The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-09

LIS Mopie 1TtoAHc speaking VI tuo prOJcc-
ted Southern line Of Steamers to Europe, says:
Some of the merchants Of Boston are trying
to establish line Of steam packets between that
city and Mobile, Charleston and other South
ern ports. One writer on the subject for the
Boston Atlas says:
"Boston requires rcgulnr packet or steam
communication with the various Southern ports,
to enable her to complete with New York, or to
get fair proportion Of the business Of purchase
es of general merchandise from TINT section OF
the country, who ship goods to mobile, Charles
ton, Apalachicola, Galveston, Savannah, and
other Southern ports. It is quite time that
Boston should give some attention to this mat
ter; her enterprise has built rail roads in every
direction, and it is matter ofsome surprise that
more attention has not been given to this coast
wise communication. know thatit Is frequent
ly urged by merchants from Alabama, Georgia
and Texas, as reason why they do not pur-
chase more goods here, that they never know,
when they shall get The goods they do pur-
chase. refer here particularly to articles of
domestic manufacture. And why should we
not sell them larger proportion of imported
goods? Our facilities for importing all kinds OF
foreign goods are, in every respect, equal to
these of New York, or any other city in the
Union; and if except fine fancy dress goods,
believe us good stocks Of every other kind of
improted goods generally purchased bySouthern
merchants, can be found in Boston as elsewhere.
And let us offer them as regular and quick in
communication to get these rich goods home
as New York does, aud believe there nre en-
terprising merchants enough here that will i'm
port such goods for them. | receive letters from
southern customers from New York, enquiring
if there is any opportunity to ship goods from
Boston, If they come on and purchase. Now
if Boston wishes to increase her trade with the
South, or keep what she already has, this diff
Guilty must be removed. And l believe every
merchant in Boston who has been doing bust
ness with the South, will testify that it has been
as safe and profitable as any business he has
done; and that he is as anxious to increase it as
with any section ofthe country"
The question is here not why we should pur-
chase of the Boston people, who show so fierce
hostility to Southern interests. We think no
right minded man, identified with this section.
will doubt as to the propriety and justice of
placing as strict an embargo as possible on that
city. But if this business be so profitable to
Boston, why cannot it be entered into by South
ern men with like resultss Why should not a
line of steamers, communicating directly with
Europe, be established anywhere in the South
and reap the same advantages! 1t is not neces.
sary that such line should be destined simply
for the uses Of one port. Mobile, Charleston,
Savannah Galveston, Apalachicola, might assoc
ciate to give stability to it dozen sound
merchants in each of these places united, could
re-; " establish it, and it would serve for all.
Like the British West India steamers, its depot
might be at various Cities and while each would
enjoy its advantages, the enterprise would serve
efIectually, not only to emancipate us from a
dependence which is properly becoming odious,
but as pioneer in the way of a general COM
mercial independence. Our Southern rights 80
cieties might take this matter in hand, and, by
a correspondence with true men in the cities al
Iuded to, at least investigate the subject, If not
Immediately reduce it to practice.