Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-07-22
From the Cotton Plant.
Charleston.

Cotton Plant.
Charleston.
Has 'the city of the South u been true to her.
self! Has Charleston, in her commercial policy
been governed by the wishes and interests of her
citizens and her friends throughout the South, Or
have few, Interested only in temporary benefit to
themselves owning little no real estate, caring
but little for the future of the CITY, directed her
trade and managed her funds Where is her Bank
Deposite? Do her merchants strive to make her
great port, do they exert themselves to prevent
iberalized system of trade, that they may enjoy
without competition, monopoly of profit in exist
irg trade! We will not answer, for we do not
know. One thing, however, we do know, and that
is, that Charleston heretofore has been true to her.
SELF true to her great Destiny true to that feel
ing of affection existing for her all over the South
With great natural advantages, she has fallen be-
hind in the race of trade. Occupying a magnih-
cent position for a commanding trade, Charleston
has become mere point of transit, where the dusty
traveller stops to get dinner and through ticket
before leaving for the North. Who is to blame
the traveller or Charleston We leave Charleston
to answer.
In an article two months since, we gave
what we believed to be the of the decline
among our Southern cities. We said then, that
Charleston had sacrificed the carrying trade to the
commission business. No city be great without
shipping. To have shipping she must encourage
and own shipping. But the present arrangement
gives the insuring, final selling and carrying of our
produce to others The result will ever be the same
here is not an lDtelllg0nC merchant IN Cnaf1eS-
ton (not one) who does not know, that the simple
and direct shipment of Cotton to Europe is to the
advantage of the great planting interest of the
country. They know that these direct shipments
would increase shipping interest. Yet, credits
from responsible foreign houses have again and
again been rendered and refused.
Why!
Again, no intelligent merchant in Charleston will
for one moment deny, that the formation of a Con-
tinenta European Depot for Cotton to act check
! Il Sc &Eo
lance. Yet the of efectual cooperation have
been and are at the command of Charleston. She
has heretofore refused to participate in such
ment Why?
On more occasions than one, some of her dry
goods men have imported largely and offered their
goods terms fully equal to either New York, Phil
adephia. or Boston. Charleston jobbers (men who
will talk until you would suppose they too ul-
ira to exist ten minutes out of South Carolina, J
would give the cold shoulder to these very mporta-
TONS 90 North and pay more for the same goods
(Do you want case in point The importers in fact
were discouraged by Charleston jobbers themselves.
Why!
Now do not take pleasure in exposing incon-
sistency, but in earnest in this subj ect OF
Southern trade, and intend either to see it carried
out, Or the twenty years humbug talk of selfstyled
Southern-trades-me exploded. There must be one
thing, or the other Either we must have Southern
trade, or cease our senseless babblings. The first
course IS due to avOwed prlnclpies-the other
10 self respect and dignity.
These reflections forced upon US by hearing
the enquiry in regard to the Southern Convention
to meet in Charleston in April next What aoIl
Charleston do?" What she will have the morei
courage to do we cannot say. But we know what
she ought to do. Her merchants should aim at en-
larging her business, cheapening the shi pment and
sale of Cotton, Rice &c. She ought to use all her
credit and influence to encourage Direct Trade, in
fact, as policy.
The position of Charleston, fits her for a great
city Her railroads into the West will give produce
strong tendency towards her port. But we now
say, as we often SAID before that unless Charleston
shakes off the cloggs thrown around her by set OF
grasping monopolyng selfish transient agents of for
eign capital she will never reach that proud posi-
ton for which nature intended her. and to which
the whole South (the Cotton Plant in its humble
lwaY also) would raise her,