Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-13
Fresh View of the Southern Notion OF
Direct Trade.

From the Paris Opinion Rationale, June 10.
The theory of a direct commerce between
Europe and the slave states, rests upon an idea
which at first sight appears as simple as seduc-
tive: The planters OF the south send us each
year cotton, tobacco, and rice, of the value of
a thousand millions of francs and every year
they purchase of the northern states manufac-
| tured articles, grain, corn, furniture, machine.
ry, and agricultural implements nearly equal
to that amount. If the confederation of the
south consolidate ITSELF ard obtains a recogni.
ton of its Independence, she will entertain tor
the north an unconquerable repugnance, and
will supply herself in our markets with what
size has always purchased at New York Bos.
ten, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Chicago
But the first condition, before dreaming of
direct trade, viii be that the slave states are
able to establish an independent nation.
But this condition 1t is absolutely impossi
bic 10 fulfill. They have not a homogene-
Gus population, nor identit. of interests,
nor resources sufficient TO superadd to the gen
eral expenses of government those of numer.
Gus army and a navy. The act of separation
itself has ruined in foreign countries the credit
OF the slave states, and has caused fall of
forty per cent in the value of their property.
All the public works are suspended. Texas.
which has no navigable rivers, finds the press
ing necessity of establishing a vast network
of railways twenty-five millions of dollars
appropriated to the development of these "iron
roads in this state, would, in five years, have
produced an increase of wealth to the extent
OF two hundred and fifty millions. 1t has very
recently sent one OF its most eminent citizens
to Europe, Mr.. V X. Stevenson, to contract a
loan for the Pacific Railroad. This gentle
man, well received in England, was on the
point OF there realizing his hopes when the
news of the secession of Texas reachad Eu-
rope. The negotiations were broken off. In
the evening before he had been offered mil.
lions; ON the morrow he could not raise sin.
gle dollar.
Does the Commerce of expectation" in
England and France possess a more robust"
confidence than "high finance, and will ii be
ready to give long credits 20 the planters of
the south Assuredly not. And moreover.
the partsans OF direct trade forget that nine
tenths OF the articles consumed in the south
are produced or manufactured in the north
and delivered at price much cheaper than
their cost in Paris and London. They suppose
the south very rich-it is comparatively very
poor, and if it imports but little of European
merchandise, it is because its relative poverty
does not permit it TO consume more. Europe
has almost nothing to offer ii at prices suffi.
ciently low. Many southern Journals admit
this themselves. 1--WE ought" says the Au-
gusla Georgia. Chronicle, "to continue our
inquiry at the north for all its manufactured
articles, because nowhere else can they be OBJ.
tanned at such low prices. 1t is great error
to suppose that Europe can supplant the north
in our markets."
1t results from information casually cleaned
from the commercial journals of the south, !,
that all the slave states, with the exception ri
Maryland, Missouri ard Delaware, consume
but one hundred and sixty millions of frames
of European productions, whereas the/states
Of the north consume one thousand Eree hun.
dred millions.
In a country where individual liberty i, alb.
solule, where commerce is everywhere subiec
ted 10 uniform regulations, wherej no port is
favored to the injury Of anotherI the move
ment of exchanges establishes ifself by reason
of the facilities which navigation offers, and
above all in proportion to the{ wants of the
population, 1t is absurd to SSfetend that, com.
mereally, arbitrary will csAl SO prevail as that
any one part of a county shall succeed in
y whsrc nm the oiher seeks every
pfonls. 80 While SLIPS seek to load with cot.