Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-03-17
Direct Trads-rhs Steamship Ephssus.

enterprise long talked Of, much written about,
and which has engaged the serious reflections
Of many who have neither talked nor written
about it. We mean direct trade between the
seapOrts Of Virginia and Great Britain. We
referred yesterday TO an advertisement an
nouncing that the British steamship Ephesus
will sail from Virginia to Liverpool on OF. about
the 10th. Of April. She has agents in Rich
mond, Petersburg and Norfolk, and we under
stand will, at least for the present, carry
freights at the rates charged by sailing vessels,
which are considerably less than those she
could charge as steamer. The inducement
Of advances on consignments to the friends Of
the company is offered. How much is i'm
piled by the two short wOrds-dIreet trade
They mean the casting aside Of all middle men
and middle agencies, with their charges, CON-
missions, insurance, &C. They mean that the
producer can ship his produce direct to its III
innate destination, reaping from it all the pro-
ft it yields, without sharing that profit with a
half dozen other persons who soon grow rich
by their accumulated gains from such transac-
tiOns. They mean, too, that this shipper and
producer can purchase at the great source OF
supply, at the manufacturers prices, all articles
he may need, without purchasing in this
country after they have passed through the
hands Of half dozen sharp traders, with re-
peated accretions of charges, until the pur-
chasing price is double that at the manufactu-
rers. 1t means, furthermore, that honest deal
ings are promoted, genuine articles secured,
by dispensing with those numberless cunning
and INSCRIPTIONS Intermediates who have it
in their power to palm of shams, counterfeits
and cheats upon their customers. The
country that has direct trade with France and
England is sure to sell at fair price to get the
purchase money, and to get good money; it is
price, to get genuine articles and to have no
unpleasant after-elaps. The sums that have
been paid by the Southern producers to these
bustling, enterprising, mercenary interme-
diaries are incalculable. The latter have
grown rich by means Of these profits and
charges. Whole States, we may say sections,
have been supported by the trade Of the South.
Laziness, or if q milder term abe more accept
able, want Of enterprise on the part Of the,
Southern people was at the bottom Of this
With large farms, the masters Of their labOring
force, with an abundance Of all the neeeSSaries
Of life, and generally unacquainted with the
details of business, they were fond Of their ease,
averse to unnecessary trouble, and glad at al
most any price to get rid of the inconvenience
and drudgery of business. A more active,
shrewd and money making people, commercial
in their tastes, saw this weakness in the
Southern character and avalled OF it. They
offered themselves as their shippers, factors and
merchants. They bought all they had to sell
and sold them all they wanted to buy. They
made double profits and fast grew rich. Thus
had it stood for years upon years, when the
war broke out and stopped Southern trade and
arrested Southern production war sustained
and made successful on their part chiefly by
money gathered from Southern trade.
new era commenced with the commence
ment of peace. Stripped Of their negroes,
without money, and holding nothing but their
lands, the Southern people will have to cult
yate those lands with such assistance as they
can get from hired labor. Their habits OF
slOthful ease and luxurious indulgence will
have TO be abandoned. They will have to
learn 60 save the tax they paid to the activity
that relieved them from the drudgery of CON-
mercial interchanges. If they would prosper
they will have to dispense with all the inter-
mediary agencies Of which we have spoken,
and, in order TO be placed in a situation to do
this, they will be under the necessity of en-
couraging all enterprises organized for the pro-
motion Of direct trade between the South and
Europe. The steamship Ephesus inaugurates
this important commerce in Virginia waters.
The agents of the owners are intelligent, well
known, trustworthy and popular business men,
to whom our people may safely eOn6de their
interests. Fhis is the beginning. Who can
tell the endl If the enterprise meets with the
encouragement it deserves-if our people are
wise and regardful Of their true interests-this
steamship will be followed by another, and
another, until a feet of first class steamers
shall ply between our sespOrts and those OF
European countries, carrying all our products
10 foreign markets, and bringing thence all our
needFnl supplies. We will then begin to real
ize what we foOlishly gave away for so many
years. We will have our own trade under our
own control, and save millions Of dollars that
have heretofore unnecessarily gone to enrich
strangers.
So little have our agricultural people seen OF
commerce, so little do the, masses Of them
know about steamships and the operations OF
business interchange, that their first impulse
will be to pass this enterprise over as sort Of
inscrutable mystery, and as a thing which can
have no direct influence upon their fortunes
IL, by few plain words, We can induce such
TO take a different view, we feel that We will
do them and their State a benefit. There IS
nothing mysterious about such enterprises,
and they can be availed Of by every one with
advantage and profit. If a man lives in Dan
vile, and has an article which commands a
ready sale and good price in Richmond, he
can easily understand that he will realize more
from it by carrying or sending it to Richmond
and selling it than he wOnld realize by selling
It in Danville TO another person who should
himself take it to Richmond for sale. No one
would buy to sell again without hoping to real
ize profit on the transaction. What he make
the other loses. Again-with the proceeds o
sale the first owner has to supply himself wit
certain necessary commodities. 1.-The sells i
Richmond for higher price than he could &c
in Danville, and buys the needed eOmmOditie
in Richmond at a lower price than he wOul
have to pay If bought in Dsnville, he bot
makes and sayes-makes by the sale and save
by the purchase in Richmond whereas, B
selling in Danville and buying his cOmmOditi'
in the same market, he loses doubly-lOses G
the sale in cheap market, and loses by II
purchase in dear market. He sells to on
who makes profit that he ought to make, an
purchases offs retail dealer who must make
living profit on the goods he sells. We ma
snnnose that in both instances the railroad
nsed for transportation. This illustrates direc
trade between US and a foreign port, Tn
IL, l. IN tha one case what the railvr.