The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-14

colduce to the public benefit or to the private
happiness of the parties.
Another South. I'm Commercial Convention
ARaIe ChaNee for a Good B~sg~in.
Our numerous readers, and especially those
directly interested in the coasting trade between
the North and the South, will find an interest
ing Southern manifesto among the general mat
tiers of news which we publish to-day. 1t is
manifesto issued to "the people Of the Southern
and Southwestern States by the committee
appointed at the Knoxville Southern CONNER
eial Convention Of 1857, inviting the "men of
the South to turn out and send full delegations
Of their nOblest sons" to the convention which
is to be held in Montgomery, Alabama, on the
10th day of May next.
It will be observed that the special object put
forth by the committee in behalf Of these talk
ing conventions is the preparation Of the South
for the dreaded contingency of disunion. In
view of this contingency which the committee
seem TO regard az inevitable, and only al
question of time they plead that the first thing
to be done is to make the South independent of
Northern ships and Yankee shippers by es-
tablishing direct and self sustaining commerce
between the Southern States and foreign nations.
To this end the committee confess that very
little as yet has been accomplished by these
conventions; but that still they have paid all
expenses in thu Union which they have pro-
duced among Southern men in defence of South
ern rights, cost what it may. We are assured,
however. that this forthcoming convention
"will not consider the question OF disunion, or
any question tending to produce that result"
but that off we succeed in restoring the com
mercial independence Of the South, aud build
up our own towns and enrich our own people,
by our own means, which now build up aud en-
rich Others" II will be enough, even though
tlisunion should follow close behind.
Very we'll. Perhaps We can aid these com
mercial regulators in their great undertaking
Of revolutionizing the laws Of trade. We have
certainly no objection to bring the project to a
practical experiment 90 soon as possible, and in
this view we have hint or two to submit
which may he of the highest practical value to
this grand gathering in May of our Southern
commercial philosophers.
The Convention at Knoxville appointed the
Hon. William Ballard Preston, of Virginia,
special messenger to Europe in behalf of Mr..
A. Dudley Mann's grand project of line of
stupendous steamers between England and Nor
folk He was thus authorized to enter into ne
gotiations for trial trip of the great steamship
Leviathan to Norfolk, merely by way of show
ing the practicability of his plan of line of
vessels to that port, each Of twenty or thirty
thousand tons Having failed, however, in di-
folk, Mr.. Preston wisely concluded that France
would perhaps be better field for bis main en-
terprise than England. The result was a contract
with the Paris and Orleans Railway Company
for line OF four steamers, of twenty five hun.
dred tons each, to ply between the mouth of the
Loire and Norfolk: capital i've millions, one
half to be furnished on each side Of the Allan
tic &c. The company, in pursuance OF this
contract, has been chartered by the Virginia
Legislature and nothing is now wanted 20 put
the scheme into full blast except the money and
the steamers.
Now. then we propose to this approaching
Southern Commercial Convention Of the mo
best sons of the South, first, that instead Of long
speeches, high sounding resolutions and empty
distractions, they proceed to practical effort
TO raise the money and the steamers for this
Southern initiative Norfolk experiment Of d.
rect trade Secondly, that after raising hand
some sum of money, cash down, the Convention
shall send competent agent or committee to
New York to buy the Collins steamers. There
60 t1,, IL fbo Dof
the crack ship the Adriatic--three Of the
largest, swiftest, strongest and most beautiful
steamers in the world. They are in the market
they are all ready for sea; but they are all
| lying idle at the foot of Canal street, the line
having proved dead loss from the niggavdly
economy Of Congress in regard TO the postal
service.
These splendid steamers, cash down. we doubt
not, can be bought now al great bargain; aud
only think Of the advantages 10 Southern direct
trade Of a line of such steamers, all complete,
and ready TO sail at a days notice, as compared
with the slow operation Of binding new steam
ers of an inferior size and quality at greater
| cost. ard of dead loss Of two years, perhaps
&C valuable time. We admon.h our Southern
fricnds, too. that in this matter there Is danger
in delay The mercantile men OF that IN
land fresh water port, called Philadelphia,
arc cn ,be alert. and talk with very confident
air Of buying the Collins line to run up The ~,
lauare in tho summer season, and to New Nsbrl
- ,ho winter. when the Delaware is frozcp up
W, trcv. zoo, that sou1c of tbose Phila1elpbjl