The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-03-12
THE SPRING TRADE.

Our merchants are prepared, and are con-
tinuing further preparations for the Spring
trade. that will make this city better able than
ever TO supply the various departments of inte-
rior trade in American and Foreign goods. In
the grocery line, there is no better market than
Richmond for the purchaser, while in the dry
goods and other departments, we with conf
dence advise the merchants of the interior TO
invest their money here. BY going further
they may fare worse-whle by stuying they
will be certain to obtain their goods at low
rates and on good terms. They will, besides,
be assisting our own people along-be ad-
vancing the enterprise aud commerce of Vir
ginia and The South by SO doing. Besides
the supplies already laid in, two ships sailed
from Liverpool last month for City Point, we'll
freighted with valuable goods for this city
We suppose they will soon be here.
The trade of the Southern merchants with
the more Northern cities, it is understood. is not
so large as formerly. New York is complain
ing but New York is attributng the falling
off 10 other motives than a spirit of Southern
enterprise. The Dry Goods Reporter of that
city, which is we'll posted in the matters of
trade and the opinions and plans of the mer-
chants Of Gutham attributes the falling off to
the heavy debt of the South to New York. 1t
says Southern merchants are in debt, and can't
pay the New York merchants, and that as it
would "be an unpleasant business to negotiate
ner purchases mih their creditors, they are
fain to listen to favorable terms as to credit,
offered by jealous competitors" OF the New
York merchants. We trust that there are
some other considerations influencing South
ern merchants. At oil events, let them beware
how they lay their regulations liable to impu-
tatons Of this kind by becoming the debtors of
the North, where there is no great amount of
sympathy with them beyond the question of
hom much is to be made out of them!
Independent, however, of all considerations of
sectional character, the true policy of indiri
dualS, of Countless of Districts, of States, is to
advance, in all proper modes, their own pros
perty and independence:-To live as much
within their means as possible, and to increase
their means as rapidly, as well directed ener-
gies will enable them. This is the system
piness and prosperity to localities and sections,
and the greatest amount of strength to the
whole confederacy. This has not been the
policy of the South. She has been wasting
her means and her energies, while the North
mas been profiing on them-the South has
be n bestowng on the North the means by
which the whole country there has been en-
riched, improved and beaut 'ied-while she has
been weakening herself. So, that in regard to
the Union, the whole strength and grandeur of
that is impaired by the comparative weakness
of the South in the matter of general prosperity
and improvement. Ii becomes the duty of the
South, to herself and to the Union, therefore,
irrespective of all sectional antipath:es to do
all she can to promote her own commercial
independence, and thus 10 add SO much the
more to the national wealth and strength.
People Of the South must learn 10 encourage
their own eities-to keep their means as much
as possible at home-or they never can reuch
the point of commercial independence of which
they talk 80 much.