The southern press., 1851-06-14

shall anXlOuSty aWatt your Cuuliu
A. C. Kingsland, W. F. Havemeyer, Brown,
Bros, g. Co, Isaac Townsend Rowland d AS
pinwall J d. p. Ogden, and others.
Hon. r. M. II. HUNTER,
Chairman Finance Committee, Senate U. 5.
LoYDs, Essex Co., Va, May %, 1851.
GENTLEMEN: had the honor to receive by
the last mail letter Of invitation to dinner ten
dered to me by yourselves and Others on the
Goth of next June. No personal compliment
could have been more acceptable to me than the
honor YOU have offered me, upon such consider
atoms as you were pleased to assign in your
letter of invitation. should be especially graft
fled to believe that had contributed in any de-
gree to promote the great interests of the coun-
try, and | regret to be constrained to say that
the estimate you have placed upon my poor SER
vices is greater than they deserve.
If supposed it to be necessary in order to
testify my grateful sense of your kindness,
would Law aside almost any occupation to meet
YOU when you propose; but as believe You
will give me full credit for sincerity in my CRATE
full acknowledgment and as have pressing en-
gagements at home, am constrained to beg
most respectfully to be excused from attending
the dinner to which you have invited me. feel
the more free to do this, because the loss will
be mine, not yours. 1t would have given me
the greatest pleasure to have ayailed myself OF
such an opportunity to extend my personal ac-
quaintance in your city, and 10 study from ac-
tua observation the operation of the machin-
cry of commerce in the great emporium of
American trade Whatever is connected with
the marvels of your progress hitherto, ard what
ever concerns the future development of your
great commercial resources, are matters of deep
interest to me. You do me no more than jus.
tice in attributing to me desire to promote, as
far as can, the prosperity of all the great inter-
ests of the country. | believe if you touch one
YOU affect them all, and that all are concerned
in the prosperity of each. Especially do hold
il to be a matter of duty, as it ought TO be OF
pride with the American States, to afford New
York all proper facilities to win the place which
she is probably destined to hold as the great
centre of the commerce of the world.
1t is, perhaps, not extravagant to say that the
tendencies of nations are changing, and their
contests are destined hereafter TO consist more
in the rvalries of the arts than in opposition of
arms. Certainly there has been no period inhu-
man history when commercial affairs occupied
70 large portion of the attention of mankind,
and none in which commercial men played so
important and prominent part. Great Britain,
with that shrewdness Of interest which charac-
terizes her conduct towards other nations, seems
to have given early evidence Of her sense of the
change which was taking place in the theatre Of
human rivalry and strife She is preparing, If
not already prepared, for the conflict. She has
thrown down the glove in open and manly de-
fiance to the rest of the world and challenged
the nations Of the earth to a contest for the em-
pire of trade and the supremacy of the seas. To
all appearance, never were fairer terms OF com
bat proposed. She has laid aside the whole pam
oply Of her defensive armor, and stripped her
productive interests Of everything which they
have hitherto worn by way obedience or protec.
ton she has provided her manufacturers with
cheap material upon which to operate, and cheap
food to consume she has given her shipowner
cheap timber with which to build, and in oppo-
sition even to sope Of the oldest usages of her
colonial policy, has relieved the producer from
the pressure Of heavy taxation, whenever il was
practicable to do So She has shown, too, the
utmost skill and anxiety in making the machin-
cry Of her commerce work smoothly and easily.
fla screw was loose, Il has ben adjusted ; If a
spring gave evidence of loss OF elasticity from
undue pressure, the burden, il possible, was d..
minished or removed; and having done all this,
she has thrown down the walls which we're built
to guard her commerce, and invited the rest Of
the world TO participate in the struggle for its
prize The challenge which has thus been given
will, as trust, be accepted and suppose
may say, without having imputed TO me an un.
due share Of national vanity, that If any body is
able to take up John Bulls glove in such con-
test as this, IL Is his Brother Jonathan Nor do
/ disparage the just claim Of other cities wher
say that in this conflict we must look to New
York for the lead. She herself is already Civ
ing evidence that she accepts her destiny, and is
preparing for the conflict. Her lines Of magnif.
cent steamers, IL fhey do not girde the earth, at
least spange the ocean in more directions than
one her commercial enterprise and ambition arc
worldwide in their extent In such an under
taking as this. may all good omens attend and
all success reward her In such struggle she
has right TO expect the aid of every American
legislator. She may Justly demand all proper
facilities for commerce, the whole machinery OF
trade, mint within her limits, warehousing
system adjusted to her wants, and whatever le-
pislation may be necessary TO enable her to
maintain free commercial competition with the
rest ofthe world. If human ambition should take
this new direction, or rather take this old direc-
ton with increased zeal, the world may well re-
ioicc; for these are contests in which mankind is
benefited, no matter who may win. To us
such rivalry may bring double blessing, for
it's triumphs may not only give US rich rewards
abroad, but lead to barmonyat home.
American ambition and energy can find full
occupation abroad, II may fairly be hoped that
the fires Of sectional strife will burn less fierce.
ly at home The development Of moral and
physical resources which such an occupation
must give, and Che progress Of truth, would per.
haps remove some Of the old antsgonisms, and
discover new harmonies in our system. The
very creation OF such a commercial emporium
n. vouy CITY muat then become would be emf.