Southern standard., 1851-03-08
What prevents Southern Merchants establish.
ing direct trade with EurOpe!

1t is fitting juncture in the present condition of the
South to bring forward and urge with some hope of
success any measure that promises practicabity and
relief 1t is not intention to go into discussion
now of the Importance, might say necessity of d.
rect trade with Europe to the South At an early dav
we present facts and figures bearing upon
this question of character rrefutable For the pre-
SENT we intend merely to glance at two points
Immediately on the surface, believing that they will
arrest attention and operate to the advantage of the
general issue, by obtaining takers for it.
Iti singular fact that just in the mere fabric of
manufactured cotton, the South purchases annually of
the North from and half to million dollars worth:
and that while sell England million and half
to million 700 thousand bales of cotton, the North
purchases from to 600 thousand bales only of us
There is another little point worth notice here as in
dicatng the extent to which the South is made sub
servient to Northern interest and shrewdness The
Revenue collected at the port of N. York. in January
only fraction under $l4OOOOOO, and this sum is
but fraction less than the entire revenue collected at
Mobile in three years In this connection we remark
that the North has half million dollars worth
of manufactured cotton goods Europe in five years.
and that in the time less than 20 or 80 million
dollars worth of cotton has been sent forward to Eu-
should collect much in one month as is col
eced at Mobile in three years, and when we remem-
Der that the latter city sends forward to market each
year much of actual capital it is natural ASK
what channel does it return Reflection shows in
what channel it returns, and merchants can an
swer if they would whether it is practicable to have
the proceeds return through the port that the
sotton crop was shipped They can tell us whether
it is necessary to employ Northern merchants to pur-
chase goods in Europe with the proceeds ofour cotton
ship them to N. York. and thence South thus adding
extra commissions and extra expense by double
portaton, insurance &c-they tell us whether all
this is necessary, legitimate, economical bus
ness-lke. For ourselves we have advocated direct
trade for years, because could the neces
sty of paying people to do what ought do and in
addition this have contended for years that
the South rviting closely every year the
pendent upon the North now and unless we arouse the
mercantile interest to their duty the North will
tinue to fatten upon Southern labor.
There is no obstacle in the way of direct Southern
trade with Europe unless it be incapacity lack of
energy Is it the former We shall be slow to be-
lieye it. There is as much business capacity to be
found among our business men can be found else
where They are as shrewd, calculating and as
cautious as the Northern merehantin fact majority
of them are Northern men with Northern business al
Hances and of course opposed to any measures tend
ing to break up their peddlng and auction business
and it is for the lack of that specializing and curious
propensity denominated Northern peddlng energy,
that has interposed to prevent direct traffic Wherev-