
such change. We hold that the question of
direct trade with Europe is simply one Of profit
and loss, determinable by a comparison of it
with the indirect trade hitherto pursued through
our Northern ports.
Whnt, then, is the reason that the principal
part of all the commodities We obtain from
abroad, is received at the single port of New
fork-and that 80 very urge a part of our ex-
ports are shipped at the same place One rea-
son is, that il is probably the nearest harbor to
Europe that we have which is open at all seasons
OF the year. Another is, that through New
York the valleys Of the St Lawrence and Mis-
sissippi are most accessible to the commodities
and emigrsnts'of Europe. These circumstances
give to New York an advantage, as seaport and
commercial town, over any other in the Union.
And with this advantage, New York becomes
the mart v here there is usually greater amount
OF goods to be bought and sold, than any other
place on this continent. The simple fact that
she has greater assortment, secures her almost
aud incur expense, to arrive ut the greatest va
riety and abundance Of articles to sell and hence
she obtains the greatest number of buyers, as
well as sellers. To such place capital will re-
sort, because there also are the opportunities OF
investment greater.
These considerations are sufficient to account
for the commercial superiority Of New York
over not only all Southern, but all other North.
ern ports Bat there is another, which goes to
account for the inferior size of Southern cities
In the South there has always been greater ag-
ricutural attractions for capital and labor, than
in the North. TIE soil and climate are better
generally, and more congenal to slave labor
Hence, in the South, when merchants become
rich, they retire to plantations, whilst in the
North the reverse occurs-wealthy farmers seek
the cities and become traders OF course, agri
culture largely preponderates in one section
in the other, commerce and manufactures ult
mstely prevail. And because the cities and CON-
merce and manufactures Of the Sonth have no
become 80 great as those of the North, superb
lees enterprising and thrifty.
They were holding last week jubilee in Bos
Ton, because Massachusetts had completed abou
Thousand miles Of railroads. Yet Virgins
with less white population than Massachusetts,
has already completed thousand miles of rail
roads and canals, and is rapidly progressing will
six or seven hundred miles more. And in Viz
ginia, the avarage density of population is abou
one-tenth only of that of Massachusetts,, ant
m agricultural people, like those of Virgins
do not require to travel half as much az com
nercial and manufacturing population like Mas
sachusetts.
Virginia. however, has large surplus produc
ton for export TO Europe, the West Indies'an
South America. And the question is, has tn
time arrived when the amount of her export
and imports is large enough to make direC
trade proftable--large enough to concentrat
the requisite capital for the purpose'
In determining this question We must consde
some important changes on the other side o
the Atlantic The city of Liverpool occupie
the same position as to the other cities Of En-
rope in reference TO our trade, that New Yor
does ss to the other cities of this country
Liverpool is nearest to us, aud concentrates nc
only the articles Of British,bu Of continental pr
duction We want. But of late years, msnufa
tures have increased rapidly on the continent
in France, Holland and Switzerland. And u
question now is, whether Southern port abs
send large part Of her exports via New York al
Liverpool to Hasre, Amsterdam and Antwer
and receive her returns by the same circuit, {
90 and return direct. II must be obvious tn
the extra expense OF two tr'nshipmenss on so'
route is very great, and the loss OF time go