The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-01
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY. NOVEMBER /. 1858.

Tho London Cotton Plant warmly advocates a
nro;oct now on foot for establishing direct trade
,,;tb tbe South by means of the Galway line of
steamers. The plan, proposed, contemplates
tI,e establishment of Daily Steam Ferry between
Galway in Ireland, and ST. Johns in New Bruins
wick with coasting Steamers continually plying
between the Southern ports and st. Johns to act
az fooders TO what may be termed the main trunk
line In this connection, the advantages present.
od nv the Port of Baltimore have been thought
fully. if not judicously, considered. "We have
eteverv reason to believe" says The Cotton rant,
tstbot one of the first efforts in this new direction,
ttwl he TO connect the Chesapeake with ST. Johns.
nSteqmrS- that is TO say codsting steamers-sta't-
tj0g from BALTIMORE and touching at Nort0tk, routd
tscpJrace interests sufficiently important, coneen-
s4rqted upon one enterprise to alone sustain Inc O
"Earopcqn Steamers" We pause here, for a mo-
ment. to remark, that while we entirely coincide
with The Cotton Plant in the opinion 1t expresses
of the ability of Baltimore and Norfolk combined,
to sustain line of European steamers, and have
50 stated, on more than one occasion, in the col
umns of THE EXCHANGE, we cannot perceive the
advantage to be derived from carrying, by coast
ing steamers, our exports TO st. johns, and OF
bringing thence our imports, when we are, as The
Cotton Plant admits abundantly able to sustain
line of European steamers from our own wharves.
Certainly, if we, alone, can sustain line from st.
Johns, we can do it equally well at home, and all
the machinery of coasting steamers is therefore
worse than useless Nor do we very clearly see
how we should be any better circumstanced, by
exporting and importing gia st. Johns, than by
continuing to do the same thing by way OF New
York. If the choice lay between the two ports,
we should unquestonably give the preference to
New York; not only because it is an American
port but also, for the equally cogent reason that
it is within easy reach by sail, and that the dam
gers attendant upon long coasting voyage would
be avoided. When, therefore, The Cotton Plant
urges upon the people of Baltimore and Virginia,
who are in favor of direct trade with the South,
TO throw the weight of their influence ''into CO.
t'operatiou with the Galway and st. Johns enter
''prise,' we must beg leave TO say, that, however
we'll intentioned the advice may be, it is, never
theless, practically mischievous and ought not to
be followed. We perfectly agree with THE Cotton
Punt, when it states that Baltimore possesses
Citation, or entry, for European goods" and we
believe, also, that if a proper degree of energy
was displayed, by our merchants and capitalists,
she might "supplant New York as the importer
of the Southern States" but this can never be
done by counenancing the plan proposed for this
purpose by the owners of the Galway steamships.
All that we should accomplish in such case,
would be merely diversion of our present indi-
rect trade with Europe from New York to st.
Johns. So far as direct communication with Eu-
rope is concerned, we should thus be more remote
from attaining our object than ever, and we as
suredly have no desire to build up the port of ST.
Johns at the expense of that of New York,
though we are certainly anxious that ''the expor-
Citations and importations Of the Tobacco and
''Cotton States should seek a point of concentra-
''tion on the Chesapeake" In whatever aspect
we may view this Galway project, it is perfectly
evident that it is by no means adapted to carry
out the system of direct trade which is now being
warmly advocated at the South, and, although
it appears to be taken for granted, that we will
eagerly accord to it the support demanded, it is
manifest that we cannot give any encouragement
TO an enterprise which, if not wholly visionary
and impractcabe, would, at least, render US quite
as tributary to the port Of st. Johns, as we now
are to the port of New York. If we are to form
ga direct trade alliance with the Cotton States, :"
it must be on a very different basis from that
which The Cotton Plant urges us TO accept
If the Galway Company really desire to
offer to the South the advantages of direct COM
munication with Europe, they have only to make
the Chesapeake one of the termni of their line of
ocean steamers, and the object would at once be
accomplished To admit that Baltimore and Nor
folk, by cooperating together furnish coasting
steamers with sufficient freight to sustain line of
ocean steamers sailing from st. Johns, is to admit
that they could sustain line of ocean steamers
sailing from the Chesapeake, and if their ability to
do this can be practically demonsrated-as we
firmly believe it can't necessarily follows that
the Chesapeake, and not St. Johns, is the natural
and appropriate terminus. When therefore, The
C0ton Plant refers to the fact that the Virginia
railways will concentrate at Norfolk the trade and
travel, not only of that State, but of some por-
tons of North Carolina, and Tennessee and Ken
lucky; while the products of the West and north
west already reach this city the Baltimore and
tempts to argue from thence that it is interest
to become tributary to st. Johns, Or as it more
delicatey phrases it, 'to cooperate with the Gal
f'way and st. Johns enterprise - we feel on the
contrary, that our interest admonishes us to turn
our attention to an ocean steam line of our own;
or, if not Of our own to line sailing direct from
Baltimore to Europe, touching at Norfolk going
and returning. The scheme proposed is not to be
commended. 1t seems, however, that it is not
only seriously entertained, but that certain parties
in favor of it are sanguine of inducing harmony of
action, with regard to it, between Baltimore and
the Virginia cities and that the matter will be in
PRODUCED to the attention of our merchants at an
early day. We can only repeat what we have
already said, and what must be obvious enough to
our readers. The Galway plan contempates moth
ing more than the transfer of our present indirect
trade from the port of New York, 10 port much
more remote and inaccessible To call it project
for direct trade between the South and Europe is
an absurdity, and weare surprised that The Cotton
Plam should have undertaken to advocate so warm
y movement, which, if carried out, would only
tend to fasten upon US still more strongly those
very shacliles from which we are striving to free
ourselves