The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-02-25

Both OF these firms enerprsing manufacturers, ant
extensively prepared for this business.
For the Union
We have read the memorial to Congress OF severa
New York firms against any further extension OF facilities
TO United States mail steamers, and deem it not in
appropriate to offer few remarks the subject for the
consideration OF Congress.
We are in habit Of receiving all general propositions
as rules of action, with grain Of salt. We know tina,
there is rule without exceptions; and we also know
that rules are sometimes sought be established to suit
particular cases, and 10 do away with the exceptions
We know that every Improvement in human industry
from the ploughshare down 10 Hoes cylinder press, has
had its opposition to encounter and there no reason
therefore to expect that steamers should escape
attack from the Of sailing vessels or other ship.
propelled by sea constructed on antquated models OF
obsolete principles. We believe that somebody must
necessarily take the lead in all useful improvements, and
that the best OF opposing monopoly consists in
emulating, not decryng the skill and energy OF ones
rivals.
But we do not believe that the establishment of
nued line OF steamers from England to China, from Lv
erpool 10 New York. and from San Francisco to Shang
hal, is monopoly. in the nvidous of the memo
raliss. Il is no more monopoly than the establish
nen OF mails monopoly regards express riders and
common carriers Somebody has to carry the mails
for the accommodation and business instruction Of the
morialists and do not for the life oil us, in wha
respect the memoriasts would be sdvantaged If, tbs
American line being abandoned they to pay tribute
TO British monopoisa and to the British government,
restrained by American competition.
The rapid communication of intelligence is necessary
concomitant of an advanced civilization, and is alike ad
vantageous TO commerce, peace, religion, and morals
Rapid communications are the means by which men oil
distant chimes brought in contact with another,
by which Christianity is spread among the heathen BY
which International preiudices overcome. and by
- 4 II =
a common interest that shall embrace the globe.
But, setting these general advantages Of ocean mail
aside, and combining ourselves to the specific
guments OF the memoriasts, we boldly deny that any
positive injury results TO them the country by the
establishment of mail steamers of the first class,
sufficiently aided by government to insure complete
cess between the United States and Great Britain The
tonnage oil these steamers is too insignificant to nu-
ence the freghts great staples in sailing vessels
What are few thousand tons in comparison TO many
millions What are eight steamers in view OF the two
or three millions OF bales OF cotton, and millions of bar.
res OF four and other produce shipped annually Ne
more than 90 many buckets OF water in the Atlantic
ocean And il freights wUe to come down. would not
the merchant, the producer and. above all, the
mer--the great Of the communty-be the gamers
by the operation And those who would oppose
the reduction freghts the true monopos, who would
levy higher tolls all produce shipped from this country
to Europel Are there not ninety nine agricuurss TO
one ship-owner in the United Staiesi
But the argument OF the memorialss, even as far as
goes. and in regard to the subject to which II is ap
piled, is untenable. The low rate Of freights which
ruled last year is not attributable the steamers
but to the OF tonnage and the low prices of pro-
duce realized both sides OF the water. When -four is
quoted in Mark Lane at from It's Cd TO 2os per BARREL
freighu must come downsimply because neither sellers
nor buyers can afford to pay for Them whether there
any mail steamers in existence not Let prices advance
in England and the products of our soil will be FASTENED
forward at remuneratng reghs to the shpowner, and
to proprietors OF steam vessels OF every description
Neither were the mail-sieamers between New York
and Liverpool the OF the reduction OF reghs on
foreign merchandise. II was-as the memoriasts can
not but know--the English propelers that began the
system. Both the British and the American mailseam-
ers charged Ct los per ton, when the propeers com
menced taking freight at GO los per ton which induced
the mail steamers to put their down to "a los
Some historical accuracy ought always to be observed
public documents-even in those submitted to Congress
The ocean mail steamers, far from interfering with the
rate of frerhts OF either produce foreign merchan-
disc will in the opinion OF experienced merchants Gre
ate new branch Of business Owing 10 their superior
ventilation and speed, they will be able 10 carry fruits
and other pershable productions OF soil that would
not no forward At all in any other wayhus benefting
the whole country without competing with or injurins
any other interest. :.
il conclusion we would ask the New York memoir
,;.,. ~ erolan the reason why best sailing vessels
(cIjuper ships and all) arriving in our waters
Win hemp al &c per ton from Msna coffee at IS cents
The bs~ Of 400 lbs. from Rio de Janeiro teas from
China Al from Sa $40 per tons and merchandise from
Calcutta at from - to Sl2 per ton
Thess freights assuredy as low as any that rule
for produce and European goods between England and
m, United States and yet there are no mail steamers to
cut down the profit Of the ship-owners In our opinion
IN - low reiehts are Sufficiently accounted Tor by our
by The high prices OF articles in the expert
no srL,ts and the low prices which rule in this conn
nv. vi.hout raising hue and cry against steam.
Inths mean while low rsghts benefit the planter and the
farmer and every other agricultural and industrial inter
-, a ~ country High freishts are the greatest imped-
n.ni. 10 the free interchange Of commodities; and Il 4
w,rsot for occasional low freshts the losses 70 the
holder. Of our produce would be immense and exercise