Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-07
WHAT NEEDED To INSURE THE All
yANCEMENT OF OUR CITY.

Baltimore in favor of New York rather strong
"; and insist that the compliments now cur
rent in the Southern papers for what we are
doing, and have DONE mean great deal in
favor of a better condition of things, as re-
CARDS our prospective trade with that section.
Perhaps the future may redeem the past in
this regard, or even the present; but we must
still insist that with the mass of mankind, trade
goes where interest marks out the route, with
little or no reference to sentiment. When it
comes to this, do not our merchants put up
their ships as readily for England, as for Rio
Janeiro; for the coast of Africa as for Havana
or New Orleans? Nay, we have statement
straight from Boston, that quite large num-
Der of wealthy Southerners are purchasing
residences there; when if political sentiment
or partialities were in the case, could not
pleasant localities be found along the shores of
Chesapeake Bay, or around our own city Of
Baltimore acknowledged to be one of the
pleasantcst cities in the Union?
Besides, we know what Newport and Sara
toga and Nahant were to the pleasure seekers
of the South, through all the past years Of
bitter controversy; and what New York is
now, as place of soieurn for the Weather
classes who want scope and verge enough in
which to spend their surplus cash We have
not forgotten "Old Point before the war.
with its single barn, dignfed as a hotel the
best no doubt that could be provided, con
sidering the little chance it had of competing
with Northern seacoaSt resorts. Remem-
bering all this and much more 10 the same
purpose, and noting what have been our
chances for business the present season. is it
not high time to cease any reckoning upon
trade as going along with politics, with roliti
cal or sectional partialites; should we not.
most emphatically, learn at last to rely more
upon ourselves? Here it may perhaps be we'll
enough to specify what is meant by this same
self reliance, as an element of financial and
commercial advancement and prosperity.
Well, there is no denying that the events of
the past five years have cast shadows of dis,
couragement upon the minds of many in our
State such as must be difficult or almost I'M
possible to remove. No community is going
to attain high degree Of prosperity. unless II
TO exchange or sell The revolution which
has recently swept over the State, has curtaiIed
the tobacco and wheat culture; it has brought
Encouragement upon those who formerly did
so much to furnish our ships with cargoes for
export, as well as materials for manufacturing
purposes in the shape Of cheap food, ETC., for
operatives Especially in the lower portions
of the State we see the palpable proofs of this,
in the large number Of farms thrown upon the
market, their present owners distrustful Of
their ability to longer make them profitable,
and willing to relinquish the pursuit Of farm
ing under its new conditions, in favor Of those
better qualified perhaps to deal with the new
difficulties which are presented. And so, with
the industry, the productive power of the State
disorganized or measureably gone, and the
planters flocking to the towns and the city 10
try other pursuits, or ''waiting for something
to turnup," large numbers, like I2sop's Greek
wagner stuck i'll the mire, sit down by the
roadside and call upon the Southern Hercules
to extricate them from their predicament, in
stead of turning TO with viii to hclp them
selves.
Now we trust we shall be pardoned for in
sisting that this is largely wrong. ''Heaven
helps those who help themselves and mu-
tual admiration and mutual compliments
however gracefully put, will not help either
the South or ourselves out of the difficulties
which beset both, Cultivate good feelings
kindly intercourse, and all that, to whatever
extent good taste will justify; but we insist
again, that the offering and expecting current
quid pro quoS to stand in the place of the sub
stantial machinery relied upon by Northern
and Western communities to get business, is
all idle; and if the fact is not already discern
ible, why our people are more obtuse than we
give them credit for being.
Let US sec. In the first place, we have
bodies of citizens, Boards" constituted in
the interests of trade, so desperately at logger
heads on national questions, which eceats are
settling or have settled, that they squabble
over them as if they were congressional COM
mittees or cabinet councils called upon 10
deal with them especially on behalf of the
nation. With the prospect, by hearty concert
of action, of having the city accepted by the
Government as naval station; with the chan
mel and the harbor to be improved; with arger
steamers and more of them needed for our
Liverpool trade now opening so auspiciously:
with better facilities for receiving Immigrants
by the establishment OF a Commodious and
suitable immigrant depot; with all these and
numberless other enterprises demanding active
exertlons and unity Of purpose, our business
men-too many OF them-either stand off from
each other, or busy themselves in connecting
for Southern trade by seeing who will give the
most remarkable thing which shall serve at the
same time as an advertisement of that s.Iber
atty which is to bring forth an hundred fold
to each individual giver, when the list is made
up, and the balance can be struck, AlItbiss
we beg leave to rem. / all commemorative
not deepen our harbor, or add greatly to our
productive industry, or put new life into our
city, by adding to Its shipping Or productive.
capacity; and until all come to consider this and
awaken to the Importance of it. we shall stiS
be-in the estimation of our Southern cousins
only as convenient hosts to entertain them
for night or so on their business trips to re-
moter, more active and wider spheres of trade.
Finally -refiecting that New York city fur.
nished-f we recolect arght-some zone
hundred and fifty thousand men, as her
quota towards the settlement of our national
quarrels, and that to-day it makes as lit le
difference apparently with her late antago-
nists, as If she had furnished not.a single rc1i
ment, is 1t not time for our city to mt bu;Id-
ing upon its attitude with REGARD 70 tI,,, ,.a,,
fiict? and more, is it not time for rs TO .Ia,,.
don home feudS and animosities for wb;ch ,na
get no credit, no consideration worth n,r,;na
which, indeed, do US harm? Heartily tired e.
fruitless contests, must we needlessly and end.
lessly make ourselves the ''pawns'' of the ex.
tremists on the political chess board; the in
struments of men who, if we were to anmhilate
each other, would not care a groat for our
fate? Taught by an experience which should
serve us through generations, can we not at
last join hands to promote the trade and com
merce of the city and the advancement of the
State, by substantial measures; shall we indeed
seek for .tarors where if we are only true to
ourselves, we can command success? We want