Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-12-18
Thn shining Interest

The depression Of The shipping interest,
which has been 30 conspicuous a feature ia
the worlds for many months past,
continues, and it is difficult to ~foretell when
this apathy will give way to a more healthy
condition Of affairs. The absence Of any de-
mand Of moment for cur brsadstGS-akFead,
and the comparatively small imports from
Great Britain and the Continent, bear with
pressing severity upon owners Of large vessels,
and most Of the regular " liners" have been
withdrawn and despatched South to load cot
ton for European ports. Il Is fortunate that
The receipts Of cotton al the South have been
large, thus a~fordiBg employment for an i'm
mense feet Of ships, which otherwise would
have been idle. True, he rates Of freight
ruling at the South leave little OF no profit,
after deducting the incidental expenses, par
t~icularly IS it is next to impossible to procure
return freights; but in accepting them, ship
owners act upon the maxim that q half a loaf
is better han no bTead.o Those whose sbips
are of on long voyages are more fortunate
than others, whose tonnage is lying idle at
hone, though the depression extends IN q
greater or less degree to every part Of the
world where employment il afsrded for ship
ping. The general tone among our msrchants,
however, is one OF hope rather than despond-
ency, and the feeling Is prevalent that early in
the ensuing year the cloud which has 90 long
hung over this great interest will be d~ispellsd
As between Great Britain and the ContiRent
and our Northern States, the cream ct the
carrying trade, which we have heretofore con
tTolled, ls rapidly passing inte the bands Of
foreigners. l. has been coHclusively demon
stratsd that propellers are decidedly the best
class Of vessels for the emigrant and passenger
trade, and tie fleet Of screw steamer now
running between the Old World and the New
are all built and owned abroad, mostly 10 EGG
land. British activity and sagscity are thus
rapidly circumventing Us IN the struggle for
maritime SUPREMACY, our merchants being
either unable or unwilling 10 offer any det r
mined opposition. The development Of we'll
matured plans for dividing with US, if not alb
~s0lutely controlling, the advantages a~ccruibg
from our most fortunate position midway be-
tween the progressive and the stationary races
Of the Old World, exhibits mes. foTcibly The
scope, The energy and vitality Of English
st~atesmaRship.
While e0nteRding with India 10 revolt, aud
breaking down the walls Of Chinese eNclu-
s~iyeness, England has found plenty Of time to
consider and mature plans for extending it's
commercial relations, in order 10 afford in
creased employment for its vast mercantile
marine. This is certainly humiliatiug to Amer
lean pride, and ought to be an incentive to re-
newed eXeTtiOns on our part in this race for
maTatime supremacy.
The sectional jsalousies, the short-sightsd,
narrow-minded policy which our representa-
tivss In Congress have heretofore exhibited 10
regard to the ocean mail service, the national
advantages of which are actually beyond cal
c~ulation, are sufficient to create a degree Of
contempt for American politics and American
politicians. While the eternal battle over the
slavery question sets North and South, East
and Wesg at logger-hesds, aud the din Of con-
hict fills the land about a matter that mere
laws Of trade, emigration, production aHd eli
mate are settling, and will control, whatever
may be The specuiatious and wishes OF rival
parties, England steps in to take the great
Commercial advantages guaranteed to this
Union out of It's possession, and is rapidly
building a trade that must inevitably become
lucrative beyond all calculation, IL not speed
lily check-mated. A little more energy Of pur-
pose aud prompt action at the right moment,
infused into our Government, would wonder
fully change the aspect Of affairs.
Our treaty with China inspires a hope that
the shipping interest will, ere long, reap i'm
pOrtant advantages from the opening Of the
i've new ports In the Celestial empire, and We
fully believe that they are destined to be real
lied. For years past, in the Chinese and In
dian seas, there has been a struggle for COM
mercial ascendancy among the shipping na-
lions Of the world. England, as usual, sue
ceeded IN obtaining the largest share, but the
proximity OF the Russians, and our nearness
on the Pacific coast to the Chinese, renders
the Russians and Americans anxious not to
be behind their fOrmidabls British rival.
At present our imports from the Celestial
largely exceed our exports. Oar i'm
ports consist principally of teas and silks, the
Of the former being about thirty five
TO forty millions pounds annually. Thus far
our products bave bad a small market IN China.
manufactures are the principal goods
We scnf there, with sOme -four, provisions.
manufactures Of iron, &c. What will be the
increase of trade with a tree market remains
10 be seen but the increase with Eve ports
open over what it was when we were limited
10 Canton, indicates hat when we can have
access TO four hundred and tWeuty-fy mil
lions Of people for the purchase and sale of
must increase at a
-apid ratio. The Chinese have a variety Of
and manufactures that the Western
world needs and must Lave, and what may be
ne capacity of the country TO produce, Il is
impossible to say. We can see what the in
,rease Of the tea trade is in this fact, that at
he commencement Of the last c~eatuTy Great
Britain and America did not consume more
han i've hundred pounds, where sixty million
POUNDS does not now suffice, aud Jet the prices
lave Of late years been on the decline. So Il
nay be with many other articles OF consump-
ion We export there, when all the harbors are
.ppr0achable, all The rivers open to our small
RATS and steamers, and the markets Of the
Interior elites visited by Europeans. OF the
essels employed in the Chinese waters, it was
estimated that 1891 were English,
TIE United States had but Az Our yes
are generally too large for many Of the
,hinese ports, and much Of the c~Oasting trade
, now done BY the Portuguese, in small craft,
Thile our ships that trade in those waters sTer-
e seven or eight hundred tons. When We
ONE 70 have vessels adapted 10 the China
alters, and the mutual wants and habits of
be parties are known to each other, We shall
nd not only the direct trade between this
0untTy and China greatly augmented, but be-
that country and Japan, FormOss, siam
nd other countries, for which the Chinese
be charterers. We certainly look for much
Improvement in those ports that shall be ad
autseeous to all hstions.-Neg YsTk Shipping