Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-06-09

Our Commerce with south America
OurCHARGE 10 the Argentine Confederation
Hon. john 5. PgNDLEFoN. has done himscl
much credit and the country great ser, ice by
a treaty he has Negotiated with the govern
ment OF Paraguay. Recent events, but espe
cially The able publications. Of Lieut. Maury
have directed the attention OF our people to the
countries lying along the Amazon and La Plata
with interest never before felt To vasf
majority, it hns been matter of amazement
amounting almost TO incredibly, that the Am
AEON drains a valley twice the extent Of our
own magnificent Mississippi valley and Of un-
paralelcd fertilty--a valley which, in the Ian.
guage of Lieut.. Many IF reclaimed from The
savage, the Wild beast and the reptile and re
duced 10 cultivation now, would be capable
disappearing with its produce The population
Of the world"
The country with which Mr.. Pendleton has
opened up commercial intercourse for our PEG
pie lies upon the head waters of the LaPla Ia,
some fifteen hundred miles from the Atlantic,
and has until lately been closed against all com
mercial intercourse with the world. Il con.
tains more than a million Of inhabitants, and
spreads over an urea ofterritory greater Than
New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia togeth
er. 1t produces tobacco, cotton. indigo and
all the richer growths of tropical soils and will
afford market for almost every variety Of
manufacture. Taken in connection with Uru-
quay with which government Mr.. Pendleton
has elso negotiated a treaty and with the neigh
boring South American countries that ale be-
ing walked up by the voice of commerce to
the appreciation and practice of liberal and
enlightened policy Of trade--the new field that
is offered for North American enterprise and
speculation is most rich and inviting.
One impeachment only now exists and to the
removal ofthat the efforts Of Lieut.. Maury are
mainly directed Brazil holds the mouth ofthe
Amazon and cl scs it against the entrance of
our ships thus barring up the way 10 Equa-
dor, Granada andP cru, through whose terri
tories the sluggish waters of that mighty stream
flow for hundreds of miles Whether Brazil
has right TO take such position and should
be allowed to maintain il, are questions which
deserve the most serious consideration of our
government Lieut.. NJ states the point forc
bly, in the following passage
Suppose the five Spanish American re
pubhcs should all proclaim. one or more oil their
river towns upon the Amazon free ports to the
commerce ofthe world and suppose that Bra
zll, instead OF owning Two thousand miles OF
this river after 1t passes the borders Of these
republics owned only two miles from The sea
up would any one pretend that Brazil, in such
a case, would have the right to control the navi.
CATION of the whole river and isvalley because
IFS mouth happened TO pass through two miles
of her territory just before entering the sea p
The doctrine that comedies 10 any one nation
thealbitrary right to shut out other nations from
the common highways of the world is mon
sirous. The arbitrary right even 10 shut out
one OF the citizens of this nation from the pub
lie highways is not possessed 10y any Oh our
governors. And ifhis neighbors mast allow
him free passage through their own lands to
the common market-way, with how much more
force does this humane principle of right apply
to nations and their right to follow, through
neighboring territory, the great thoroughiares
which nature has constructed to lead from
aHt liliCiloI VI the ldllu out upon tH6 brOdu
ocean--the great highway of the world 2
Brazil has no more right in consequence Of her
two thousand miles of Amazon between these
people and the to shut them up and out
from the highways of commerce, than she
would in the supposed case oftwo miles.
the policy ofthe United States is the policy of
commerce, and we do not wish to be on any
terms with Brazil butthose of peace and good
will We buy now half OF all her coffee; and it
is her great staple. She is good customer of
ours, too. and we value highly our present
friendly relations with her; but as highly as
we value them, value still more the ever
lasting principles of right We want nothing
exclusive up the Amazon; but we are nearer
To the Amazon.or rather to the mouth of than
any other nation, not excepting Brazil herself
II we count the distance in time, and measure
from Rio de Janeiro and from New York oil
N. Orleans as the centres Of the two Countries
And therefore, it may well be imagined tina
this miserable policy by which Brazil has KEEP
shut up and is continuing to keep shut up, from
man's-from Christian, civilized, enlightene.
man's-use the farest portion of Gods earth