New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-09
TRADE AND DEBT.


The imports Of General Merchandise at this
port for the quarter closing with September were
S25 GIG, 499, against S2i,7 co. in the cores
pondipg quarter Of 1853. In other words though
most goods have fallen heavily in price the
official valuation Of the Imports of the last
quarter exceeds by nearly $1,000, 900 those Of
the corresponding quarter Of the preceding year,
The quarter Just closed has been sigaalized
throughout by pecunary pressure m ore Intense
than had been experienced for fifteen years pre-
yious, while the early declared deficiency Of our
growing crops rendered it morally certain that
we should have 10 Breadstufs and less Meat to
sell this year than usual And though the failure
of many importers and jobbers and the straight
ened circumstances Of nearly all render probable
a falling off in our Imports hereafter, yet it is
safe to say the entire importstions Of the cur
rent calendar or the current fiscal year (Which
ever you please) will fall little if at all behind
those of 1853, when our Cotton sold higher, our
Bonds and Stocks bore better prices abroad aud
we were exporting Breadstufis to the value Of
Millions In other wOrds-thOugh We are ex-
porting Specie at the rate of Thirty or Forty
Millions per annum, and thereby gripping our
Banks and embarrassing business, We are still
pluDgDg deeper and deeper in debt for an over
plus of Foreign Goods.
Now suppose the facts were the reverse of
these-that we were sending off many millions
worth per annum of our own Produce more than
the cost of our Imports, and SO were drawing
Specie from Europe instead of sending nearly
One Million per week thither, and were paying
off our Foreign Debt instead of increasing it,
and it were ascertained that this altered state of
things would last for at least the year ensuing,
where is the man in business that would not feel
that load were lifted from his heart Who
does not know that, under such auspices, Stocks
would rise, Real Estate become saable, Build
ing take fresh start, Banks discount more lib
orally, and Labor obtain ampler employment
III short who does not know that the black cloud
which still overshadows our Commercial and In
dustrial horizon is the mournul certainty that
our Imports will continue to exceed our Exports
creating constant drain outward of Specie, and
checking every impulse toward improvement 10
money matters at hOme'
Yet in the face Of this universal consciousness
that our lhueDteunees hDlOhu, duu the prOOdOlIty
Of its increase, except so far as it may be coun
teracted by the expectation of Specie which we
can i'll spare, are the real causes OF our embar
easements and troubles, we observe a strong ten
dency to enlarge the orifces through which We
are already bleeding to exhaustion. Let US take
off the remaining duties and buy our Bread from
Canada, our Coal from England and NoyaScotia,
our Sugar and Cigars from Havana, our Wines
and Liquors from France and Germany, and so
have a jolly good time-every thing abundant and
cheap! What signifies payday, or payment at
all, if we can buy everything abroad and live
idle and saucy at home Why take thought for
the morrow when we can run our faces for the
best Of eating and drinking to-day
We entreat those who think to look into this
subject, and consider how these Imports are to
be paid for. Value our Cotton crop, our Tobsc-
co, Rice, and whatever else we shall have to sell,
and see how much We can safely import and with
what we are to pay, We produce nothing which
requires Protective Duties, but we cannot pros
per if the property of the Country is to be run
through the hands of the sheriff. Are there not
many others in similar predcament