The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-06
AFFAIRS I'm HURoPa,

Ifrom the Paris Constitutional Of Jan "A ]


IL is known that che commerce Of California has
given an immense in pulse to the commercial ma
rne OF the United States. AN entire feet of more
than twelve hundred vessels, sailed from the ports
of the mon for California during the wear iSJO:
and were then cfully abandoned in the arbor
OF San Francisco as storeships In the meantime the
dock yards Of the United States were the theatre
OF prsd'gious activity; and, in a year a new
meet, expressly erea,el for the wants of new in
oustfy, made It's Appearance on the sea.
AT the time OF tue rapid increase of the Cali
iornian resources, England bad repealed the British
protective navigation laTs; and the Americans,
prompt to make profit OF sush a favorable circum-
stance, conceived, and imme iiately realized the
idea to compete with English vessels in the ports Of
the midas, and also in ,aose of London and Liver
pool. To execute that project, they constructed,
in haste and at high prices, ships which they tried
to make superior 10 al in sailing qualities These
vessels, after having unlaa6ei ther cargoss at San
Francisco. were 20 return to the United States by
way of China. India, Msuritius. Cape Of Good
Hope, and England The considerable profits de-
rived by transporting merchandise between the
ports Of the Union and California, enabled the ship
owners to take retGrn freights at low charges.
Thus, arriving in ballast from San Francisco, in
the waters OF Hong Kong, Calcutta, Madras, Bonn
bay Ceylon, or Singapore, the American clippers
offered to the English merchants of these ports the
double advantage OF low freight, and of very rapid
transportation Why should they not have pre-
ferred them to the English I!
In noticing these facts some months ago, after
having studied collection of semi.oeicial docu-
dictea that this struggle would be fatal to the Eng
lish marine. TIE last yearly list Of the voyages
made by British ships between Englsnd and the
East Indies, fully cor firms this opinion, and goes
even farther than We ioresay Inc number of Br-
fish els freiehted in East Indian ports for Eng
land, was l.l73 in 1850 In 1851, that number
decreased 3D. consequently leaving but 95l. That
decrease is the obvious, the fact that the
nun Der of ships despatched from Eng and to India,
during the same year. was greater than in 1850.
This is On evident proof of the superiority Of the
American over The English marine. The British
vessels cent eff TO India, have had their return
freight taken FROM them By the American clippers
and the consequent loss TO the alp very
great, as ger ersliy the TRANSFORMATION of cavgoes
from Great Britain to India offers but fe Y benefits
Such an operation has only adv antage when the
Losses OF going are compensated by the profits of
returning.
In abollsbing the tariff which protected the B-i.
fish flag in the English ports, our neghbors have
then openly exposed themselves to Losses which
are already cons; ierabls Finally, can a good
thing come from that evila benefit from that loss!
1t is sffair to be judged by the future--by expe
rience. What is certrin at this ment, is, that
the abolisbing Of the navigation Ia VS. followed
BY the decrease whi,h We have remark I'd in the
trade OF the British Tsrine between India and Great
Britain.
1t is vain in England to attenp to deny the i'm
portsnce of this fact. English anxiety bstrays
itself by exertioDs akipg to replace the old feet
Of slow and heavy ships y fast sailing vessels
pers. The shipwTights Of Aberdeen have distin-
quished themselves by the building of several
ships OF great speed-among the number, the
Statesman, Captain Godfrey, which crossed frem |
Lendon to New Holland in seventy six days. Bi |
fish self love, irritable the question Of their
maritime power, is exalted on that subject. We !
could even add shst our neighbors seek to shake |
oil their thoughts from the cheek which threatens
their merchant marine By noisily asserting that !
the Statesman is not the only one Of their vessels
which has mace 80 quick passage. In their en-
thusiasm they even forget to account for excep- |
OF i'm tn
middipg ship great rapidly to her sailing. 1t |
seems, If We liz en- TO her words, that the American
builders are left far behind, and that the celebr
ted clippers caDnet fail now of being distanced by
the ships constructed IN English dock-yard
Wounded by that boaeting, an American came
Last year and offered trial Of speed between
fish craft of the same kind The stake was consi-
derable-it amounted, if our memory is faithful, |
to the FUN of ESQ coo francs The American won
the race by arriving at the goal long before all
her competitors, aid gained the stakes.
Be that as il nsy, the condition OF navigation, in
regard to competition, is now profoundly modified.
The rapidity of sailing is to become one Of the
principal elements OF success Everything con-
spires to render necessary that rapdity. The |
promptpefs of communications by steam, on land
and the seas, must provoke acceeraton of traps-
portaton by sailing ships. The merchants resd- |
ing in foreign tries wish their orders executed
with the greatest possible celebrity, and they en-.
gage their correspondents to choose the most rapid
vesee, without any orside alton az to the price of
freight. Now the competition is so great, that |
everywhere the markets for all kinds OF merchan |
disc are subjected 10 the greatest variations If |
scarcity lie grea ore DAY, abundance reigns on the
following day, by the simultaneous arrival OF nu-
msrous ships carrying The same kind OF cargoes.
Articles of commerce which sre to day, sought for
at high prices. will be tomorrow undervalued, and
left on the hands Of merchants. The fret conner |
YeaIs the harvest, and leaves but the refuse Tor |
Others the raEidity Of his movements gives him .
kind Of monopoly, ard ouch areward gives strong |
Impetus to struggle for superiority of speed be- |
tween two vessels engaged in q similar voyage.
We have said that the United States marine was
nearly entirely renewed, and that 1t is composed
for the most part of slight agile vessels, built for
speed In order to give them these qualities, it /
was necessary to sacrifice part Of the capacity of
the old maritime modela-those vast sides, those /
plump and spacious holds, in which such large |
quantities of merchandise were formerly oxded, I
are ne mere seen The clippers have a long and
fine form. Bet.een the Spanish galieons, or the
Dutch ships which carry the cheeses, ard the
American clippers, there is the same difference
which exists between a large mstrcn, with turban
on her head, all alone il corner of the ball room,
ard the young lady bounding in the arms of her
partner; or between the thin and fiery riding horse
and the slow aud thick ploughing horse. The
Americans only employ now ships OF the swiftest
kind Being built sharp these vessels carry less
merchandise but y ia. they lose in quantity, they
regain by quality, Tor the transport of cargoes By
swift sailing vessels IL paid much better for than
by slow ships.
Great Britain er ters also, into the same views
81 ie urEeDt Tor tDSu marine. WHICH, not peux pro-
tected succeed only bya constant struggle, ana
necessarily suIpsssing its competitors VIII the
English builders be skllliul as their rivals VIII
Old EnglaId-cailed 20 struggle Tor the Prize OF
-petd, with young Auerica-gain victory ON
one side arc great experience, approved ability, and
a determined ard energetic resolution; oa The other
:ide, are the aIcer OF young courage, an enter
prsing spirit, end adventurous bravery. Inc
arena 10 opened, the signal has been given, the com
petitore begin their struggle. IL Is curious spec
tscle. ano We FrerchDcu, who are, unfori unateiy,
dsipterested in the question: are pleased to sit on
The tribune as Judges ready 90 heartily ieli'itate
he conguefor.
In suppesirg even that England triumphs over
her aI dent rivals in that struggle, ner marine Will
be always COMPROMISED by other causes. The
Try 30 pet cut Of bad game, but they
would do better il they changed their cards IL Is
rot 20 much the contraction Of their merchant
fleet that they should charge, but the laws which
control it. Ii England 70 established, for her bone