The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-05
xTCHM OND VA.
TRADE OF THE SOUTHWEST.

TRADE OF THE SOUTHWEST.
A letter from Lieutenant bIaury to the invi-
ting committee Of the late railroad convention
in New Orleans, is pnblishedin the Washing
ton Union. II is eminently characteristic,
setting forth at considerable length the bold
and original views Of its distinguished author.
He discusses at considerable length, the
causes of the decline of the New Orleans ex-
port sea trade, and attributes il TO the entire
change in the whole commercial system. Rail-
roads and canals have taken of in other direc-
tons, the produce which formerly found vent,
only through the mouth ofthe mississippi, and
the sugar Of Louisiana, now goes.up, instead Of
down that stream. For this there is no reme-
dy, nor is il to be supposed, that inasmuch as
tho present course is more beneficial both TO
producer and COT lfer, any desire FOR change
exists. AnotherS4Qse lies in the increasing
difficulty of passing the bars at the mouth of
the river. over which the water is not more
than fourteen feet deep, not deep enough for
the model and size hest adapted TO carry on
foreign commerce. He then makes the fol-
lowing suggestions with regard to the method
Of vviving the prosperity of New Orleans:
/. A liberal policy on the par, of New Or.
leans and the general government as to the
Spanish West India trade, and municipal fees
Of various kinds, TO which the produce and
shipping that come TO New Orleans shall be
subjected.
2. Embankments TO confine the Mississippi
river in its channel.
8. To deepen the waters on one of the bars
in the passes of the river.
4. The establishment of lines of sea steam
ers.
5. Attention to the mineral resources of the
Mississippi valley and free use of its manu-
featuring facilities.
6. The opening of commercial highways
across the tsthmus.
7. The establishment in the Mississippi
valley of nayy-yard, depot, and workshops,
which III war shall have strength, capacity,
aud resources enough TO give US command of
the Gulf Of Mexico and control of the COM
merce passing through it.
8. The free navigation of the Amazon river,
and the building up there of those business re-
lati0ns and friendly ties which hold nations
together in the bonds of peace aud friendship.
With regard to the 5th and 9th head, Lieut..
Maury thinks that if they should be properly
carried out, New Orleans, and not New York,
would furnish California with bread-stuffs, and
the valley would supply to our steamers the
coal now obtained from England and Pennsyl-
vana. 10 discussing the 9Th, he insists most
naval establishment at Memphis. even though
il should cost the Government 800 1000, OOO-
The absolute necessity of having the control
Of the Gulf of Mexico is set forth in the strong
est and plainest terms.
The last head embraces subject of deep in.
terest. Lieut.. NJ. says:
"The free navigation of the Amazon ia the
greatest commercial boon that the people of the
South and West-indeed that The people of the
United States-can crave. That river basin is
but a continuation of the Mississippi valley
The Mississippi takes its rise near the parallel
ESQ deg. north latitude, where the elm tes
are suited to the growth of barley, wheat, and
the hardy cereal grains. The river runs south
crossing parallels of latitude-and changing
with every mile its climate and the character or
quality Of the great agricultural staples which
are produced on its banks.
"Having left behind it the region for peltries,
wheat, and corn, for hemp aud tobacco, for
pulse, apples, whiskey, wine, oil, and cotton,
and having crossed the pasturai lands for hog g,
horses, and cattle, il reaches, uear the latitude
u 30 degrees, the northern verge of the sugar.
cane thence, expanding out into the Gull, with
all these staples upon its bosom, to be ex
changed for the produce of other chimes and
Iatitudes, II passes on 10 Key West and the
Tortugas; and there, at that commercial gate
way to the ocean, which opens out upon the
tropic of Cancer, it delivers UP to the winds
and the waves of the sea, for the distant mar
kets, the fruits oft teeming soil and muititu.
dinous climes.
Then comes Ginning in the great valley oil
he IL.
and staples which the Mississippi had inst
reached, and pushing the variety beyond the
equator far dowain the other hemisphere, it
increases and diversifes the great assortment
10 q wonderful extent, adding drug after drug,
spice after spice, and staple after staple, until
sugar and coffee, rice and indigo, all manner
OF nuts, balsams and spices, cocoa and cot.
ton, cochineal and tobacco, India rubber, dye
wood. peltries, fax, and wool, ornamental
woods, mines of silver, gold, and precious
stones-lnany of them Of new varieties, kinds,
aud yirtues-have been reached, aud added TO
the list OF countless treasures, boundless com
merciai capacities, and dazzling resources of
these two magnificent water sheds.
"Saving and excepting tea, which, midway
the two valleys, - indigenous TO the mountains
0fCosfa Rica, and which is the only article of
commercc that is gathered from the field, the
forest, or the mine, that is not TO be found i'm
one or the other of these two river basins,
everything that is grown or cultivated upon
the face Of the earth is to be found in equal if
not in greater perfection and abundance ia one
or the other of fhes valleys than in any other
part of the world. One of them is in The rear
OF New Orleans, and the other in its front. IL
is for the convention to say whether these two
rivers shall be united in the bonds ofcommeree
or not.
1.-The Amazon, with its tributaries, is said
to afford an inland navigation up and down Of
not less than 10000 miles. The coun,rv
drained by that river and the water.conrses
connected with il is more than half as large ~
Europe, and i is thought to contain nearly as
much arabic land within il as is 10 be found an
maintain population Of hundreds of millions
Of souls.
"The navigation on that river is at present
such that the people Of the upper country can
make one trip in the year. They have there.
in their delightful climate of an eyeriastinr
spring, the calm season aud the trade. win
season. The trade-winds blow up the river
In kx< h.. Al. =.