The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-17

]. ishsd, miuSrAls I6,y2 zen ma)s aysiisbls. I'll.
cuItural py9tiues has ben crested ~ q wsar'
seeks malkst in abe eities FL CinSpnnas', m
Orleans, Philadelphia. and Baltim9re' w!alst
even Sava5snah, In Georgia, has participates IN
those prodGclioas Of VirginiA, whirh could nol
have paid the coat of expectation eastward 70
the Chesapeake cities of Virginia. Tbs cities
enumerated have supplied the Valley and Yves.
tern Virginia with merchandise in exchanges for
it's productions. The commerce OF virginia,
like some fountains ehoked up and negocted,
cheers with its scattered streamiet every region
except that TO witch its free and fertiiixing F-
rent would ma .. ally aud gladly have direc.sd
itself
We cannot make this valuable, though dis
perssA 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-
portation, the trade on the Monongalia. This
river has been imprc we'd by lock and dam, SO
that steamers can ascend probably within the
! Ii rits of Virginia Its trade will compare favor
sbly with that Of many rivers in Eastern Viz
ginia yet the natural line OF exportation OF its
products, is by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers,
the Gulf OF Mexico, and coast OF the Atlantic, to
the markets Of the u ,st, 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, IL not less than ninety days, yet the di.
rect line of transit to the Chesapeake, would not
exceed 400 niles, whilst tbs time in reaching
market might be reduced to a few days. Bal
timore is providing meas 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
bsma and Georgia, purchases groceries in New
Orleans, and imports liz merchandise through
| Charleston, South Carolina Let it be remem
bered that this is trade to be developed. The
land is not a wilderness, requiring the life and
labor Of generations, to reduce it TO efficient
production. The trade already exists. IL has
grown up.under obstr es 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
aacritv 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 at Virginia now exported from
Northern, Western, and Southern cities can be
directed to the ports of the Chesapeake. 1t will
not be doubted that the greater portion of the
products of valley and Western Virginia are
destinad for consumption in the Northern States
or in Europe. These products would adopt the
most direct line of transit between production
and consumption, but for the natural obstacles
which intervene and condemn them to the tedi-
ous, toruous and perilous navigation of the
revers AMI 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.
ducc Of Western Virginia was cheaper than any
! artificial line of direct transit, any attempt 20
divert that trade might have been hopeless. The
, opinion that no railroad could succeed, unless
it connected populous points, by short line
has been reversed by experience. Considering
the railroad and locomotive almost as a revela
ton for the South, we may be pardoned for re-
terny to the causes which are now producing,
through their apercy such important social,
commercial, and political resultsN Time has be-
come an essential element in the value OF mer-
chandze and staple pr oduciions. No producing
region, and no mercantile community, can adopt
slow and circuitous delivery, in competition
with Others producing or vending the same arti-
cles, with greater facilities of transportation
Al.
cation now tolerate no delay or impedment. Ii
. is impossible to present any formula to show
how far shortening the time of transit is equva-
lent to positive reduction of freight. The tele-
graphic and express lines, every where we'll sus.
tanned, prove the estimated value of fine 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 Phiiadel pbia. that the commercial pat
ronage Of the interior is immediately transferred
to the most rapid and direct lines OF outlet and
INSTRUMENTATION. 1t 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 untaxed current of the Mis-
I sssippi, the commerce produced upon it's Dor
ders. These great artificial outlets have been
competing amongst themselves for the com
mcrce 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
TO. We copy from the New Orleans Crescent n
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 mp the Ohio
river frcm Tennessee, through the Pennsylvania
and New York canals to all the factories in the
interior of these States, and often the cities of
PHILADELPHIA. and New York We recolect, 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 Osleans. sad the difference in exchange and
insurance was near two por cent in favor of the
! Northern route.
a. The amount of cotton that passed up the
Ohio last year, is estimated by one familiar with
the trade, at sixty thousand bales This season,
1 uco rly all tho hoats from tho Tpnneoaae and