The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-11-02
St4.824 900

| OF these vessels, the Sumter captured
Twenty seven; the Alabama, sixty four: th'
EFIorida, twenty-five; the Tacony, fifteen
the Georgia, eight, and the remainder by
the smaller vessels in the Confederate ser
vice. The most valuable vessels and car.
goes we're captured by the Alabama and
Florida e. a
Such is the ruin inflicted upon our com-
merce by two wooden vessels, which are
supplied and recruited from the captures
they make, and which ares still cruising with
impunity On the other hand, the United
States have spent over one hundred and
fifty millions Of dollars building and equip,
ping vessels, of which ninety-eight o
yainly consume coal in Charleston harbor
The mere capture of one hundred aud
seventy eight vessels, large as the number
is, is but1a small part of the damage 10
hicted upon our commerce. The commerce
of the United States was formerly carried
on in American vessels, because they were
the fastest and cheapest vessels IN which to
transport goods. The moment the Gov
ernment was unable to protect the flag,
these advantages were centralized, and
freights sought foreign bottoms. The in
surers charge now two per centum extra
upon all shipments in American vessels to
Great Britain three per centum to ports in
the Mediterranean; five per centum to In
dia, and proportionate figures in other di-
.rections. The consequence is, that all the
maritime Powers of Europe divide our
trade amsng them. d As an example,: In
1860. there arrived here twelve Danish yes
sells of two thousand and thirteen tuns bur
den.r In, the present. year, thus. far, there
have arrived, under that flag, eighty one
vessels of twenty-five thousand seven hun
drsd and seventy-seven tuns burthen, earn
ing freiehts that cannot be trusted under
the United States flag 1t is not thelsmere
arriving of foreign vessels, however, that
indicates the extent OF the eVil but the
freights which the vessels carry. The fol-
lowing figures show the value OF goods, I'M
ports and exports, carried in the last quar-
ter of the fiscal year 1863 as compared with
the same quarter in 1861:
Foreipn American
1860 w S30,9l8S5l s62 2,598 ,326.
1863 .. 65,se9,952 23 3403 $50
Thus ins tead of carrying two-thlrds the
freights, the American vessels now carry
one third the freight. The remainder ! as
passed into the hands of foreigners. But
the American vessels are required TO pay in
surance, average per cent. more than tor
elgners, and more than the usual risks
Thus per cent. on the American trelghts
for the quarter amounts to seven hundred
and two Thousand one hundred and four
teen dollars per quarter, mostly paid 10
London insurance offices. Another effect
Of the danger Of navigation has been TO
turn all the geld Of California from New
York to London where it goes direct by
British conycyances. Thus the destruction
of vessels, the loss of business, the lncreas,
ed charges and the turning of the stream OF
gold into the lap of London, are ali progress
| i've in their effects. Other nations that new
er presumed to compete with the Amen
| can merchant marine are now installed 10
| the business. They are consolidating their
interests, and are building up commercial
| interests on the ruins of ours. They have
purchased our vessels and are doing our
trade, chavging extra prices for doing 1t
I Under these circumstances, they look upon
our internal strife with the most Christian
fortitude. They are very much grisved tina
the United States should quarrel, but con
sole themselves with very profitable neu
trality. In the same manner, although
England and France must pay one dolia
per 10. for cotton, yet the Brazils, Egyp
and India, are making big thing by sell
II ing all the cotton they can raise at that en-
ormous rate. India has sold fifty milllol
of dollars worth more cotton sent to Eug
land in British ships, and been paid for
in larger sales of British goods.
u In short, although the cotton operative
have suffered BY our war, the shipowner:
the cotton growers, the arms manufactu
rers. and numerous other interests, beside
the great political interests of monarch
= and aristocrats, have been hugely henefte
by the disastrous and . suicidal strugg
which is dissolying our nation, its wealt
its institutions, the cause Of ltgoverl
ment and the interests of humanity
y blood. Str - must be the faith Of the p
triot wLo rau still hope for his country
salvation amid its ensanguined ruins, viii
9 "gibbering fends" still howl for subjug