Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-11-19
FOR THE uzioS AID knsaicaE.
Direct Trade with EurOpes
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I
terminus. Much Of the trade betvxt this and France
is now carried indirectly through Liverpool, London and other
foreign markets outside Of France consequently the tables o.
Imports and exports viii furnish but prOzats idea u the
amount Of trade carried between the two countries
notice Of hecommsrce with France wedssire to address
particularly the Railroad Of the South and
to show the Important bearing which that trade viii have upon
these interests It may safely assumed that line Of Ocean
Steamers has yet been suggested that would contribute gener
ally promoting the interests Of Southern Railroads as that
Norfolk VA St. Nazare, in France. We freely admit
that direct trade Norfolk Richmond South America
would be important In local point Of view the benefits Of such
extend to Western Virginia and upper East
Tennessee. But the the West, gaerdy, would be
slightly the that the heavy products Of
South America will always reaeh the Mississippi Valley through
the Gulf ports and along nayigabe rivers, as the Cheapest
and direct OF No western trader would tnk
Of procuring his supplies Of coffee Norfolk Richmond,
over long line Of Railroad when the article could BE
shipped from Orleans Mobile perhaps one fourth the
Of transportation. Fe therefore, more extended trade
with South America desirable hoped scheme Of that kind
wnot be substituted for that Will enlist the support and
contribute interest every avehodng State in the
Union.
It is sad that nearly two thirds Of the finer articles Of French
import ere consumed Southern States Why we ask
should articles be shipped to Southern ports and BY
means Of canals railroads the dereut portions
Of the sou,h and West7 Why New hepadtO furnish
these supplies and why transport upon Northern railroads,
which are not more ready many them 10 freight Southern goods
for the sake OF money than they carry Southern slaves
] as pledge Of devotion 70 Northern philanthropy?
Let any well nformelman examine The list Ct costly and Light
articles imported from France and he E at South
ern railroad companies are deeply Interested the Of the
proposed line The freghts Of wheat -four Indian
corn rice bacon lard tobacco ard cotton would o! necessity
be greatly Eoreed while the railroad trains would return 70
interior empty they toe often are but laden with
such foreign goods might be called for BY the wants and uH
/ rles Of our people.
The Treasury statement shows that exports France for
the year ending Both Of June, ls5 upwards Of 81 mil
lions dollars much larger export trade than to any other
country except England There exported during that year
about $50 valued in round numbers,
at . millions dolarsIO thousand hogheais Of tobacco at
about one million OF aoars-pwards Of eleven hundred hOus
and bushels Of wheat thousand barrels Of four valued
at nearly millions Of dosrss30 thousand gallons
Of spirits from grain worth upwards Of half mil
lion dollars; besides large quantities Of Indian corn rice ba
con lard etenang aggregate value Of nearly thirty
millions dollars These articles will be remarked are pn-
epaIly furnished South West, and Will give some
idea Of the export trade with France large por'
ton Of these products are no from Southern lines Of
roads transit to the ocean, which would pass over them
II the necessary facilities furnished from Southern ports
1 viii not stop argue whether Cotton will be carried from
Memphis to Norfolk; this will depend upon the Inducements
held out at the latter place. and upon the reasonable charges OF
railroad companies i be out Of Paoe however, TO re
marx that within past months than twenty thousand
bales of cotton shipped from Memphis New York by
and more oircutous route than that to Norfolk.
But the import trade France would, believed promote
more essentially the interests Of Southern railroads than would
the export that country The Of French i'm.
ports year 1857 may placed, in round NUMBERS at IS
mionsof dollars cotton fabrcsuch veyets, hosiery, sees
piece goods etc. Of about millions Of dollars
silks and worsted goods kinds about IA
millions dollars and the wines and brandes to five and half
Millions We stop ascertain the aggregate value Of
many important articles that figure in the list Of French
imports-thes show that while the wines and bran
dies and other heavy imports such wooden goods manufc
lures Of IRON Brass etc., will furnish ample tonnage At least
oasHayf udIue steamers cargo would consist Of light
and costly such merchon would prefer to ship
the interior by railroad. Without than limiting
this peculiar feature French trade appeal the good
Of railroad whether there other country
the globe which the South open direct trade that would
50 certainly promote her railroads Articles Of
French manufacture be remarked would generally
character Of express goods and the cost of railroad
transportation would be hing compared their market value
steamers, such have attempted to advocate,
would than ent bind the raj road system Of the
south imperial France, and unite the two in
It would he the rt decisive step towards Com
mercal Independence for the SOUTH it would open in fact
artery trades commerce, and travel whose pulsa
alike in the Of Europe and the distant
trading points the Mississippi Valley. In advocating this
great Ocean connection, friends not influenced, they
trust by wild and visionary theories but by practical and COM
mon sense view the sect II is they have not taught
roG contamination but the c0HtrGTg they coDsdeTi
within the grasp Of Southern enterprise essential the pres
cnt wants and necessities the Southern people Let tbe
derstood that West, the advocates Of direct trade
with Europe have not much dreamed Of engaging man
in that project than they have Of
the necessity of employing the same class Of vessels to trans
port coffee hides from the distant ports Of South Amer
lea They Southern Of such dimensions
only as are requ carry successful trade with Europe,
these supplied in such Numbers may be called for
/ by the itself
We do not precisely understand what by the doctrine
that "a long course education of merchants, associated with
foreign trade necessary to them carry Buro
pean commeJoe,-s pszled to comprehend the
necessity Of engaging South direct foreign trade with
country essential qualification for carrying il with
another believed that merchants we'll qualified
products the South Europe and to receive in
change such country needs they are 70 make
their exchanges in York Boston, and thereby yield
those entire profits Of direct European trade We
should really like informed what the mysteries Of Eu-
pean trade that they cannot compreheuded Southern
merchants or outlay OF that places 1t
beyond reach of Southern capl7 1t true that European
channels connections abrsd, its associations at
home and its capital located" furnish powerful
argument why south should seek at establish trade
with country, which invited by many strong
peas Shall still delay and prOcrasnate when
the caDl the manufactures, the Europe
santly invite and intimate aocations
Itwoud be simple process admit the Richmond trader
to exchange for Rio coee-equaly simple however,
would Tim barter cargo Of Tennessee cotton for
supply Of French and slkbut in neither can he
operate successfully furnished with the ~ Ocean IA
cilities.
Give him the advantages Of Ocean Steamers and his capital
will be better than gold will Of the rich and
rei production West These productions will
constitute credit European houses and viii never
fail to procure a and cordial reception.
We already that Coonal TiygiHia carried
direct Europe neither had her merchants any
New York. been trained educated for the
purpose in other preparatory schools At that period
Norfolk enhroned the Queen Of Western Commerce-but
oag the streee Of deeTsd-decay marked upon
her dwelling places noble rbor is unrued
BY the movements Of trade descendants of merchant
princes l7ecdtsd the mysteries Of trade simply because
they lack the spirit enterprise that animated their fathers The
absence Of this leading element what not only ruined
Norfolk CirgUay transferred the negroes aud cotton
fields Of the South to thrifty enrpng people Of
the North.
As sir it was Old Dominion that the movements ofWest
ern civilization we're first in her halls that the
language American freedom first Utereas she has al
ways proudly stood forth political ssmram Of States in de-
fence Of constitutional rights be hoped she will
er in leading the way Southern commercial Independence,
by at once defeating advantages which God has given
the common interest Of ALL the chilling
ton from her midst genius Of Southern Commerce yet
in its stsadfag clothes, that contracted localized policy
must be established speies of gocart in which to train its
infant steps before it walk forth into the great