The Washington union., 1857-09-17

COMMEhtlAL IhObIAfloc AMI flNAr>NlAL A@A-'N~~'
In our issue of Saturday evening last we laid be-
fore the readers of the Union official statement
showing the aggregate values of the imports INTO
and exports from the United States during the nScal
year ending June 80, 1857 Until we shall be en-
abled to present the full details OF our commerce
with foreign countries, which are annually transmit
ted to Congress with the report of the Secretary OF the
Treasury, we can only offer to our commercial read
ers such general remarks as may be suggested by
comparison of the results, to which alone at
this time have access, with similar results Of pre-
vious years. also derived from official sources. To
this end we reproduce in tabular form the general
statement referred to, accompanying it with similar
statements from the year 1876, when the last general
tariff came into operationthus presenting for great
facility Of comparison and deduction the general
movements of our import and export trade during
a period of twelve consecutive years. The facts
which these figures represent will, trust tend to
dispel the delusion by which the panic-makers in
some of our northern cities seek to misead the
initiated in the mysteries of fancy fnancierng and
startle the public mind into state of groundless
alarm while the vast resources, the general pros
perity, and real wealth Of the country have at no
former period exhibited more healthy or more
gratifying condition 1t is quite true that the figures
for 1857 show large increase in the expectation Of
the precious metals, and it is equally clear that,
elusive of specie and bullion, general imports of
foreign merchandise exceed in value our ~..nsro,
ports, domestic and foreign r., won5 ba s,,,.
cious deduction to irser from difference of few
thousahds :, dollars way or the other an actual
Dance of trade for against u.s. as the case may
be, in vast aggregate of upwards of three hun
dred and sixty millions of dollars The reasons
why this is SO are too obvious to all in any degree fa
miliar with the ordinary symptoms which character
ize sound, vigorous, progressive commercial con-
diton. In the physical economy slight arrangements
may occur, even in the healthiest and most robust
constitutions from exposure, over-exerton, or even
from an undue indulgence of the animal appetites;
but exercise, prudence, and strict regard to the
ordinary laws of hygiene will restore the natu-
raj tone, and bring back the system to its normal
and healthy condition. So it is with the economical
system of nation richly endowed as ours with
all the elements of health and so pre-eminently
blessed in all its vast and illmitable resources The
periodical "smashes' which, from time to time, di-
verge from Wall street may startle the nerves and
quicken the pulse; but the effect is but momentary
composure soonreestabshed, and our progress asa
nation continues unchecked and onward resting upon
the solid basis of weldrected enterprise protected
by wholesome laws, and sustained by vigorous
constitution. Thus, the rs medicat,fr nature is
equally potent in the economical as in the physical
system In the one, as in the other we have only
to aid it in its efforts and we shall be blessed with
abundance of health.
In country such as ours nothing of less dimen-
sions than national bank, or some other huge le-
viathan of equal capacity for mischief can succeed
in producing real panic among the intelligent
masses of people but such monsters are now
no longer to be dreaded. We gaze upon them as
we do upon the skeleton of the Mastedon in Bar
NUNS Museum, while we congratulate ourselves
that they the creatures of past age whose race
has become extinct at least in our republican soil.
The "Bulls' and the ''Bears" of Wall street are
alike incapable of unsettlng the great business move
ments of the country, or of creating any serious
alarm in the public mind. 1t is fortunate for our
countrys best interests that our commercial as our
political progress depends more upon the losses
of stock gamblers than it does upon the hazard
OF the faro bank or the chance of the dce-box But
we proceed with our tables
Comparative statement crhng value Of imports into the United
Years. Specie and Free goods Dutablo goods. Total