Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-06-16

Preston Commissioner 10 y"
a trip of the Great Eastern steamship to tho
waters of Virginia. does not complete the duties
of the people Of the South. They have some
thing stl more importan, 10 perform lhey
must provide such a return cargo f'r her as WI
demonstrate our ability to maintain regular com
munica,ion between Norfolk aud European
ports.
1t is no longer question whether the South
can sustain foreign commerce That is
point capable of easy solution The question
,aw is. admitting our ability. miH we avail our
Ives of the opportunity now offered for inaugu-
ing an enterprise which has become in II great
assure essential to proper maintenance OF our
interests and dignity.
We say it is no longer question whether the
80 nth is able TO sustain foreign commerce. Let
no official statistics demonstrate it. During
5he fiscal year ending Both June. 1898, the total
domestic exports of the United States, exclusive
f specie. amounted in value to -2l6 10000 -
IF this amount, cotton, tobacco and rice-which
are exclusively Southern productions -c"n'r'bu
ed Sl43.0O0 900. or mare than one half. OF
,readsiuffs and provisions, amounting To S75.
400 900. il would be perfectly safe to ray that
Thus we have, IN ihr.e few items ALONE, sI65,
10000 Which the South furnishes 10 tho export
ID products of The country.
In addition the South contributes u portion.
and large portion, nf the manufactured goods
that are exported by furnishing the raw mate
rial from which they made. Aud Of all other
exports, the South furnishes due proportion,
In fact, the North has nothing To export. We
mean she has nothing of her own. Nearly her
entire export trade consists, either directly or
indirectly, of articles own upon southern soil
Thus it appears that more than one halt of
our exports Of domestic articles consists If mr.
tcles exclusively southern--namely cotton, to
baeoo and rice. Add to this, hreads,uffs, manu-
fac,ures, lumber. &c, and it is safely within the
marx to say that the South contributes three
fourfhs of the annual expectation Of the country
The South contributes this much, but does she
export ii htrseJP Not ut all And that is the
evil which it behooves US at once 10 correct.
According to the official statistics in the
Treasury Department, New York alone exported
ninety sir millions in value, of the domestic pro-
auctions oil the country for the y, ar ending June
30 1855 OF the two hundred and forty six
millions which constitute our total export for
that year. three fourths of which were tho pro
duct of Southern soil, New York alone export
ed more than one third Virginia exported only
little upwards Of four millions The States
of Marylan Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina. Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Missis-
sipp combined-which contributed nearly all Of
the cotton. tobacco and rice exported, together,
only f1y one millions in value--just about one
half OF New York alone
Can the people of the South relec, on these
things without being urged to vigorous effort
to introduce change' IL it not evident that
the people of the South have been working and
toiling for years to enrich and build up Northern
cities by giving them nearl, the entire profits of
he export trade
Nor is this all. 1t is a well understood and
et,led principle that imports usually keep pace
v3th exports For the last few years our i'm
parts have exceeded our exports by few mil
s3ans of dolers-but this was because of the
'erge surplus of California gold had in the
1untry Daring the year ending Both June.
I555.our Imports exceeded our exports only about
Eve per cent efficiently near TO demonstrate
that, as a general thing. the two keep pace with
each other.
We have shown above who does the exporting
now let US see who does the importing Here
are the figures. OF the two hundred and sixty
one millions in value Of imports for the year end
ing Both juno. 1855, New York alone imported
one hundred and sirty fire millions Massa
ehusetts forty five millions -Pennsy lvania fftee,
Millions OF the Southern State. Louisiana ha
he most-her imports amounting to twelve mil
ions. Maryland comes next. with eight mil
ions. South Carolina next with million and
half. Old Virginia. the .'mother of States an
ofStatesmen," eight hundree and fifty five thou
sand
Taking the aggregate of each section, it a,
pears that of the two hundred and sixty one mi
lions of total imports, the North receives tw
hundred and thirty six and the South TWEEN,
five!
Taking these facts and figures into consider
ton (all of them derived from official source
the following two conclusions appear:
l. That of the domestic productions of ii
United States, which are exported TO foreig
countries, the South contributes at least thr,
fourths-and.
2. That of the total imports from other coul
friss-said imports being regulated by, and d
pendent upon. the erports-more than sevel
eighths are discharged in Northern ports.
II there no wealth in this heavy import ar