The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-06-04

ADe anu UenPral Grant. III the Baltimore
Convention would act wisely it will make sure
Of the succession by nominating General Grant.
Otherwise, even with this great favorite of the
| people out Of the canvass, the conservative
| opposition elements will find some other popu~
| lar soldier and able and practical man upon
whom, combining their forces, and aided by
the independent radical st. John the Baptist
Fremont movement, they will prove that Abra-
ham Lincoln and his shoddy men are not the
choice Of the people.
The Rights OF Our Mcrchents-What
| They Should De.
| Our merchants, kind, quiet, docile and sub
missive for years under system more arbi.
! trary than was ever adopted by any other gov
eminent in the world, appear to have discov-
cred at last that they, In common with the rest
of mankind have rights. In their quiet sub
mission to any and all the wrongs which have
been inflicted on them. they seem to have for
gotten that in them lie the real strength aud
power Of the nation. They seem to have for
gotten that to them belongs the credit of sus-
tanning orr government in its dangers and
perils, and that to them, in fostering and ex-
tending our commerce, we owe our past and pre-
sent greatness and prosperity. In past years
the policy Of our government was to foster, aid
and protect the hand that fed it: but now the
contrary course seems to be the most popular.
at least hero, and, if we may Judge by the re-
suits Of the present policy, which has SO seri-
ously crippled the the commerce of New York,
We are driven to the conclusion that our great
ness as a commercial city has eliminated. and
that we are now in our decline.
Hitherto our merchants have had equal ad-
yantages and privileges with those OF other
ports: but now it would appear that Boston,
Philadelphia Baltimore and MANY other places
are permitted to advance their interests at our
expense, by The possession and enjoyment of
privileges which are denied to US We refer TO
the 'bonding system" enforced at this port by
order Of the Treasury Department, as prescribed
by act OF Congress, May 20. 1862.
re have repeatedly called the attention Of
the government to the folly Of attempting to
blockade the rebel ports at the New York Gus
tom House. and have endeavored to show the
fallacy of the belief that our merchants were
supplying the rebel government with goods to
any amount by means Of our trade with Mas
sau, Bermuda or other ports, except Matamo-
ros. With the last named port there can be no
mistake, rs we have hitherto shown for the
landing of goods at the mouth of tha Rio
Grande, os!ensibly FOR Matamoros, was simply
placing them, we might say, within rebel con-
troll; but in our trade with the West Indies
the facilities for carrying on traffic between
them and the rebel ports is limited; and, while
our trade with Mexico has increased one thou
sand per cent, our trade with the West Indies
has only increased about one hundred per
cent. II cannot be denied that goods shipped
here have occasionally reached the blooliaded
ports by way Of the West Indies, bu; in such
limited quantities, in comparison with the
amount carried in there by the numerous and
regularly established lines Of steamers between
Liverpool and Wilmington, via Bermuda and
Nassau, that the fact i scarcely worth the
mention. Il is undoubtedly the duty of govern.
ment to use all the power II possesses TO put n
stop to this contraband trade: but due caution
should be used in the exercise Of this power to
sec that the rules and restrictions by which II
| is sought to lie accomplished should apply to
\ all alike.
| II the Custom House bonding system Is to
be continued. and is believed by the suthor..-
| ties to be the only way by .,,n;rh he rehes
ports can be slocsass,ii, Al least let our New
York merchants have an equal chance with
those o'othcr ports. They have a right 20 and
| should insist that The governmental scales"
of iustice should be evenly balsnced, Bat TO
| the unnitiated this telescope or stand IN and
Gee system OF blocssding appears rather incf-
fective. But IL it has been discovered that we
can DC it better a. q distance, no one has q
| right to complain. aud certainly mo ens will
dsuy that IL II much better, a. lcast for The vic.
tim 10 hang the woula.be murderer before he
| commits the crime than 10 wait till the deed 10
done aud he hae bad chance TO escape by
| trial in a court OF law. contrary view 10
taken by many, WHO Insist that the only way
! 10 blockade port h to send suncient num-
ber Of vessels there TO prevent ingress and
| egress: but then il Ia much better II We can
stop the vesseis 0, OR whsrves. and punish The
owners Of the goods or ,Gspeios that they in
tend to commit crime,
Now let us carefully ,evitv this system a.
prsctiscd at this port a vessel is loading for
. suspected port, and On e6iecr 10 not unfre-
qlently detailed q. the request Of the merchant,
to rec that nothing con,rabsnd goes on board.
The shipper, before clearing hls vessel ct the
Custom House, must give bond, with real
estate turc,ies, IN double the value Of the
goods that they shall not reach rebel port,
and his bond osuno., by Ite terms, be cancelled
until evidence ID produced that The provisions
he ships have found their way to neutral