Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-20
Frsa IIs BssisH PsSL
OUR TRADE WITH SOUTH AMERICA.


In respect to our trade with the different coun
triSs of South America, it Is perhaps seldom con-
sidsred how much the consumption Of the United
States products, and the amount Of our sxpoTts
depend on the STATE or the means Of transit in
those countries, stiVely to the character of the
native produce brought to the ocean side. When
the population Of country, like that Of Peru is
chiefly seated 10 the Interior, and the meanS of
transport from tbs COST to the seats of population
are extremely bad and expensive, the power ofex-
port poss ssed by country, and consequently its
power OF purchasing from u, must depend on the
opportunity it happens to possess of transmitting
the value Of its agricultural produce into value in
the form OF silver. There is Bolivia which pre-
sspts in an exagg rated degree oil tn zee features
Its scauty piece OF coast is desert which prOdu
ces nothing tor export and adds to the difficulties
OF transit The most popu.CUs districts are upon
and beyond the Andes, at from $50 to 500 miles
from the coat The only roads are extremely
crcutou. and pass in every case over very eleva-
| ted chains of mountains The difficulties enc Jun.
tered IL travel Ing from the port Of Oobija to CRU
70 are 90 great that though the Boil ans have de-.
clare6 CJbjS freq pOr', they hardly use il, and
prefer importing the small quantities of foreign
Camno5lue5 for which there Is demand through
Aria I'D Ga,ul T result of this state Of things
il, g. our ,SPoGIs 70 Bolivia AIS on the smallest
seal
Chill differs in the strOugss: degree from i.B
naighbJrGg republic Bolivia. Its territory no.
where extends far from the coast its population
| lies nowhere az great elevations, or ct great dis
tances from the ssa or beyond any great mountain
range Several naVigsbls rivers traverse the mar
row tract between the ocesn aud the Andes, of
which the territory consist; snd wheel carriages
rude and Ineffective indeed, but sill fi;ient to
show that such vehicles Can be used, attest the
comparative ease of the means Of transit by land.
Accordingly, the facility with which foreign man
| ufactured goods can be imported into Chill has
wisely discouraged the establishment of any i'm
portant manufactures. A large portion OF the pop
ulstiou, however, wear home made stuffs, esDeei.
ely woll The importaGions Of foreignlmanu-
features are increasing. To this country our ex-
ports have reached scarcely half 9 dollar per head
per annum, while it's exports have reached 10 value
from eight to ten millions OF dollars.
No doubt better government than any Of the
South American republics has contributed to A.
ford due play to the natural capabilities Of Chill;
and so hss increased both its COnsu nption and its
exports The contrast between the commerce Of
this country and that of any other on the western
cast Of this country seems too great to admit Of
any hesitation of opinion as to the influence Of the
corresponding difference in its means Of transit
Those countries in which the power and tsndeueY
to export are overbcFne by the difficulty and coat.
illness Of internal carriage may be stated "a Next
CO. Central America, Ecuador and Bolivia; whilst
Chill affords natural facilities for transport togsth-
or with the West Indies, Yen1 zusIa, New Granada
and the states of Rio de ls Plata. We set down
Peru with b terrfJ roads, and the interior Of
Brazil, as regions in which the difficulty and cost.
illness Of carriage are relatively mItigated by the
very small weight, in proportion to value, Of the
exported articles.
In Venezuela one half the population is located
in the metropolitan and maritime provinces of the
Caracas and the greater part Of the remainder on
other parts Of the coss', or in districts with not
very difficult access to It. Navgable rivers are
not rare. The vast sXpsnse south of Oronoco is
little inhabited for the advantages OF proximity to
naVigable streams, to the Sea- are apt to be d.
mnlshed by the mountainous character of the ter
ritOry. AS the distances are nowhere great, the
dissdvantsgeous effect is not to be compared with
that in Mexico or Central Ameries.
The prosperity Of the South American countries
is really fictitious and how far it shall be left to
ourselves to overcome the real difficulties presen-
ted time will show. At present these difficulties
appear to psrtske of physical character These !
overcome, sufficient means would not be wanting |
in the stmulsnt provided by an active commerce,
to give new life and sctiVty to the improTidsnt |
and unenergetic communities Of the south.