Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-03-02
RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 4, 1862.

Chrome uf,ommcrce ia King and we cordially hail ever
movement calculated to arouse and Virginia d
rect rade between our own excellent ports and the erea
markets of tho world Such an opeang Lieut. Maury sny
IS presented in the trade Of the river Amazon He is ma
of thought observation and experience and his view
aro therefore entitled serious consideration We hav
been hitherto prevented from noticing his long and able lei
ter to the South. Western Railroad Convention al New o.
leans In iha, letter he recommends the completion OF III
lerec along the whole OF the Mississippi where III
lands are subject nundaon u deepening Of the watc
OF the bars Of the river, cs 10 allow vessels
larger burhen better construction and greater draush
water 20 up New Orlean the establishment of line
of sea steamers: the development Of the mineral
ces of the Mississippi Valley, and the employment
It's manufacturing advantages; the opening Of CONNER
cal highways between tho Gulf of Mexico and th
Pacific; the establishment of largo and complete
yard and appendages Memphis and the adoption
such may the absolute command and
troll of the Gulf in time of war and lastly the subject which
is discussed in the letter below Mr. Boyd the free navga
ton of the Amazon river and the creation and development
of the valuable and extensive commerce. which that
valley is calculated 10 sustain. The original and
the least important part OF his communication, says the
South Western (Va Advocate Is that in which he exhibits
the boundess resources of the Valley of the Amazon and
the importance of securing for this country the benefits o
free its extensive navigation and productive shores
e regards the valley Of the Amazon merely commercial
cppendase the Valley the Mississippi and though this
figure of speech be bold Mr. Cahouns designation of
Mississippi inland Ocean yet he certainly exhibits
in strong and interesting light the intimate and recpo
caly beneficial relations of commerce which might be
tablishcd between them.
NATIoSAL OBSERVATORY, WAsHISa7os, FEB II, 1882
My DEAR SIR: have this morning yours of the llth IN
relation 10 the Amazon.
Speaking ci line ofsteumers from Norfolk to the month
than such scheme to build Vsinhs fortunes and make
her again The FIRST of the Unon You might have added
that Ia clue which leads The prosperity OF the whole
South Whether the South shall follow h clue until she
reach the that concealed for her in that ri
yer basin depends in my opinion rpon the which
Southern States and Southern capitalists may pursue with
regard this line Of 10 the mouth OF the Amazon
There is Mt his time commerce enough from Para 10 Bos
and New York 10 sustain line o steamers from Of
these cities 20 the Amazon How much OF this be
diverted 10 the South by steamers?
What DO you think Of the four million pairs OF India rub
Der shoes manufactured last in the United Staes
ly if quite every bit ui that gum cam" from Para and
besides shoes herc are many other articles made Of it,
There is house in New York which has line of sailing
vessels regularly engaged in this trades also a. Boston
and Salem, vet touat whether there is any South Of
the Potomac who has ever sent even 80 much US business
letter 10 the Amazon.
Suppose now lire OF steamers from Norfolk Para
ready go into operation ard the first vessel ad
vertised TO sail on the 4h OF March doubt whether
she would find either passengers or freight Offering. When
she gets there she would find in the shape oil India ru"be
Offering for the North, but nome for Norfolk and il would
then be for the boat take freight to Norfolk at greatly
duced prices induce that STUFF 10 ls way,
return she in ballast. She might also first tukc
in or on her account small of sugar. coffee
etc. and thus making Norfolk merchants acquainted with
these articles aud bringing them into business intercourse
with those OF Para you might in short time expect
all the back country that is tributary TO the James River i'm
provemen.-,o the Lynchburg and Tennessee, the South
side and other rurOada, exchanging their surplus produce
he flour and tobacco their bacon and butter and iron and
minerals for the produce OF tho Amazon.
Why should these four millions of India rubbcrs be
MADE in Virginia well as in Massac!use;ts2
When trade is young and Just putting forth II s easy to
direct and control III and therefore tho South b. going into
this business now may shape and direct it, and have pract
cay tile control of of immense river
BASIN BY going there with her stcaners the South
will haye il in her power 10 decide as to the class of emf
erans there; for This business will call for
Southern go there ogcn's, who will impress
Southern character Southern notions, etc., upon Ec people
there Just II the French TO 60 nigh. expect
French notions and French habits TO prevail.
