Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-06
ONE OF THE ILLUSIONS OF THE TIMES
REUSG DISSIPATED.


CITY of Baltimore was to be-through the
special favor of the Southern people-the
great entrepot of commerce for the South
And not alone has Baltimore been deluded
with such belief. Our city has shared it to
a greater or lesser degree with Norfolk,
Charleston, Savannah and sundry other places
along the coast; for whilst the revolutionists
of South Carolina were procaiming it as one
of their chief springs of action before the
conflict began, all know here that it has been
q marvellous stimulus to our city in its move
ments to keep in good terms with the whole
region south Of US.
Now we do not propose to complain of this
illusion, further than as it effects badly our
dependence upon oar OtrR erertionS for ad
vancement. Whilst we know that New York
has made no special sacrifices or endeavors-
as in the present Southern Fair, or of the
"Aid Society to render service to the South,
the fact has been developed by our spring
trade-that our city has been no more to the
South, so far as .fdr0rS received is in the case
than Philadelphia or New York; that, in fact,
just as in the olden time before the war, our
city has been given the 90 by, in favor Of our
rivals North. In truth, according to what
seem reliable statements, we have Jared acorSe
than our rivals; for whilst the latter have had
the cash means of Southern merchants handed
over to them for goods, our merchants have
been expected to, and have made up de-
fciencies for these visitors, by furnishing them
goods on credit.
Now whilst these convictions are anything
but pleasant, they may at least be made profit
able to US, rightly considered. Ascertaining,
at last, that we, as a city, have made wrong
calculations on the sympathy and favor of our
neighbors, we may, in building up its trade
and manufactures and commerce, be at length
convinced that the very best thing we can do
for ourselves, is to rely upon the .tacOr of
none; but proceeding to do what our success
full neighbors to the north are doing, compel
trade through tie influence Of interest. We
shall then succeed and make our city what it
should be from its commanding position, its
splendid advantages for manufacturing, and
its nequalled chances for supplying working
population with cheap food fuel, and what
else besides distinguishes it as one Of the best
cities for workingmen in the whole bounds Of
the Union.
We do not at this time intend to specify the
mischief the illusion we are considering has
wrought our city and State, in making thou
sands believe that the merchants of the South
would trade here in preference to going to
New YORK. A very slight degree Of reiiec.
ton, very little observation should have
taught all concerned. that no matter what sac
rifces a city may make for any purpose or
cause, it is not going to be sought out there
after, as the recipient of special iavors be
cause of it. And for Illustration of this.
we need not go back a year, or much more,
taking Richmond for the striking example
What sacrifice could be asked or expected,
that that city did not make for the cause it
espoused having for years constituted itself
one great battle ground and hospital com
bined; and yet, does the South regard its
claims to any special favor to-day and were
not the complaints frequent and bitter by
It's presses ruring the very height of the
conflict, that its sacrifices were disregarded,
or even scorned? Do the merchants Of the
South stop there, with New York in the dis
tance? and are any special efforts making to
aid it in the building up its ''burnt district or
foreign trade through the James river and
Norfolk, on the part of communities for which
it, for so long period, proved line of de-
fence? If then, Richmond is measuraby
"passed by on the other side shall we CON
plain, or suffer ourselves to feel disappointed?
We choose to remind our citizens of all this.
because we think the time has come when this
old illusion should be put an end to, even at
the sacrifice of some feelings of self love, of
vanity, as regards supposed claims to favor of
our own city. Ali must remember as part and
parcel of the considerations which obtain in
the ca e-that when the country merchant
goes on his semi yearly trip to purchase goods,
that the desire to have . pleasant jaunt out OF
it, enters very largely into his calculations,
cooped up as he may We been for the inter
vening period in the village store, or at the
little cross roads establishment; and that he
nine times in ten-will not stop short of place
where the greatest novelties and amusements
are to be found, of any spot on the continent.
Concerts, theatricals, and the thousand name
less attractions so lavishly provided in the en-
pire city, lure him thither in some instances.
whilst influences not less potent in great re-
ligious centres are effective with Others All,
in such sea Of eXcit 'ment, find something bv
which to be entertained; and aware of it, the
great capitalists there put their money into
great hotels, music halls opera houses, mag
nifcent churches and so on, reckoning these
as much in these times part of the machinery
of trade, as they do cheap lines of steamers
for freight, Or "a lroads for their myriad visit
ors. All this is go patent to the observant
mind, that it is hardly needful to remind such
of the facts.
And now, after dwelling briefly upon these
points, and acknowledging the disappointment
of a "dull season" in Baltimore, need we sug-
gest what should be done? Must we not, once
for all, divest ourselves of the fatal illusion
that Baltimore is the special pet of any sec
ton. and instead thereof, go TO acork? After
what we have said shall we proceed to draw
invidious distinctions, proclaiming our crying
DEFICIENCIES to the world at large? VIII an
occasional visit from some New York com
pany of black MINISTRIES Gil the required ill ?
Will even the Southern Fair, brilliant as its
acknowledged success is, do it? The "jouth-
ern Aid Society was also success but have
the fruits of it satis6ed-apart from the salts
faction experienced of relieving human suf.
fering-our business men; our merchants when
New York is in higher favor commercially,
than Baltimore with these same peonle >
Mind, we utter these things in no shirt of
complaint. The South is only doing what all
communities do-studying its interests, in
stead of any abstract feelings of gratitude sup
posed to be engendered ~ what has occurred.
Let us make it eminently to the interest of
Southern merchants to come here, and they
will come-neyer fear But the Mutual Con-
graduation, and Mutual Admiration Society
in our city, must be dissolved; and we must
cease to delude ourselves with the idea that
our clty-despite its monuments and its oys-
ters-can compete in attractiyeness with New
York; can claim anything on the score of
favors from the South. With CHEAP coal
and a steam engine in every alley, and with /.