The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-24

Correspondence of the Dispatch,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81 1859

tons and aCdress. They were no, Southern
they were exclusively local. This is eyi.
dent from every line in them. Nv offence con.
sisted in publishing the fact that il was not a
Southern Convention. and in regret,ing that
other sections ofthe South were not represent
ed.
1t was evidently plan to secure Southern
patronage tor Baltimore, anl to constitute her
as the Southern competitor of New York.
There ought 10 be no such purpose of mo-
nopoly. The cities of the South should all
participate. They should all unite in minister
ing TO the common prosperity.
Baltimore canEot represent the foreign com
merce Of the whole South and Southwest, for
physical reasons. Especially she cannot rep
resent the foreign and domestic commerce of
Virginia. Trace the Chesapeake il extends
from South TO North, through about three de-
grees OF latitude-it is parallel with the coast
OF the Atlantic-it must intercept and conduct
all The internal commerce destined to exporta-
lion through It's agency to common outlet
Cape Charles is the Balze Of the Chesapeake,
and all commerce striking the bay must pass
that point for expectation in sail vessels. Nor
folk, therefore, keeps the gate of the Chesa
peake, and all Its commerce must pass within
hail of her.
No one can doubt that trade will pursue the
most direct line practicable between produc-
ton and consumption.
1t the cost of Railroad ACKNOWLEDGMENT
this is compounded of the cost of making.
MAINTAINING and working railroads. and The
amount OF business done by them-is equal
trade will elect the shortest line. Upon this
principle trade may be triangulated, and if
will prefer the base to the two Sides Upon
this principle, also, the trade of the interior is
crossing the peninsula formed by the Ohio and
Mississippi, on the one side, and the Atlantic
tha nd iS
let by the Atlantic ports. Upon the trium.
phant success of human enterprises over phy-
sical obstacles the waterborne current of com
merce will be changed. The coastwise vow
age to and from the Atlantic cities and the Mis-
sissippi valley will cease. Cuba will no long.
cr be the Gibraltar of the Gulf-the Florida
| reefs will lose their terrors-and the Gulf
stream Of trade will flow through the States of
| the Union instead ofaround them. Rely upon
| 1t, we may paraphase Bob Acres prediction
! in regard to.''damns," and say that "Capes
have had their day." Now, as an application
of the principle enounced, if we take Norfolk
as the gate of the Chesapeake, any direct trade
| line from kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, or
| Ohio, which would strike the Chesapeake at
| all IN the direct communicate IN with The prin-
| clpal market cities OF the United States and
| Europe, must come direct 10 Norfolk because
! II it shall go to any Chesapeake city, North OF
| Norfolk, it must &c IT termini come by Nor.
tolkto 60 10 sea. There will be of course the
imnaterial detection Of the trade lines pass.
| ing through the Virgin cities to that sea port,
But successful competition for trade legiti-
mate 10 Virginia will require that all her int.
| rior cities shall speed the trade to our deep
water port. Every charge imposed by them
| operates to limit the area of production and
| constitutes On aggregate oftax upon ranspor-
| taton sufficient to determine trade in favor OF
| some cheaper and more rapid line. II, there
fore, we steadily persist in pressing all our i'm
provements to deep water terminus at the
| foot OF the Chesapeake, we may successfully
compete with sufficient foreign trade to satisfy
| any anxiety upon this subject.
| IL, however, we content ourselves with stop.
ping the trade lines in our interior cities either
by break OF gu Ige or any other means, the
| want of commercial facilities will compel a
| soastwise shipment TO the North for cheap
freights and square rgged vessels adequate TO
foreign voyage. The aggregate of internal
| charges will determine the trade TO cheaper
points of expectation, and Virginia cannot, as
| she does not, get even the factorag ge Of her own
productions. | remember some time since fa-
king u barrel of Harrison County flour as an
| integer of commerce, traced its circuitoas
| voyage TO the cons inner. Ii descended the
| Monongalia, the Ohio, the Mississippi: il was
soiled by the mud of New Orleans and soured
BY the warmth of the Gulf 1t doubled the
cape and threaded the reefs Of Florida. Ii
dared the dangers of Hatteras, and was ignO-
minousy rejected by the bakers of Baltimore.
| Now, when The enterprise OF that wise and gal
| liant city shall have made for Virginia what
| Virginia would not make for herself, when
she shall have completed the r1ad 10 the Ohio;
| not for the increase of the taxable values of
| Maryland, but for the mere factorage of the
-. his han
| barrel of -four which had traversed some
twelve degrees Of latitude and distance al
most double transatlantic voyage, which had
| passed through on around fifteen States of the
| Union, ,circumnayigated the State and the ports
| of the State i'll which it was produced-and
| been subject to a transit varying from two TO
| three months-wil be placed within forty
eight hours and with transit Of less than four
| hundred miles ia the port OF It's supposed des-
| tination.
| NAV take, therefore, any article of ex7or
| tatiOD produced IN Augusta. as a centre OF pro-
| duction; it mas now no way 10 obey the law OF
| its destiny, save 10 go down the valley, out OF
| Virginia 10 Baltimore, it is then shipped back
! into Virginia, and passes into the oceIn with
| out awakening the sentinel who has been by
| nature entrusted 10 guard lis gate.
| Now open the tunnel, draw your trade lines,
| cheap, rapid, and without detention, TO Nor
| folk aud that article OF commerce Will prefer
| the direct base 10 the two sides Of the triangle,
| the apex OF which would be the city OF Baiti-
more.
Persons will object, perhaps that commerce
will not quit an established market for a ne"
one, though more advantageous. This does
| not affect transportation. The telegraph is the
| clock of commerce and points the price OF our
staples simultaneously in every port OF the
| Union. Tie lines OF transportation are open
or opening 10 ali. There can be no other DIFF
| terence between marke, prices than freight and
insurance between them. Ii prices be higher
in one market than others, il will be bought
up ard sent there if cheaper it wifi be bought
| there and sent elsewhere. There cannot be any
one market for Staples permanently better than
| another; and here permit me 10 express an
opinion which may appear paradoxical: nc
merchant can or ought 10 make profit upon
buving and reselling The staple productions o.
the country. He cannot. for no Speculation
can tell whether the staple will rise or fall
and speL ulators, ns a class, have never realizes
fortunes, they are the mere vern'n end parasite
of commerce, they weekea and destroy IL. ii
oug ght no, 10 make Il profit, for as oil his pre-