Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-12-25
FoR NIX WuIo
To THE HON I

| ~ luz Nun hobI. 1OOMBS VI GEOkGlA. q
MrDEas Sra while g,sucing my eyes over your let
ter directed iothe Commercial Convention at Savannah
my mind fixed upon certain facts which stand out pro-
mncnty without the aid OF argument the eloquence
| tho show man to exhibit then, to business men.
First you address imaginary thing, to wit: A
"Conssciaf' Convention which had the ghost Of
existence You should have directed your letter ito
the Assembage of Lawyers and Preachers or 40 the
Assembly Of Clergy and Professional Las convened a,
Savannah TO talk; foe if understand tho application OF
language "Coa,merciaF Convention would be composed
OF Commercial men-men engaged in Commerce. Could
you me;amophosc asscmbge Of groeers and dealers
dry goods into Medical Convention Yes sir; as readi-
~ you could transform house full Of doctors lawyers
and clergymen, into any thing resembling "ComtrciG
| Convention.
Secondly you make transparentlY strained effort a,
writing TO the imaginary "Commercial Convention II
YOU and they absolutely understood from practical auay
SIS all the minutae OF Southern wants. aud the OF
supplying them And believe Is pertinent remark
Ia this connection upon the Papabe ijuss which result
to society IRON ntermdngs, by people tho have noed
themselves into notoriety, i'm matters with which they
have not the slightest practical acquaintance Such
excessively rise in total ignorance and only expose
the pancity Of their knowledge, to Your
letter is butts wordy, impractcabe affair." intended blind
the South, in little excitement for your personal
sggrandizemen You have not made solitary sugges
ton that will ever be realized in practice.
In your second paragraph, you say OF foreign goods
which conveyed coastwise, TO your portg ali per
imposed all such merchandise it IL pro-
bable that the importers of foreign merchandise intended
for consumption, would land them any other parts
than own This is the only part OF your letter which
propose TO comment upon. .. .
Permit to in,errog,te the profound Commercial"
wisdom OF your Convention, by asking how many ships
there which convex foreign goods America belong
ing running to Southern port Imean ships which
convey taed cargoss OF foreign merchandise and for
fear that but few articles have beer entered upon your
i ms you Al least in
part. F
By miIed cargocs, do not mean railroad iron hard
and cutlery croekery and heavy cotton linen
and woolen goods alone, although include them bat
plain and rich silks and satins plain and richly silk
vevets brocaes aud satin damssks; MORE antiques plain
and rich hbbous rich rnges aud hundred kinds of rich
fancy trimmings hnc linens rich French and Scotch
Lawns Jaekonet Scotch and Ssiss Muslins Kid gloves
thread cambros imb oidere piece goods embroidered
collars, sleeves insertions and handkerchefs English
P.nsse- Vaencien, Matse and Honiton accs rich tea
theirs 6ne cloths casimers, &c. &c. &c all OF which
largely consumed az the South and prOfusey
many Of your little village parties your clay hills and
sandy fats, where rcd and white wines constitute your
stimulating beverages.
