Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-10-11


CIV. WISE has written gu of ha"d-bct
interesting letter, to the President OF the TX
change in Norfolk, which is published 10 Tie
Norfolk Argus, in which he discusses tie
subject of Direct Trade for Virginia, ard
expresses his conviction that the most desl-
rab.e and profitable pian would be 10 estat-
Ijsh steam communication with SOuth amer
ica and the West Indies. In the course vi
his letter, be says:
"A trade WITH Europe is all important, and |
mean not 10 detract IRON the efforts made 10
deveiope and establish IT, But time and I'M
Iaense acquisitions OF capital and d long eIHcd
ton OF merchants associated VIII foreign trade
and the most costly steam navigation, are All
necessary 10 attain the lar oil consunmatlnn OF
direct trade with the ports o! the Cd World.
And the question has always puzzled me wheih'
er We are not attempting 10 put TIE cart oe!"re
the horse in transportation, oy attempting 10
establish lines o! mammoth steamers Ucioie
We have completed our WORKS OF internal im-
provsu!ent. and piled Inc paoulGn oil Commerce
on the quays OF the Chesapeake, Tor rude with
England oil tie continent oi Europe. hat trade
has It's channels, It's connexions abroad, rs ass
Citations at home lis capital located, anG lis ne.-
chants educated. But taere IS another trade
naturally and lesitimateiy ours, and waiting
only ior master merchant 20 mart all us I'm
mems materials, and 10 make us CITY ct Tor
elgn commerce larger IN proloruC" than We
now have capital 10 employ IN It's deEeopm.n
| mean the trade with Soa;n America, tie "es'
Indies Brazil, Buenos Ayres and Paraguay"
lie then proceeds TO show the value Of this
trade-espeeially that Of Brazii-and how ii
could be turned and used to the benefit Of
Virginia, and he concludes by saying:
II. is in nv opinion, no paradox TO say
tina, the way most certain and speedy to get
direct trade with Europe, aud 10 be cur own
importers thence, is TO bend ali our energies
TO our trade with the Yves: ladies and s uta
America, by a commercial steam connection,
and to make the latter bring about the Tor
mer We have all the materials and II re-
maine to be seen whether We have the VII
70 find out the ways. Ooe tblug l must sty
- Let US be ashamed to utter enc mu:mur OF
sectional ieulCuSly against Baltimore, PM.
adeiphs, New York, or Boston. While we
have so much capacity ia ourselves, and yet,
like the fool OF Horace, stand waiting on tue
UaDKs OF stTeSul iDT We atSiS W laSo y
before We cross over. We have wood, iror',
coal. tar, pitch, turpeutine, cotton aud benz !;
and build aud rig ard sail Us ships. We
have four pork, teef, tobacco, salt md cv.-
ry thing to export, erd not merchant to
send i, away and bring lack its return car.
goes. We have exports in abundance, and
strangers have to send then away for US, and
then bring back the returns to porte outside
of cur limits, and we are but the retail shop
keepers ard consumers Of importers 10 other
States. This is not their oppression, 1t is
our fault. We are not educated in foreign
trade. Let me implo,e you TO send some
agents and factors abroad. Send some OF
your sons to Rio de Jsneiro and to ports
everywhere promising to rs foreign trade
Teach scme ore the ways ard means OF Car
ryirg it on If you cane bring the Great
Eastern from Europe, do start eock-boa; to
Rio de Janeiro"