True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-08-22
The City of Cadiz.

1he CITY OF Cadlz is completely suHOuh'
ded by walls. On three sides they are
washed by the sea, and on the land side,
there is a regular series of bastons and raw
elines, terminated by glacis, which is
separated from the inner works BY ditch.
Across this ditch there are several bridg.
es, afording passage to the numerous
pedestrians, animals. and vehicles which
enter aud leave the city by day. At night
they are drawn up, and all intercourse with
the country is cut of until daybreak, when
the city gates are again thrown OPEN
The points of communication with the wa
ter are two-one for the foreign commerce
Of the city, and the other for the ingress
and egress of the inhabitants or strangers,
and for the articles of consumption requi.
red for daily use. The first is dock
built out into the water between two pro.
jecting angles Of the wall, and opening in.
to the city through the Seville gate. Tho
exceedingly limited in extent, it was the
centre Of the vast intercourse Of Spain with
the countries of Europe, and with the ives.
tern hemisphere, during the commercial
prosperity of the city. On this narrow
platform were received the countless mil
/
lions of gold and silver dug from the mines
of Mexico and Peru, and the supplies Of
merchandise, the products of European
industry, which we're sent back in return
for all this treasure. 1t is now literally
deserted. Cadiz receives nothing from
abroad, excepting what she consumes, and
the high tariff of Spain has given death
blow to all legi gitimate commerce. A large
f portion of artic es which enter the city are
either coutraband or charged with enor-
nous duties; yet there is an abundant
supply of both classes to be found in the
shops. The importation of cotton fabrics
from other countries is prohibited yet
English muslins and French calicocs are
as freely vended as though no such prOhi-
biton were in force. Other articles of
merchan die, the introduction of which is
charged with duties prohibitory in effect,
are as freely sold, though the duties are
never paid. They are, Of course, introdu-
ced by smuggling, the necessary fruit Of
every system which has for its object to an
initiate, or clog with unjust and injurious
restrictions the commercial intercourse of
mankind The smugglers have aa little re-
spect for the direct as for the indirect pro-
hibition; and the consequences are, that
the consumers pay dear for the commodi-
ties they require, the government is do.
trauded of its revenue, the open contempt
in which the law is held tends to eDgender
a spirit of hostility to all law, and the COM
| munity is demoralized through the large
numbers who gain their livelihood by an
illicit traffic. 1t is said that smuggling is
q carried on through the connivance and by
the aid of the public authorities, and that
! it has become q source of revenue to indi-
viduals high in power, whose influence is
employed to perpetuate the commercial
:. system out Of which it has grown. Some
, months ago, an individual connected with
the court, was urged to lend his efforts to
h reduction of the rates Of duties fixed BY
the present exorbitant tariff, and one of the
e arguments addressed to him was that it
|. would put an end to smuggling. His an.
o swer was, If you put on end to smuggling,
q what will become Of the sixty thousand
families who live by it? 1t may readily
be seen how large portion Of the COM
mercial transactions of the kingdom depends
: on it. The species Of commerce makes
l. very little show 1t neither requires the
4 aid of public docks, nor carries on its ope-
l rations in the face Of day; and as Cadis
20 has scarcely any other, there is as great .
W want Of commercial activity, externally,
rs as can well be imagined.