Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-11-14

west seems now TO be about as effectnaily
blockaded as the cotton ports OF the
South. The embargo is not created ny
the presence Of any armed force, but,
strange to say, by the means ordinarily
employed for carrying products to their
market at all the g,eat grain producing
centres, there is an enormous accumula-
ton OF produce that can find no means OF
convey ance to the seaboaTd.
The demand from Europe is equal to
the immediate absorption Of all our sur
plus grain but the supply is held back.
The demand from France has slsckened
somewhat, but there Is every prospect
that it will continue much beyond the
average tor several months to come.
The reports from Great Britain indicate
that We have yet 10 experience heavy
demand from that quarter. The prob
ability is that recent developments dis
cover larger deficiency in the English
crop than was generally anticipated.
The potato crop Of Ireland Is complete
failure, and it will we well If that coun-
try does not suffer from q famine almost
equal in severity TO that which produced
such fearful consequences fourteen years
ago.
Under these circumstances, and with
large demand, too, for our supplies,we
can anticipate nothing less tina" contln-
uaEcc Of heavy drain upon the grana-
ries oithis part Of the country. There IS
every prospect that the demand is to he
heavy, and yot the means Of transporta-
ton are very meagre. Heretofore the
immense products of tho Northwest
have found a ready Quite, ty the way Of
New Orleans, hut that line is Of no pres
cnt use, and we are at a loss to know
when it will he.
We see no other alternative except to
await the action Of the railroads. Even
now the supply in the East is not equal
to the demand. The water route by lake
and canal has in transit not less than tive
millions Of bushels constantly, while the
railroads are doing all they can. But
in short time the water communication
will be cut oil, and then there will be a
blockade in earnest. There will be no
transportation facilities at all excepting
over few railroad lines, and so it must
be until lake aud canal navigation re-
opens in The Spring.
THE result of this is unfortunate for
the w est, and for the whole commercial
community dependent upon',he rising
prosperity Of that section Of the county.
The producer is deprived OF the advan.
tagcs in price that always result from an
active demand; and enormous profits
are realized by the railroad and shipping
make halt the value of his craft by sim
gle trip between Chicago and Buffalo.
The rates Of freight are SO enormous as
to constitute fully five-sixths Of the en-
tire cost of brcadstuffs in New York.
Corn is worth here by the quantity
about 10 cents per busheI in the hands
Of The farmer. While it Is selling to-day
in New York at 50 cents-its value hc.
ing increased seven fold by cost oftrans
portaton. This may DO for one year,
but IT is certain that it will not do for
any length OF time. 1t would be most
rnlnous, both for the East and the West
AZ WELL
If our farmers are to be encouraged
In the realization of what seems to he
their destiny-to become the great grain
producers for Europe as we'll as Ameri-
Gave must have the means Of trans
port increased and cheapenc1 As mat
tiers now stand, the railroads aud the
ship owners are fetching upon the agri-
culturIsis, much to the damage Of the
general commerce of the country.
What will be done in the case re-
mains to be seen. The matter will soon
er Or later, work its own remedy. There
is possibility that the blockade will he
removed from the Mississippi before the
coming Of another harvest, but that is
hardly probable. The picture We have
drawn is not at all pleasing to con;cm.
plate.
Tue AUTHOR OF TIT appears that
the startling paragraph in the las, num-
Der OF the New York Independent, stat
ing on what purportcd to be unqnes-
tiouabc authority that Secretary Sew
ard was convinced that the European
powers were about to recognize the
Southern Confederacy, and that the AID.
ministration at Washington would con
sequently soon do the same, was the
work Of a Wall street stock iobber
whose object was rich speculation in
buying up Government securities at re
duced prices.
The lying scamp has been arrested
and is now prisoner in Fort Warren
and all the political and amy specula