The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-11-29
COMMERCIAL INFLUENCES.

With matters of commerce, men Of all COZ H.
tons in life have a remote, if not direct in or.
est, and therefore II is that all seek informal on
in regard to subject so comprehensive in its
influences. The Hon. Joseph r. Chant,l Ter
chose this topic for one of his lectures before
the Mercantile Library Society of st. Louis, ind
gave many apt illustrations of the power of
commerce in all ages. We quote notice of
the lecture from the Republican of the 10th in
slant. After brief allusion to the teri BILE
disaster which had spread a gloom over the
city, Mr.. Chandler said:
"Now days, where was health and wealth,
was commerce. He alluded to Italy as atri-
king instance that reciprocity wss the life of
trade, and that consequently between the vari-
Gus Italian States no commerce could spring
up, because they all had the same productions I;
that our country was equally illustrative of this
principle, both because of its foreign and do
nestle commerce. The North needed the Sro-
duets of the South, and the South hernandez in
return the manufactures of the North. Each
gave to the other of its surplus, and, the want
of one being compensated by the superabi .nd-
ance of the other, exchange followed; and this
was commerce.
"The cities of Tyre, Of Venice, of Genoa, end
their decadence, argued nothing against his
proposition, that commerce ruled the WI cid.
trade, they fiourished and when commerce de-
veloping new arts, because wants stimrlate
genius had, through these arts and scieD ces,
learned new and more successful routes ,and
the tide of wealth was turned to other points,
necessarily, with the decay of their comm cree
commenced the decay Of their greatness. But
this decay, so far from arguing against the
might of commerce, proves that no power was
too great for it; and that such was its inf etu-
GUS force, that nothing could unmake what it
had made. To object that these instsAces
proved the fallacy of his proposition, wou'1 be
as ridiculous as to argue that, because the Soad-
side inn had lost its custom on account of rail-
road facilities, therefore the paint of the >oad-
side inn had blackened in the sun, and grown
into dsuse. He alluded to the condition of
Spain, and argued that there again there was
nothing to exchange, and consequently there
could be no commerce. He alluded to the
Jews, and their mercantile habits, and styled
them nation of merchants"
Such are few Of the thoughts, perhaps
not the most striking Of the many beautiful
ones, with which this lecture abounded. One
more suggests itself to us as we write: "That if
the country did not now point to such men as
were of the past-to her Jeffersons, Madisons,
Claws. Websters, and Calhouns-it was not be-
cause no such men now existed; but the polit-
:cal arena had lost its prestige; merit no long
er was the tombstone of office; young men had
turned from political strife, to devote their tai
ents and their energies in spheres where they
would not only be honored, but be suitably COM
pensated with wealth. Hence, the mindsSwhich
might distinguish themselves in the Cabinet
could be found in the counting-roo and the
factory or the machine-shop. They Abandoned
politics, to embark in commercial or mechani-
cal pursuits. Nor did the country lose by this
for these minds were alive to the true interests
of the country, as prosperity was the FONDA
ton of their success. Nor would the country
lose by this, because the very basis of CONNER
cial success was honor and it is but truthful
assertion, that no man ever attained distraction
in commercial circles, whose transaction, we're
not governed by the strictest integrit... To
commerce he looked for the preservation of orr
glorious Union. Commerce was the only power
that could save it. Religion, in its ind knces,
was too remote, and the sentiment of patriot
ism too weak; but commerce, through its
powers, would speak, would command, az it has
done, the Legislature; for if we would examine
the subject, we would be astonished to find how
much of our legislation solely referred to the
protection ard development of our commerce. y
The lecturer for more than an hour detain-
ed his audience, and yet their silence, only bro
ken by the applause provoked by his sallies OF
wit and humor, attested the deep interest he ex
cited