Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-09-27
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
fDEFERRED ARrICLE.l

lbEFEhhED AkFiCLE.l
The SourH Pacific TRADE One who closely
notes the history Of the proceedings of Congress
can hardly fail to comprehend that the almost ex
clnsive attention of large proportion of the menu
bers To part zan politics and the duty Of keep ng
themselves individually right side mp with care
In the estimation of the dear people, preclude
sufficient attention to the general Industrial inter-
'sts Of the country, to the extent Of well nigh
tirsiy ignoring their importance, The history of
the legislation upon the subject of steam on the
ocean an American means of availing Amer
lean enterprise Of our various advantages, con-
eerning which we have frequently communed
with the Stars readers, will be remembered as a
glsring example of the disposition Of Congress to
shirk the duty of devoting It's tune and talents to
the eauSe Of the material public Interests.
Congress has thus clearly sacrificed the Ameri
can-EurOPean carrying trade. and it has entirely
ignored the importance of using our California
acquisition advantages to secure the South Pacific
carrying trade. that might easily have been made
Of almost as much value TO the maritime interest
Of the United States, our European carrying
trade was before Congress threw ii away as we
have repeatedly explained. Thus, the acquisition
of California, so far Is oceanic commerce In con-
eerned, has merely secured to the commercial IN
terests Of the Atlantic coast the increased CON-
California and Oregon and Washington Territory,
growing out of the existence Of our navigation
laws passed long before nine tenths Of the present
generatiOno Of members of Congress saw the light
as public men. Our Atlantic side commerce with
the South Pacific has hardly increased sensiblv an
an effect Of the growth of American interests In
California, while We do no more Of the general
carrying trade of the South Pacific than II Cali
fOrnia was English, rather than American
But we will lei the New Orleans Pienyun.
explain how the glorious opportunity has been
thrown away, as follows:
The SOUTH PACIFIC TRADE II is authoritative
Iy stated that the Pacific Steam Navigate on Con
pany (Engiish) have on the stocks two new steam
ships, destined for the trade in the South Pacific
These, with those already in act We service will
l5OO tons burthen. on this line Most Of them.
too. are screw steamers, firmly built with the
latest Improvements, and every way adapted To
the peculiar service in which they are engaged
And yet We, Americans who boast 50 much of
the rightful preemfnencs Of American commerce
on this side the Atlantic at least have not single
steamer in those waters.
These may be humiliatng facts and vet they
are true and teach Us n true lesson While we
have been talking, and that too vaguely, OF our
Just political supremacy in Spanish America and
mixing ourselves up VITA all the rYanescent auas
uOns those countries know too well how 20 raise
England has been acting. and that, too, sagaci-
ously. vigorously and successfully. Almost he
fore we knew II. she has built ip In the s.,ulS,
seas, effectualy to monopolire H. an in
mensely lucrative trade, which Is daily growi,,g
richer and more Important.
And Yet. 10 is hut on repeated lesson We
s-en. indeed, rs u people, % have q .p.e ial fae-
uity Of deceiVing ourselves In sura msssrs tits
not want Of ambition, nur want Of srI.rpfixs nor
vet sSactlY want Of Judgment, b.. father those
national tastes, PrrpozszzOas prs ,usiir.s ~ yau
Will. which a. efrctuallY h-ss the Judgment
STRAY fsw years ago, Zoe - .ncs we lad ".
frs,d to - thr supremacy ~ the Atianth- <V.
Started ont msgnihcently. Low nlaybi frsntlv and
how foolishly, thr splsnd Talaces which, after
three Years ol idens-S. have Jlst been s,,il Tor
',n- fouTth their Ofi stIaI cost trti too .,laialy
Ne thought the S.efld was % De caught with
glare, aud only armed toe late tina, il wa faf
Iisuf~ t-naslOus al tltG ssiblsat modest ii us
winch ~as OT az afahi tieus Of d,isg UiainIx b,,,
we'll, 'Sba; q stismPssd and YET keep pace with
The bra.eSs oi TIE day, now controls the trade
and tfsSsi of ihs Atlantic
And t2e same We se- to-day al the south Of u.-
iu ar o~a SstsFs - 10 were where we nosninAlly
'l1iu sy virtue II hereditary doetfine, ri sltfai
suprruiaGy y While we have been clasiKR n shad
Uw- England haS seized upon th@ substance Grant
that We have been successful. aad hay. actually
Nhdi'a ati oif I-'litiral supremacy la Central and
>.Hth Ana"fica-ShlCh, by the way, with such a
p~eple. aulogHtz TO bot little-En land has pfse-
tlealya and lsrR'speRtly established herselfthsrsig
Tea great sisahfsrs In the South Pacific, another
great ne ecsSi ng tie SOathrfn Continent IA the
Caribbean S-s, snd good share Of the Msrtean
ssa West India trade, tliess are the fruits of he,
psiteys while We have been chasing up the phan.
toa.s q political power In those countries, and to
What pgTyOsei
- high time there was a change In cur policy
Ia tbs Tsspect. both a Government snd a ueol
pc We have EeceRtiy EeBt oct special iaixsieas
10 tsfss eountries-ws always have representa-
tive- therssH-bat what do they do or what aFs
th@y Instructed 20 do bat ~ follow up some poIIt-
teal idsas, e"aarivsd al Washington, and which,
~ pSa1tlcaolc. would be - Hs Of no real yalae
ha'~Nsr " lat, new we really want IL r.prs-
sshatves who are practically aequsIutcd with
''e actual resources OF The Southern cont nent and
tie nse4hs OF developing ihsfB, aud who la se tins
Industry and The taIeni % make tbsla known "a
TIE Peolae And aa the part Of the people we
WaHi less saik ahoat political supsoEnaey and the
vague Questions allied thereto, and more well a.
fvzted actton In th0Ss rich fields u eommercs
~hi,h VIII practic ally give Is real supremacy on