The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-04-24
Trade Of Southern Cities

A friend in a neighboring city, in no way
connected with trade, loudly complains OF
the injustice with which the wholesale mer'
uchants Of that and other southern citiesar
..treated He states that New York, Peters
obure, Richmond Norfolk, and Baltimore
merchants purchased side by side from the
"s,me manufacturers for precisely til" sam,
.prices and saws further, that goods "a" =
Thought in these southern cities as chevy -
Gin New York"
This is all very true: and II Is 'r'' '''"'
,hcrc arc many considerations, III a""'''o",
which shoula influence the interior 'ra"' ''
every State to give its support !" '''
building up of the nearest cites s'' INT"
seem to pay them very little a''h''"h-"'
least they do no, Civ" them anything hN'
Tho consideration TO which they are en-
titled.
II is plain Ia every one that the c>tah-
liShmcnt Of very great city III TINS STATE
would Ice the best thing for is agriculture.
Ii would concentrate capital horc-glN'
us the command of greater means i"r All
our cntcrpriscS-and afford incalcnlah1c
announcement I" agriculture 10y lnrrca>-
INC the demand for every sort of pr"duc-
ton near al hand. While the main de-
pcndcncc Of commerce i upon aSrlcuI-
ture, Yet the relations of the Nv" are a''"-
pethcr mutual. Commerce converts IN"
products Of agriculture int" gold, ln>nrli-
the highest compensation for them thai the
demands of the world will Justify. The
loser to the place of production the place
of conversion, the more convenient
safe. and certain to the farmer j.
the process Of the exchange "' ms
staples on the best terms ami I"
his greatest benefit. Thus we may Sc"
that the congregation Of large c"l'''I'n'''-
ties OF trading and manufacturing poop"
in an agricultural district in>u'> the
greatest demand for the products "f the
farm. and dispcnscs the highest degree oil
prosperity and perfection I" the art "l TIL
ING The soil. There could hc nothing more
bcautiful than the harmonious and rcclpr"-
cal relations thus displayed. Commerce
and manufactures alike depend Oh agrI-
cnlturc-what She creates 10y her lah"r>
ont of the earth is their subsistence and
lifc.blood: vet where they are prosperous,
agriculture is certain of rich rewards, ana
the country OF that rural THRIFT and I'M
provcmcnt that alike Indicate the power.
industry, and refinement "i people.
On the other hand, that constant drain
upon country occa>ioncd 10y the obtain
ing of its supplies from distance, and
the sending away al lis money for that
purpose. must tend To lis imp"vcri>hment.
Prior 10 the war, this was the case, AMI
although there was apparent titnlt dis
PLAYED in the abundance and the elegant
Inequalities of ourpc"plc ,itwa> ldciu>lvc.
We were destroying the lands by cNhau>-
tive cultiyation-thc planters were ma
king little more than their expenses, and
the great body of them had II" incrca>" at
the end of the year other than the IN
crease in the value ~ the number ct their
slaves. The slaves consumed all, and the
masters were the slaves. But time must
have exhausted the soil and the poverty
which comes from IN exhausted Land Is
the most hopeless of all. So that the >y>-
fem which was directed 10 Il rushing up OF
the aggregate product Of staples, which
were to hc hurried away I" buy every
necessary abroad, was makin. II" prrma-
..,,f ~
fixing very little wealth upon solid basis.
s 1t is now important that We should
Change this altogether. We have not even
slaves now and if we want I" improve
the country and increase our local wealth.
We must have commerce, we must nave
manufactures At home. Our merchants
from the interior, in order To enrich the
peoplc for whom they huT goods, must n!
as near thsm aS they can-they must help
10 build up, near by, large communities
which will consume the products OF the
labor of the people 10 whom they sell.
This is demanded OF them alike by policy
and patriotism.
We make 10 account of another >cntl-
ment which ought To- have its weight. For
we fear the granitivc heart ot' Trade i, in
capable OF feeling its force. 1t Is that
these cities IL which We alludc have sui
fered with the country in the recent >courgc
OF war, and merit its sympathy and sup
port. Richmond We may speak of with
no intention to disparage others. Her
means were lavishly bestowed for the cause
and for the comfort and welfare Of all who
came within her walls 10 defend il. Her
stores and dwellings We're hospitals, and her
daughters were nurses. The close Of the
war found her on the verge OF famine, and
that day, which was one of woe to all,
brought upon her the additional calamity
of conhagration almost without example
in its ravagcs. These are considerations
that give her claim upon the sympathy III
least of the people Of Virginia, and We see
no, WHY il may not Influence them TO give
her such assistance as their trade may AT
ford. when that is the very best way III
which they can promote their own welfare
: and the prosperity of their State.
------------ -------------
The Great Virginia Railroad.
We look forward with the deepest inte-
rest 10 the meeting in Baltimore, on Tuss-