Some Southern say, let The steamers alon' wait till
the commercial developments OF which speak shall take
place in The valley Of the Aa2on and then the South being
nearer than the North, the Southern ports will the bust
Not Some years ago. before The Texas Difficult.
es had you ecolec trade OF sumo eight or ten mil
lions year with Mexico The South ia much more the
wayside from the North Mexico than from the North to
the Amazon; indeed New Orleans the great Southern port
i, at the very door of Meycoand how much Of this eight
ten millions did tho South get? Very e-the North Ind
the lions share of il; will it be with The Amazon. If
let it alone till the fruit be ripe leaving the North then 10
Dress cultivate and to runc H. we surely cannot expect
10 s into mouths; will be very apt 10 drop the
commercial lap which the North will have opened
for It.
ers snail have been running the navigation of the Amazon
should as some day il must, be opened Southern men
coad be there's they would be the first 10 be made n,ed
with the openings Tor business ana the South would be
then in u condition 10 enjoy it,
You observe that do hold any. the least induce.
ment you suppose tha. this line of will be
self sustaining the first going off DO think there is
business enough present 10 sustain line Of steamers and
indeed there will be until The South set 10 work to
hat
that business have uf doubt. In the meantime
il should be encouraged by the Southern States themselves
II Will be only about 100 miles Of the way TO cnc at
Porto Rico and olher Islands, there the line OF English
steamers Chagres tonchcs by connecting with this line
would get some passengers und mails the more Porto
Rico would Gssst also with freight.
Therefore by having contract for carrying The mails In
staunch built steamers suppose the line, after making
few trips, might hobbe along until it had done what rail
roads and generally do vz created business
sustain H.
sec no why the place Of manufacturing Tnia rub.
Der shoes might not be ultimately shifted from New England
TO Virginia. The material pays duty Of per
cent and the remission of that duly together with all the
duty upon dye stus imported from the Amazon valley for
m outaeturing purposes would go far towards stimulating
Virenian and Southern workshops The climate OF ANA
zonia warns therefore Of the -four beef pork and
the like be used there be cured there For this stuff
of the Mississippi valley over lhe Virginia I'M,
proveeuts take shipping Norfolk would be some 4OO
or 500 miles than go down TO New Orleans But
when this enterprise shu surely WILL direct the acn.
ton Of the world the great Anaxonan water shed. and
on there will be business enough for the whole South
Suppose that the touch Of nascians wand or by some
artfce ia immlerial what India it is could be taken
up and set down in the Atlantic within ten days easy sail Of
the shores of Europe what intercourse what exchange OF
produce wha. amount OF commerce. would not instantly
spring up2 Yet great as our fancy tells us that would
be 1t is nothing that which Anazonia will afford 10
when it shall be peopled up.
There are some who fear that Tie wiley of the Amazon
will be a rival OF the Mississippi valley There were also
those who feared that river steamboats, would be rivals
of our bay and river sailing cra tina, railroads would be
rivals of horses that the hogs of the west viii, their searn
and lard OIL invention with its camphne burning flu
Ids and liquid gases for lights would be rivals Of the whales
in the Pacific ocean But what is the rcsu2 steamboat Is
have called for craft ru roads for more horses
and carts 10 help transport than were ever before en-
ployed by mail coaches; and Notwithstanding the numerous
substitutes for whale OIL whale oil has never conanoed
higher price than at this Nor bas the whaling ou-
siness been in ourshng condition than II has
been within the last few years Is Cuba regarded In any
quarter as the rival Of the Mississippi valley far from IT, IT
is adjunct, what Cuba is TO American commerce now
that and many times the area OF he great oou
American she'd exceeds that of Cuba Will Inc COM
mercc Of Amazona, in time to come, be TO u.s.
But all yet is in the womb of time, and The ooec1 OF
the proposed line Of steamers for the speedy and Ger