To obtain all the above named articles and others with
rich and ordinary trOphcal fruits and preserves which
you consume, you must have ships running directly to
Germany England France; Portugal Italy; Turkey
Africa the East Indies Rio aud Laguayra; the Polar re-
ions, &c. Aud how much capitol would be required to
build ships enough, purchase them tue North
TO run to all these countries even II the average but
| lions and hall, 1.-TWO OF them fine Steamers
You answer "But We get Northern ships to
our ports That grant but that would make you still
| largely tributary Abolition Yankeedom, which you
would like avoid If there ia any meaning published
words. well then, get English ships do the
work you may reply. II so, say rinco the
spirit oil abotOnsn which burns spreads and
like prairie lire in Eastern States, directly
from England, TO DO scattered broadcast among the Yam
kees
But suppose you remain tributary Abolitioniss and
/ AZ. IL
ports you employ vessels belonging the Yankees and
Englishand how much actually invested commercial CAPT
tai world be required for sueet number of people TO
20 to Europe and purchase and import all the foreign
goods consum ed in the South Would less than one
hundred millions OF actually invested cash capital supply
the whole South when take into consideration the fact
that single New York house supposed sell less
than hve millions worth oil dry goods alone, annually to
the South And when will you get hundred or ten
millions ocash. capitol Tor importing purposes in The
Souths Where will you find any ten business men, or
Others in the South who will contribute the capitol skill
and labor necessary establish but solitary large and
general import house, such would attract the
dealers ofthe interior during the month Of July August
September and part Of October, when they obliged
purchase in order to supply their customers time
tisfy demands
Is there any place in the country, South of Richmond
at which Interior merchants would risk themselves
in the sickly months IL you competent TO the
establishment OF extension general importing house
Are not many oil your most thrifty Northern people,
Who with hundreds and thousands OF Southern business
men, look forward with JOY 10 the day on which they
70 visit New York, and enjoy its Vaccinations according
their several tastes? Woud any ship from Europe land
the great bulk Of her cargo New York aud down
Savannah TO any Southern port TO land every thread
tine costly goods that imported by the South in yholo
year?
To what then does your proposition to levy tax offs per
cent foreign goods consumed in the South tend Sim
ply oppression Of the merchant by your CATERERS
hrs and then oppression Of the consumer by the mer-
chant to get back his five per Surely il you had
understood yodr subject well enough TO give it fair anay
SIS you would never have uttered any such proposition
unless you thought you could excite the people blind
ness kill yourself in the estimation both Of the mer
| chant and the consumer Ny opinion s that you
thought yourself too important person 20 remain silent
supposed you must say sonethipgdid know PRECISE
what to say, and stumbled, with blind sellmportance
into suggestion proposition which you did not under.
stand while you imagined that people would swallow il
without investigation, as an outpouring Of wisdom
profound for their comprehension.
You should make one suggestion 10 n windy
talking Commercial" % Convention 20 prove your utter
Ignorance Of practical commerce. and then confne your.
self TO what will admit OF sOphstry suggestion unite.
talking aud jurors aud the political cess pool Of
Washington city Your constituents will submit 70 no
such imposition as i've per cent upon foreign goods which
they have not the facilities OF importing directly South.
ern ports and which they compelled 10 procure else.
wbere No part Of the South would submit 10 any such
imposition. II would drive from you the best commercial
capitalists you have and reduce merchandising TO moro
limited SCALE aud create general dissatisfaction among your
| commencement Of whom being cotton growers, would
pay away five per cent Of their cotton for their
most costly supplies.
Get together commercial men for a commercial con
yeDuOn. Let them assemble act instead Of ulterng
windy aHd exciting words TO BHciOn which can never
produce any practical result Let them pat Hp 0s Dioaeg
aud procure the services Of intellectual business men to
Get aud not talk since money and action necessary 70
profitable results IN material world Of dollars and
cents. Let them select healthy importing locality and
invest u with all the attractions OF a New York lie.
them bnid ships; invest sufficient amount Of capital for
the importation Of al the foreign goods wares and MGR.
chandss consumed by the South Let them get subsep
lions Of capital 10 various localities for the building and
working Of hundred classes Of manufactures such as
those from which the South supplied by the North and
they will arrive at that which the South desires to wit.
Independence the abolitonist fanaGca regions o
the North. Until you do this, Yankecdom which la.
much OF s productive capital invested in ibis way wi
work aud supply the South with home aud loreigr
manufactures and spread abolition papers aud emssarie
snong you your planters will still grow cotton; your mer
chants must still buy in New York, while your FIVE pe
cent scheme will die where u originated.
Nov, SIR have faced the truth have pacedit befor
your face In Ne unclid FORM and stubborn AZ its owl
everlasting principle. Look At II like man II il truth
| / am Southerncr, aud
Your friend and frlow.ctzen, RID.