The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-06-11
silver.

silver.
The Boston Daily 4dUrtser devotes q
portion Gifts leading column on Monday to
description of the subjectof the recent dis
covery of the Washoe silver mines, in con-
nection with the question, what disposition
shall be made of all this wealth, so as to
promote most fully the prosperity of our own
country The Advertiser says;
What will be done with all his silver p
If it is left to old channels of commerce, it
is not difficult to see where it will go. The
current will carry it down to The lslhmus,
and up TO New York, across the Atlantic
to Liverpool, thence by devious course
through the Mediterranean, he Red Sea
and the Indian Ocean to the original vortex
which has for so many years ben absorbing
silver and exciting the uneas. wonder of
political economists and fnalciers. We
know of no reason TO doubt that the Wash
oe silver viii follow this course and thus if
this vast wealth has no exemption from the
general lot of silver bullion, tie question
comes up, whether it cannot re made to
render some service by the way, besides
paying freights and liberal commissions TO
the English bankers?
The California press has applied itself to
this problem, with a ready adaptation to
changed circumstances, such as night well
be initiated in the older parts of ihe country.
Their solution is a simple one--so simple
that it is hard to believe that it does not
point to radical change in tie paths of
commerce. They propose to turn the cur
rent of silver from East TO Yves instead OF
sending it through crooked channel across
two hundred and ten degrees Of longitude
10 send it by direct course across one hun
dred and fifty degrees; instead Of shipping
silver to the East Indies via London, in
British vessels and through bnkers and
commercial houses, to send it il American
ships and through American agents, direct
ly to its ultimate purchasers and instead
of paying to England the commission which
she now earns as the banker of he world,
to save the large charges now pad by US in
this department of trade.
81 The scheme is sufficiently comprehensive
aud novel, but it has some striking claims
10 our attention and respect. Tn fact that
the discovery of the Washoe MINIS has oc-
Cured simultaneously with the ,pening of
Japan to the commerce of the Western IA
lions, and with movements which will in
evitably lead to an extension of he inter-
course and trade of these nations with
China,sis not merely foftuitous. This pro-
videntia1 coincidence has given usat once
a broad field for the extension Of our
trade-thes broadest perhaps yet opned in
the history Of commerce-but it has given
us also the means by which to avail our
selves of this wonderful opportunity to ad-
vance our prosperity and growth We ask
our readers to consider for a monet the
probable approach of the day when China
and Japan shall be large consumes of
American products, and hold a most inpor-
tant place in our commercial relations and
when we shall have steam lines fl on our
Pacific coast to oriental ports--and effect
whether we can then afford, with the means
in our hands for managing our own 1usi-
ness, to leave its control to other, or
whether, with this vast field now open and
the resources by which to improve is ad-
vantages now niFaculously at hand, We can
afford 0y inaction or delay to leave others
to enter 1t before ourselves, and assume
position which will enable them to control
and tax our new commerce.
81 As it IS now, our trade with the British
East Indies and China produces heavy an
nuai balance against US. We cover tbs by
shipments of specie to England wher9 the
balances of the world are offset and iqui-
dated We now buy goods aud ship our
bullion to pay for them, but are forced to
put our trade, 10 great extent, under the
control of an interest which is often and
perhaps generally adverse. If the Washoe
silver takes the direction anticipated, we
shall buy goods and ship bullion the same
as ever, bat shall have mo third party in
tervening, TO take his intermediate profit
and control our business. The Importance
of such change, to & branch of commerce
which to all appearances is now only in its
infancy, need hardly be explained. ~