Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-11-16
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
The Future of American Commsrca

The Future of American Commerce.-At
no other point in cur vast country can the Oh
serving man obtain better idea of the rand
strides Of cur foreign commerce than in this
city. In New York one is overwhelmed with
realization Of the amount of it concentrated
there. But unless months are devoted to the
task of analyzing what one sees around the
ci'y's whaIves and principal marts and depot,
the ideas one obtains Of it are exceedingly
confused. In Washington, on the other hand,
We have numerous visits from gentlemen To-
Gated in every considerable American port,
who are interested in developing new channe u
for CT new features in our foreign commerce,
who come hither On errands to the Govern.
znent in the connection with it.
Perhaps we should more appropriately write
that intercourse with such persons ccngregate
here, devslopes rather the progress of our for
eign commerce, than its extent. We are rarely
Without the presence, for instance, of nany Of
the best informed and most intelligent of those
who have located within the last ten years on
The Fanifc side, whose accounts of the rand
increase Ct cur commercial intercourse with
al tie countries bordering the Pacific Ocean
ard its tributaries. truthful though they are,
SuTpasS lie conception Of those whose minds
have not been Turned to the investigation Of
the eond.u'n and prospects Of the foreign
trade Of the United States. All realize that
the march of our people on the road to great
wealth and prosperity is unexampled in tho
6
lively few are familiar with the details of the
history Of that progress
10 uf,.one OF the most wonderful fact. de-
VeiePed by tia study to which we refer abovs
Is the capacity of our Government to sdant Il.
self to the duty Of fostering and protecting the
interests of its subjects or citizens, as involved
IN our foreign commerce, now penetrating
every Latitude and cline in which TO sell q,
buy aad realizing an almost certain pro;t nm
eAch Sueh transaction, to be brought back 10
me United States, for their enrichment.
multitude Of novel questions orow;nc
0u' CT 'his extension Of our trade are con-
stantiy arising before Congress, or sem. ON.
OF o'her OF the Executive departments; each
one III us settlement developing some new ca
paclty OF our system Of law. to foster the
Pral7eWortby enterprise of the American bu,;-
hess community. Or, On the other hand
MAKING plain the necessity for changes in tbos.
laws or in the policy of the Governments -
meet the eOuntry's progressing Requirement..
mus among many others, we have psrdi,u
u 'ii's "ine' The question Of the propristy of
al American government survey of the Atr.to
riVer' with view to asccrtaining the fs.s;-
o-Ity Of that route for tho long contemplated
ihter-oceanlc ship canal The Dominican
question, too, is really ors wholly con,eo,.d
WIN 'ee development and growing peces.itie,
q Oor IoEslzn Commerce; and so, also, is the
9nehh'h Oh thu proper construction of III.
Japan treaty. The hour.y-increasipy ot,on-
ZION which tho public asn who congrcyate bsr.
are si'ins to the reports Of American e.n,o-..
tons OF the La Plata river and IL, tr;hrt.,;.,
and the multiplying efforts OF our conn,,v,non
% penetrate with their ship, and eargoes into
hHhsr'o forbidden, if rot almost unknown
great rivers Of South AIsoriea, and To tbs oo,-
oi'ioh ana prospects Of tie Russian poss.ss;on.
ca TIE northw west coast, and also TO the affair.
"a the Sand"leh ISlards-all these oue.tiop.
winch are hourly increasing in their ;,ro.
'ahee' Ia the estimation Of the public men Of
TIE 'n''ed s;ates-bsar intimate relation. -
the astonishing increase Of our foreign com.
mercs at this particular tina.
Vut OF oil Of them. toe, grow question, To hs
decided hare, which throw ON thu III,
oLneers OF the government an immense ~
crease Of labor, investigation, &c wb;.h
tAey seem eheerfu!ly to undertake and alvava
20 decide SO "a to farther the immense Ame,-
lean public interests Involved in them. With
'ne remarkable progress OF cur land in wealth
ana In The connections Of its citizens Ui,b a.
1--WE business, beyond our own territorial lin.
H. have necessarily come mary embarro.s;rr
lhTolvements, EI IF which IN to tb;, IT,
lave Oeen solved satisfactorily to- ard happi.
~ l'T The American people The Nicarsgnsn
oI Oeh'iai American question, which has a,
length we'll nigh eliminated, ia one of ,h.-,.
ana we have never for an instant 5o,t,.s
mat lts solution will be an Assurance ~ an .
our eilzeES, Whi:L their true iIterest. 5en,.nJ |
II the hands IF their government.
So, likewise, in the case Of tho M.,;
drafts question, concerning points in which
huch absurd stories are being just now tola NV
telegraph. Our Mexican commerce is probablv
Increasing, and must increase more RAPIDLY a.
TIE icftitutiOBs Of that distracted country he
come hbera!Eod-as they are becoming, in a
great measure, too, through the effect or in
huenee OF our late great war with that Power.
me main point in issue in this drafts question
~ sinPly-Has this Government the right to