The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-02-03
THE UNION WASHINGTON TUESDAY MORNING FEB. 3, 1852.


Trade the SouthW&@ts-Ahe % NAS
mIs@is.ippi and the Amazon
NATIONAL OBSERVATORY,
Washington, December 10, 1851.
GENTLEMEN am in receipt OF your esteemed favor
informing me that railroad convention Is 10 be held III
New Orleans on the LIST Monday in Janury next and m
yitine me TO be present and address the convention
upon the southern and commerce the home ana
foreign trade as they are influenced by facilities OF inter
course and communication by railroads or otherwise
prepare report upon these sutjseis 10 % reaa oe
fore the convention and placed among as documents.
NV official engagements put il out OF my power 10 at
tend; and regret exceedingly that present active cas
upon my attention will this late day allow me 10
give as much time 10 the consideration OF the vast SUD
eets which about TO occupy the attention oil me con-
vention as their importance deserves.
Times have greatly changed in consequence OF raii-
roads, steam, the telegraph and Improvements IN ship
building You all can recolect, gentlemen, when me
price OF cotton depended upon which way the wind blew
II easterly winds prevailed. prevent the arrival
OF the cotton fleet in Liverpool, up went The staple
Some swift footed sailor despatched over with the
intelligence and he who could oalrde the mail and reach
your markets first made his fortune But steam aud Tue
telegraph have done away with this There Is no more
room for that sort enterprise, as II used TO be called
New York and New Orleans, with the forked tongue OF
the lightning. talk daily together about the price OF
cotton and everything else and there is no more chance
for the merchant display his enterprise by getting con-
troll of private and peculiar sources OF information All
information TO the state OF markets is common
Salem had command OF the tea trade. Her mer-
chants ascertanng that the stocks on hand were small
and the sources OF immediate supply scanty would club
together and buy up for speculation all the tea in the
country.
But now cargo OF tea arrives the fact is known.
The telegraph may 'pass the word fore and att through
every State, and ask, Who wants'
II Salem merchants should demand farthing more
a.. WI h.
graph would give the order TO New York. And with
every article known to commerce.
Southern and western merchants now, by reason OF
steam and lightning stay at home send out orders,
and get from France and England their supplies much
sooner than few years ago they could get them from
Baltimore, New York, or Philadelphia, after having gone
there to order them The consequence is that southern
and western merchants do this; and there now in
that section of the country houses engaged in importing
direct from abroad.
The fact s the producer and consumer much nearer
together than they used to be consequently the factor
does not keep the large stocks OF former times hand
He draws from the sources of supply just in proportion
as the channels OF demand are choked or free.
Thus the chances OF speculation small, and profits
are brought down TO the smallest figure.
All these circumstances have impressed themselves
upon the business OF the country, impaired features
to it, and made necessary important changes in the mode
and means OF conducting it,
These changes, and the cause of them, have powerful
bearings upon the subjects which the convention is
called upon TO take into consideration.
They and the operations OF The warehousing system
have caused men OF business 10 establish in ST. Louis
Cincinnati, and Louisville, foreign importing houses
The duties collected in these three cities for the
year amount TO nearly half of million, and the value
of The foreign merchandise imported direct largely up
ward of million and half These importers and the
warehousing system recovering back TO the South q
lport NJ he A,raet traIa d,,,,..
Charleston this year greater than they have ever
been and Charleston imports largely of Havana cigars
for New York
# is true that the quantity OF produce coming TO New
Orleans in search OF market seaward has fallen off
and consequently the number OF vessels arriving and
departing has decreased This is what has alarmed, and
Justly alarmed, the people OF New Orleans. The cry is
what's the matter Here there is decline where there
ought 10 be robust, vigorous health depletion where
we ought 10 look for habits pethorc and full What is
il that has brought city to this state OF decline II
appears 10 that satisfactory answer to this question
is necessary preliminary the treatment Of the
TO the application OF all the needful remedies.
II is in The domestic trade, apprehend, that the great
falling of has taken place; rather should say is
the export trade by sea, whether domestic foreign
and not in the imports by sea, where the decline is and
il decline in the quantity OF produce going out OF the
mouth of the Mississippi has taken place. why, OF
course, decline in the quantity delivered at New Or
leans from the upper country has preceded
To satisfy gentlemen to the correctness OF these
views with regard the import trade OF The Mississippi
river, enabled by the politeness OF the commission
Of customs (who has furnished IT'D TO quote the fol
lowing tabular statement of the gross revenue collected
at New Orleans for the last five years: