The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-07-31
s,e,m.bip Convention at Old Point.
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This is not an has been supposed, scheme to in
terfere in any with the mission 81 the Hon
VIM. D. Preston to Europe. 1t Is eminently prac-
teal affair. some portions of the first days pro-
ceedings will show. and while Chesapeake Bay is
the favorite terminus, ii is not made a sfa quo
non Letters were addressed TO q number OF dis
tingushed men in all parts Of the Union, in order
to render the scheme national in its charcter AZ
1t Il possible. These letters replied to in the
spirit expected aud show that the interests OF the
whole South are represented in the Convention, as
we'll as those of Virginia. Among the gentlemen
In attendance, are ex-president Tyler. who IS tue
President Of tho body, and Hon. X. r. Meade, min
lister TO Brazil, who is one of the members.
The Convention assembled this afternoon, at !
O'Clock, in the ball room of the Hygeia Hotel The
room was fairly crowded the larger portion Of the
audience being composed of the fair sex who are
visiting at the Point of course, the last mention
ed fact proves great incentive to speech making.
and Heaven only knows what infections we are TO
bear tomorrow.
Ex-President Tyler was nominated as President
of the body and unanimously elected. committee
of three appointed TO inform him of the fact
The committee composed Messrs. w. T. Hendren.
OF Norfolk, A. D. Banks, of Petersburg and Hon.
d. NJ. Barringer, of North Carolina The duty
being discharged, Mr.. Tyler took his seat.
lie said he felt nearly identified with the object
tof which the Convention had assembled, and
cepted the call to preside its deliberations
without the slightest hesitation. They had assem-
bled on interesting business. and had many serious
difficulties to encounter The restoration of com
mercial prosperity TO the South was all important.
and in accomplishing that, have to contend
against the disposition Of trade to travel the chan
mel to New TOTk-a channel which. in a hundred
years, had built the third city of the world, and
become so deep that it required the concentration
of all our intelligence to divert the trade back to
its proper course.
He alluded to the immense influence of New
York her extending thoroughfares, palatial meT-
camille warehouses. swarm of shipping, which Ito
illustration familiar to visitors at the Point
were bursting forth like crab from its shell, and
drawing in everything around them What can
present to induce this trade to the SOUTH
Time will accomplish much. and nature has given
lis advantages which will do much to place Us on
equality with the great commercial metropolis
roadstead aud Il channel unsurpassed, are at our
command. We now want means of transportation
to correspond with these advantages. ANY ship
builder can appreciate the effect of putting such
ship as the Great Eastern on the line. lie com
mented specially the time gained in a passage
from Liverpool to Southern ports. The very fact
of her size wOnld create tendency of freight to
be transported by her. The speaker then grace
fully thanked the Convention for the honor it had
conferred upon him, and resumed his seat.
On motion of Mr. Dudley, Hon d. VI Barringer
of n. c., Mr. EIamblin of Tenn, Capt. Page of the
District Of Columbia and VI. \. Falls of Maryland.
were chosen Vice Presidents.
Messrs. Broughton Lamb and Banks, of the Nor
folk and Petersburg press, were appointed Score
tares
Letters were received from Gov. Wise. Senator
Mason, Hon. John Letcher, Hon. Lewis Cass (say-
ing he considered the enterprise one of national
Importance secretary Toucey of the Navy. Hon.
A. V. Brown, Postmaster Genl, Hon. Jacob Thomp
son, Secretary of the Interior, J. b. De Bow Chas
W. Russell of Wheeling, Va. and Lieut.. Mathew
Maury. All the letters speak of the scheme a.
likely to be successful. and disclaim all sectional
feeling in their advocacy Of it. The letter of the
Postmaster General is fair specimen of the 9TH
ers. and we insert it at length:
WASHINGTON CITY, July II.
G"ntemSn:-I cannot be with you on the 10Th
inst my duty to the public service, which am en-
deavoring faithfully to discharge, forbids my alb
sence at the present moment. regretted very
much, for have watched and sympathiZed, and
sometimes personally. participated i'll every move
ment intended TO give New Orleans, Mobile, Charles
ton and Norfolk, that just proportion of the COM
merCe Of the country, to which they were fairly
entitled. | never wished to give them more than
they were entitled to, but [ have never ceased to
hope that should Vet see them regain their long
lost and neglected rights of exporting and import
ing directly to tho full extent demanded by the
products and wants of the countries connected with
them and dependent upon them.
Thanks to the lberality and public spirit of
Virginia that have contributed so largely to her
canal and railroad connection with Southwestern
and Northwestern States. Thanks to the same
spirit that has prompted Tennessee Ohio and Ken
lucky to reach ont their Briarian arms to embrace
the parent empire. Thanks, mis- Int add TO those III
dividuas, or association of individuals who propose
at an early day the contamination of the grand Ell
tcrprise which has called you together. Grand
bama Kentucky and Ohio call it, when they shall
See the great ships of commerce. and of war, gal
lanty riding into the port of Norfolk. they now
do into the harbors of Boston and New York 1t
is but too to refer every step, like the one
which you are now taking, to some narrow and sec
tional jealousy, / never felt, the South never
felt. Her sons, on proper occasion, would battle
long and yallantly for the Just rights of Bus
ton, New York and Philadelphia, as for those of
New Orleans Charleston and Norfolk.
All the South seeks in the movement which you
now making, and in her Commercial ConYen
tions, one OF which is shortly to assemble at Knox
VILE, is the perfect equality Of commercial rights
in exact proportion to her productions her capaci-
ty for consumption, and the facilities furnished by
her harbors, rivers and railroads. Our Southern
cities and communities only seeking to preserve
and save themselves that amount of the export and
import trade which naturally and geographically
belongs to them If Norfolk shall desire to obtain
proportion OF the vast productions Of the West has
not Boston expended her millions and n. Y tens of
millions for the same purpose? so has Pennsylya-
mia poured out her means i'll rich abundance to ac-
complish the object. | need not speak of
Baltimcre. God forbid that any thing but the most
traterual sentiments should ever exist between
Baltimore and Norfolk. situated the one at the foot
and the other at the head of the noblest bay in the
world Each can contribute largely TO the wealth
and prosperity of the other.
In the commercial movements now going on at
the South the Northern States and the great cities
should see nothing but an attempt to follow their
own example, not for the purpose of injuring
ONuSIS, Dut sOltIy VIII view Ol advancing their
own interest and welfare. They only desire that
whatever Of foreign articles intended for South
ern or Western consumption, shall go direct to the
South and West for which it intended; and
that our productions shall be conveyed directly
from our ports to the countries furnishing the
best market. So important is IL to furnish every
facility Of Interchange of productions, that most
governments have given every incidental aid to
commercial enterprises like yours, which they
able to give 1t WAS for this purpose that our
government instituted the Collins, the Bremen and
the Havre lines, paying considerable bonus OF ex-
ira compensation for carrying the mails of the
United states. On the expiration of the two latter
contracts, new policy has, however, been inaugu-
rated of paying them only the hostages (sea i'll
land) for carrying our mails to France and Germt-
ny. Whatever patronage shall be given by Con-
gres5 in its future legislation to any of the ocean
steam lines, should Of course, be extended to the
contemplated one between Norfolk and Milford
Haven, and, indeed, to all other similar projects
whether North or South. If your line should be
started in advance of such legislation. the greatest
amount of patronage allowed by the existing law
shall be freely bestowed upon il.
In this acknowledgment of the honor of your i'll
vtation, confne myself to the precise object or
purpose of your contemplated meeting We're TO
go outside and beyond that, | might have many
things to add in relation 10 public affairs. Espe-
cially might | advert to how often and how grey-
ously just equality Of rights have been denied 10
the South; but choose, III this aC know ledRment of
your kindness. to leave the past with the past and
TO indulge the hope that the future may come to US
crowded with all the blessings that commercial |
political and social equality can confer
Very respectfully, your ob't serv't
AARON '. Brown. !
1t Naury in his letter. gives MS an instance of |
the diversion of trade for want of exertion to de-
tam 1t, that when boy ne travelled in a carriage
from Memphis, Tenn, to Washington to report as |
mldshpman on board the vessel which was to CON |
Vey Lafayette 10 France, his way the road |
Was crowded with the old blue wagons with white |
tops-the railroad cars of those days carrying
freight from East Tennessee to Virginia. South |
Carolina, by jadicious movement, building rail
road in time, has seized all this trade which is now
Irrecoyerable to Virginia.
committee was appointed to prepare resolu- |
tions for the Convention comprising the following
gentlemen:
Hon. A. Dudley Mann, Hon. Il. X. Meade, and |