New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-04
A FOOLISH CONVENTION

consists in the belief that wealth comes mainly OF
foreign commerce, and provided that roads can be
made to the seabOard, aud ships and steamers ply
thence 70 lands thousands of miles distant all classes
save human chattes-must be enriched. England
has multiplied her colonies that they stud the entire
globe, under the belief that markets afar Of, were
the great cause of national wealth aud this led to
jealouses and wars with France her rival whose costs
still press her down with debt of some four thousand
million dollars. which there 10 an interest of two
hundred and fifty millions to pay annually As
sary consequence to this, England has two million
psupeTs, ana the mass of her inhabitants have but
hand-to mouth existence. But her power, subject to
all the drawback Of this gaugrene of debt and pow
erty lss been of slow growth, centuries being Occu-
pied in achieving wealth such is obtained in the free
States Of country in tithewo speak literally in
saying a tithe-of tho same period.
With this example to warn her that foreign
ke;s are uncertain and costly the South in all her con-
venons is regulated by the idea that it is only neces
say for Ler to trade directly with Europe TO grOwrich
Apart from the fact that manufacturing country in
variably controls an agricultural State-determnes the
price of its stapleslOoks down upon it as an o5ediens
pumpkin who bled for the advantage Of its polished
ant trade with expensive intermediate agencies, lsthe
most costly deusion that ever could seize upon COM
munty. That this idea governs the South is evident at
every step Readers of modern English political econo
my-mere colouists of the birmingham and Manchester
free.traders in their theory and practice OF keeping
England the great distributing andcontrolng power
of the lobe-the South wrthes aod grOans and meets
in conventions, and dreams Of making New York out
of Charleston or ssvaDnah Of Norfolk in one breath,
and in the next ofcutng down timber and making set
Elements under the Equator on the Amazon KiTer.
These fool sh conventions have thus far only shown that
tropical elOquence not cool reason or scientific de-
duction and that the SOutherners toSeth
en- the further of will they be from the truth They're
now going the wrong road; and these conventions only
confirm their conceit. An additional platform for that
greatest of pusances southern great men, is Afford
ed by these gdry gatherings where every reference
! N human right and economical science is ignored
We speak thus In view Of the fact that great prepa-
r.tions are making by tie people Of Charleston for
Southern Commercial Convention which is to meet IN
that city on the second Wednesday in April The
Richmond Dispaieh, faithful to the delusion Which
makes grass grow in the streets of the chief port Oh
Virginia. blessed though it is with every aratme and
interior advantage speaks Of this matter in TIE usual
southern vein. The only security OF the SOUTH we
are told, is in freeing herself from the enOrrnonI
tribute she annually pays to northern commerce, in
developing her by railroad and canals in
building up her Own cities and establishing direct
trade with Europe" Now tlis is mere talk. Trade
viii go where there is the most capital and there can
rot be the most capital in slave state L. was tried
/ in NewOrleans and New Orleans 10 pretty much at
stand still 1t was tried in Charleston aud Charleston
is tenthrate city in size. 1t tried in Norfolk,
| and Norfolk is village The laws which draw
capital to New-York, 10 Philadelphia, TO Boston as
the great Atlantic commercial cities are as old as the
Universe and az sure as sunrise These States have
back country of freemen Notwithstanding the cotton
press and the cotton merchants and all the army of
dcughfaces they nurtured by the sturdy agricu-
ture of the interior The cotton crop upon which the
South supposes the world turns, is after all mighty
small affair Averaging until lately bat some sixty
miIons-yielding some seven to ten million proft-it
is not worth than the annual outlay for the navy
of the United states The exports of southern pro-
| ducIOns are three times great 80 those of the
'North," says Tie Richmond Dispatch. Well suppose
/ they are And what 60 all the exports amount to-
| Aud what are all the profits on them, when summed
/ up Tie total exports in round numbers are two
! hundred millions. If there be twelve per cent clear
profit on them it makes just twenyfour millions Or
one dollar head 10 the people OF this Union mighty
pOther about pitiful total. What if the whole
| OF the foreign commerce Of this county were
cut Off and the people suddenly forced to make every
thing for themselves IL would cause inconvenience
loss ruin to certain parties at first but when we sac
that there Is whole catalogue of northern staples
each OF which is more valuable than the cotton crop
the e1afiaton and national importance given to il are
simply prepos,erous. and the Difference paid to it
simply contemplate. Let foreign trade be totally
stopped and the South would be bankrupt, for it is
weak and dependent single product but the North,
With is vast power Of diversified industry would rise
superior 10 the occurrence and alone save the whole
country from utter ruin
The wealth of every country mus. be in the direct
ratio OF the coseness OF the intercourse between the
nan WHO fashions and the man who makes use ofwha.
ever product BY that means merchants and ped iers
a1c storehouses, and wharves and ships and commits
sion agents, and foreign nanuacturers and protecting
naves, and all the onniverous crew Of intermediate
agents avoided and tie people exchange directlv
with one another without any tax or loss. But the
rsbob system Of the South Will not allow this They
are forever hsrpDg upon distant countries and costly
marines shovy details, and grand cities on their sea-
board. But let them remember that il ia varied
Aoue-industry, arts and manufactures disseminated