Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-12-19
THE ,WILMINGTON JOURNAL.



Tbe Sonthern Commercial Convention.
So far as we are informed, or have reason to be-
lieve this body did not adjourn before last evening"
ffthen. We have watched its proceedings carefully,
less with reference to mere details than with view
of coming at the real objects of the prominent NOV
ers and to see what feasible and tangible business
would be brought up, and what chance there might
be of obtaining effective action.
Apart from mere matters of opinion three projects
have been brought to the attention of the meeting
First, that preached by Hon. A. D. Mann, formerly
Assistant Secretary of State the object contemplated
being the establishment of a line of 10000 ton
steamers between the Chesapeake Bay and Milford
Haven Second-the revival of the African slave trade
as advocated by the Charleston Standard and some
other papers, and brought officially before the Legs-
lature of South Carolina in the annual message Of
Governor Adams: Third-the construction of a
Railroad 10 the Pacific, leaving the Mississippi VAL
ley not far from the latitude of Memphis, and pur-
suing the southern route through Texas, the Gads'
den purchase etc. ~ )i''.
incidentally the question of absolute Free Trade,
the abolition of all Tariff and resort to direct taxa
ton for the support of the general government, has
been argued and urged more with view of opera"
ting upon public opinion at large, than OF evoklng
any definite action from the convention
In regard 10 the first matterthat of the steamship
line from the Chesapeake-he same difficulty pre-
sens itself now as hereofore-a difficulty inseperabs
from the nature of the proposition, and in the nature
of things, insuperable. We pass over the magnih-
cence of the hng-its merely experimental character
the fact that it is still to be whether steamers
of the size proposed will succeed, and look at the
really nsuperabe obstacle which consists in the at
tempt TO destroy that competition without which COM
mercal energy cannot exist If the whole South
were to 90 into this thing and build it up, 1t would
eventually injure the port to which it would run, by
teaching it to look TO Hercules instead of putting
It's own shoulder to the Wheel while it would para
Iyze the energy of other places by casting into the
scale against their legitimate efforts the overwhe'm-
ing competition of monster monopoly, an example
of which we can see the North, in the Collins ne
which, by aid of millions of government money, has
been erected into monopoly, and actually has pre-
vented the growth of other American lines of steam
ers between this country and Liverpool. This thing
of convenonzing any port into the position OF being
the emporium of Southern commerce, won't do
This position must be earned not forced We notice
that our Virginia neghbors are very largely repre-
scented in the Convention, having before their eyes
this scheme. 1t won't do.
AS for the Pacific Railroad, we think that there
ale real advantages connected with the southern
route which give it very decided preference over
all others; nature and climate have marked it out as
the route and these will, in opinions eventually
carry the point over Mr. Benton's Buffalo engineer
Ing, and Col. Fremonts pup-devouring explorations.
But will it, as things stand, derive additional strength
in a national point of view, from its being presented
exclusively southern project? We ask the
question for the that the aid of the general
government is included among the proposed Eagen'
cieS in it's construction.
AS for the revival of the Slave Trade, that has al
ready been laid on the table by the Convention anc
need not be farther discussed We have hare
things to say about this We know good men anG
wise ones who favour it, but they are in hopeless
minority the South itself, and, of course, opposed
to the views of all the rest of makind,' that TIT
idea is not be regarded of practical impor
lance.
If the world would reciprocate in the matter o
perfect Free Trade, we would go for it. Unless tn
world consents to do SO, the thing would not be fair
1t would be reciprocity all on one side.
DaitV Journal of Saturday.