The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-19


NoRrolk. Sep, rs
The steamer Arrow, with q nag of truce.
proceeded to Old Point yesterday carrying
down the captain, mate, aud seven Of the
crew OF the ship John Carver, recently cap
tured by the privateer JET. Davis, and burnt
Al sea, The remainder Of the crew Of the J.
c have been shipped in the Confederate ser
vice. s
There are At anchor In Hampton Roads the
grlgates Minnesota, Wabash and Potomac,
one corvette and several gun boats.
The hotels here con ntinue TO be we'll patron
lzed There il considerable travel on the
railroads terminating here. Occasionally
some troops come in, too, from States a little
further South. ftg-zaf -
In some of the Southern seaport cities ac-
tive measures have been taken, and arrange
nents are in progress, relative to the estab
lshment Of direct foreign trade, a. soon as
the blockade shall be removed, which will be
at no very distant day--rrohably In lees than
three months. IL IL full time, Therefore, that
something should be commenced in this I'm
portant matter in the principal seaport OF
Virginia. CREST deal has been said about
heavy trade between Norfolk and some of the
great commercial ports Of England and the
Continent, and 1t Is almost certain that
proper effort in this respect would be fol-
lowed by decided and very gratifying sue
cess. But her own people must start the
ball. This seems 10 be no time for the prose
cution of commercial enterprises. The great
business of the day is TO prepare to meet and
repel our enemies but while we should not
slacken our exertions TO fill and increase our
ranks upon the tented field, TO man our bat
teries, sink the enemy's ships and sweepaway
the legions who seek our subjugatOn and
ruin, we should prepare TO enter upon an en-.
larged and judicious system Of foreign trade
Measures should be taken 10 stablish agen-
cies-companies should DO formed, capital in
vested and freely risked, ships built, wharf
property bought or engaged. Preliminary
arrangements at least should be made 70 secure
haay 4 N f~va
10 receive such goods in return rs wouid al.
Iact dealers here from the various parts of
the Southern country. This will be q valu.
able means OF defence against yassalage
when the south has suffered long and pa.
tiently, while her capita al has contributed vast
iy In the work OF building merchant palaces
and princely halls in these cities whence
comes now the elsmorous cry. Crush out
the southern rebels-burn the tories hang
the traitors; go and reyel amid the booty and
the beauty" &
Our works of in ternal improvement give Us
connection with the vast and productive re-
stons OF the South, Southwest and West in
Guiding the exhaustless Valley OF the Missis-
sippi while we are at the very outlet OF large
rivers whose source is in the noun tains an d
which pass In graceful meancerings through
rich portions of the Old Dominion and the
Old North State. Here have the road
stead, the harbor, the depth of water, and
the warehouses-and almost within hear
lus OF the ceaseless voice OF the ocean itself
superior natural advantages will not bring
wealth, influence and commercial greatness.
Men must act; capital must be invested:
must be withdrawn from other sources and
put In ocean steamers and clipper shipG and
foreign trade II is time to think about this
matter. and to act, if ii is really desired TO
have here at this Heaven favored location, a
great Virginia seaport city, showing that our
people appreciate the vast advantages be.
slowed by Nature, and are animated by that
eommendable spirit of enterprise and rival
~ that have worked results in other sections
that have astonished the world
There was time when there were extern
tiys ship yards at this port-ali as busy as
they could be-and no heggling about prices
The only question was: How soon can the
work be done? Hundreds of vessels were dis
charging and receiving eargoes, and the streets
and wh6rves We're thronged with busy peg
pie. AS early as 1868 the importations of
virginia, principally of this port. amounted
10 1851 600; and they increased Till the war
and the burning of the town. Then apidly
recovering from the disasters of the Revolu.
ton, as early as 1905, the trade in the last two
quarters of that year, with Europe, the West
lndirs, &c, on lumber, naval stores, tobacco,
prosisions, &c, amounted to 81, ,s52, ss3. This
year transactions in domestic produce
amount 10 s3,0ss ,347, and foreign articles
S5o7, 907.
The number of vessels from foreign ports
entered here in 1900, was 800; l60l 1863; ls02,
+aS; 1904, ASA. The people then possessed, in an
eminent degree, the chivalry Of the CONNER
eial character, and displayed in their bearing
adignity and O grace which looked infinitely
beyond an ignoble rivalry and the tricks OF
the trade But the heavy trade was diverted
10 Northern ports. tFs
With a Just appreciation and judictous i'm =
proTement of our natural advantages an d IA
vorable position, who can foreteu the future
greatness of this port now that the idea that
New York must do the shipping and the i'm
porting has been abolished and IL is found
That those whom the South has enriched and
elevated to untold wealth and influence are
now her worst enemies, and ungratefully and
wickedly seek to subjugate and enslave US
Surely, it is not too soon to unite with other
Houthern cities in the great and important
work OF preparing for an era Of Southern
commercial supremacy. .t