The southern press., 1851-09-17

cultural produces has been createu, all OF winch
seeks market in the cities OF Cincinnati, New
Orleans, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, whilst
even Savannah, in Georgia, has participated IN
those productions of Virginia, which cou.d moi
have paid the cost of expectation eastward to
the Chesapeake cities Of Virginia. The cities
enumerated have supplied the Valley and Wes'
tern Virginia with merchandise in exchange Tor
its productions. The commerce of Virginia
like some fountains choked up and neglected
cheers with its scattered streamlet every region
except that TO which its free and fertilizing cur
rent would naturally and gladly have directed
itself
We cannot make this valuable, though dis
persed trade, the subject Of exact estimate. II
Is ref ,cted in the increased population and tax
able resources Of the State so lately the subject
of elaborate exposition in the constitutional
convention.
We select however, for illustration Of its
value, and of the obstacles which impede its ex-
portaton the trade on The Monongalia This
river has been improved by lock and dam, SO
that steamers can ascend probably within the
Ii rits of Virginia. Its trade will compare favor
ably with that of many rivers in Eastern Vir-
einia vet the natural line of expectation of its
products, is by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers,
the Gulf oi Mexico, and coast OF the Atlantic, to
the markets of the East, or to Europe. The
aggregate line of water transportation from
Clark sburg. in Harrison county, to New York,
is not less than 1000 miles. The time en-
ployed, is not less than ninety days, yet the d
rect line Of transit to the Chesapeake, would not
exceed 400 miles, whilst the time in reaching
market might be reduced to few days. Bal
timore is providing means OF direct transit to
accommodate this region OF country, much OF
which has heretofore traded with Philadelphia |;
but after Baltimore shall have loaded her vessels
with this product Of Virginia, and supplied, in
return, the merchandise for its consumption,
she will be compelled to send it within the ter
ritory of Virginia for expectation TO the outlet
of the Chesapeake.
A similar difference between the natural and
artificial communication of that part of Western
Virginia bordering on the Ohio river, and of the
valley of the Kanawha with the Atlantic cities,
will be found to exist, whilst small portion of
Southwestern Virginia sends produce to Ala
bama and Georgia, purchases groceries in New
Orleans, and imports is merchandise through
Charleston, South Carolina. Let it be remem
bered, that this is a trade to be developed. The
land is not wilderness, requiring the life and
labor of generations, to reduce it to efficient
production The trade already exists. II has
grown up under obstacles. 1t has been driven
from its natural outlets, to enrich distant and
foreign interest in other States. But the fact
of its development under such disadvantages,
proves that it may readily be secured, whilst the
anxious interest of the whole West, proves the
alacrity with which it would cooperate in the
regeneration of the commercial interest of the
Virginia cities
There may be persons, however, incredulous
that the trade of Virginia now exported from
Northern, Western, and Southern cities can be
directed to the ports of the Chesapeake 1t will
not he doubted that the greater portion of the
products of valley and Western Virginia are
destined for consumption in the Northern States
or in Europe These pI oducts would adopt the
most direct line Of transit between production
and consumption, bnt for the natural obstacles
which intervene and condemn them to the tedi-
ous tortuous and perilous navigation of the
revers and coast. The direct line Of transit
would pass through the Chesapeake ports Of
Eastern Virginia.
So long as the route Of the water borne pro.
duce Of Western Virginia vas cheaper than any
artificial line Of direct transit any attempt to
divert that trade might have been hopeless. The
opinion that no railroad could succeed, unless
it connected populous points, by II short line,
has been reversed by experience. Considering
TIE TailTDa1 anu lUCOlHOllNe dlElftSb uS II TcNcld
ton for the South, we may be pardoncd for re
ferng to the causes which are now producing
through their agercy, such important social
commercial, and political results. Time has be-
come an essential element in the value Of mer-
chandize and staple productions. No producing
region, and no mercantile community, can adopt
slow and circuitous delivery, in competition
with others producing or vending the snme art-
cles, with greater facilities Of transportation
than themselves Travel and postal communi-
cation now tolerate no delay or impediment. 1t
is impossible to present any formula TO show
how far shortening the time of transit is equiva.
lent to positive reduction Of freight. The tele-
graphic and express lines, every where well sus
tained, prove the estimated value of time to be
very great though it varies, Of course, with the
fear of competition, with the value of the com
mercial subjects, and with the relative importance
Of individual transactions. But we see from the
opening Of the artificial lines of Boston, New
York and Philadelphia, that the commercial pat
ronage Of the interior is Immediately transferred
10 the most rapid and direct lines OF outlet and
intercommunication. II is thus that the great
cities Of the North have severally penetrated the
interior with artificial lines, until they have taken
from the open and nntaxed current Of the Mis-
sissippi. the commerce produced upon its bor-
ders. Theae great artificial outlets have been
competing amongst themselves for the com.
merce of the interior, until they now offer, not
only superior certainty, and reduced time of de-
livery, but they offer upon many articles cheaper
freights than the river and coast routes referred
10. We copy from the New Orleans Crescent a
notice of the reversing Of the natural current Of
trade, resulting from the construction Of the
great artificial lines referred to:
"For years past cotton has gone up the Ohio
river from Tennessee, through the Pennsylvania
and New York canals, to all the factories in the
interior Of these States. and often the cities Of
Phladelphis and New York We recollect, last
September, of one shipment of upwards Of
seven hundred bales, shipped from Louisville,
via the Ohio and New York canals, TO New York
city. The freights were less than by the way Of
New O,leans, and the difference in exchange and
insurance was near two per cent. in favor of the
Northern route.
"The dmount Of cotton that passed up the
Ohio last year, s estimIted by one familiar with
the trade, at sixty thousand bales. This season,
nearly all the boats from the Tennessee and