New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-11-19
oTyR GULF TRADE.

wl,ila onr Northern Texas and river trade
ne seriously endangered by the encroa .sh-
ments Of Western capital and enterprise, 1t
will require all the vigilance, capital and en-
erev Of our business community to save to
New Orleans the Gulf trade at our doors. A /
glance at the map will readily show that the
Mississippi river, flowing through its magnf-
cent delta, and projecting its outlets far into
the Gulf of Mexico, seems to invite to our
leyees all Of the trade of the fertile countries
that encircle that vast sea. The coasts OF
Mexico and Texas on the west, and the island
gems which close the Gulf on the east seem
as if placed by nature to supply, through
New Orleans, the wants Of the vast
valley Of the Mississippi 1t would seem
as if our city were located at the best point
for exchanging the varied products of the
different ATTITUDES.
But III spite Of this favorable position, SUI
perior capital and energy at other points
threaten to deprive US Of the advantages
which the partiality of nature has accorded to
our locality. Relying too much upon the SUI
periority Of our commercial position, we have
neglected to put forth proper energy to secure
4 permanent success, until now we are awakening
! to d consciousness of the fact that New York,
Philaaelphia, Baltimore and Boston are at
tracing to their own ports the tropical pro
ducts which ought to have come direct to our
own port. Our merchants, instead OF seek
ing their coffee and other groceries at the
points Of production, are now too generally
lending their assistance to make the principal
Atlantic ports the entepots Of those pro
ducts, thas yielding to them the profits Of
trade and cutting themselves off from all
chances of competition in supplying The wants
of theinterior.
Il And in addition to this the railroad enter
p1ises Of Texas, with their proposed c0nnec-
ton with those of Missouri and Arkansas, are
calculated to make Galveston formidable.
rival Of New Orleans for the Gulf trade.
When these railways shall have been compile
J ted they viii open up to Galveston an immense
INLAND country already extensively cultivated
and increasing rapidly in population. Much
of this country is now tributary to New
Orleans, which receives its products AID re,
u rnits III return its essential supplies. But
with the. completion of the railway system q
Texas Galveston will be accessible to all this
& fine region Of country at all seasons of The
year, and will become, if we contiaue oul
tranquil sleep, the entrepet Of that section
! whose business we can least afford to lose
J Under this incentive our chief Gulf rival vii
divide with New Orleans the trade which lie
| SO inyitingly at our doors, and in connection
y with the Atlantic ports and the Western cities
I VIII restrict our business to q very limited
extent Of country.
Under the circumstances it is imperative o.
oar commercial community and on al other
! interested III cur prosperity to awake to {
true sense of the necessities of our situation
9 When all is enterprise and activity ground a
we cannot afford to sleep in security, Whil
t Texas is building her communications to con
; yey the products Of The interior to her chic
port, let us push forward our Opelousas roat
to intersect her railroads and thus divert tht
trade to our own doors. While the Western
cities are sending their fleets Of steamers tt
: take away from us the trade Of the chief til
bptaries of the Mississippi let US send ours
10 compete with them. While the Atlantic
ports and Galveston are attracting the Gul.
trade to themselves, let Us bring the products
Of the tropics direct from the points Of pro
: duetion and IN connection with our steamer
! and extended railroad communications, let u
place ourselves in position where We cal
+ successfully vie with all our rivals for the il
terror trade. With proper energy this can b
8 done; butvithout sufficient enterprise On th
part Of all interested in our prosperity "