The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-08-21
Our Commerce and Its Wants.

The rumor that we are negotiating for the
purchase of tho Sandwich islands leads us to
the consideration Of our commercial wants.
These are sufficiently numerous to indicate an
almost total lack of craftsmanship in their
management heretofore. We are, or we are
not, a commercial people. Nature made US the
latter but our government blindly tries to con-
vince nature that she is mistaken. With our
broad and fertile acres, covering the whole
vast heart Of North America. we challenge
generous competition in production and force
ourselves into notice by our surplus yield Of
agricultural wealth Upon this great product,
however, we allow foreign nations 10 levy
tax We give large numbers Of their popula-
ton active employment, and create for the lead
ing European commercial powers the navies
which trade demands we allow our own ship
timber to rot in our forests; our shipyards no
longer echo to the nations march to great
ness our sailors, driven from the protection Of
the Stars and Stripes, are forced to aid the pro-
Qress of other nationalities, and our system Of
taxation, 20 framed as to levy several separate
contributions upon materials used In naval
construction, hangs over our development like
a curse. Every year We pay to foreign ships q
difference per ton for freight over that for
which we might transport it that would moro
| than satisfy the demands Of the present gov
eminent tax on ship building. II Is sad pic.
ture to trace this decay of our greatness. For.
| tnately, il has q remedy. Let us apply It,
| however, before the vigor Of our national man.
hood is entirely drained from us by bad legls-
lation.
| To make us great in the trade OF the world,
we must adopt that mastery plan which has
| given our mother country her greatness.
| Wherever our commerce floats we must have q
naval picket post-a powerful point doppui-to
give strength and confidence to our men Of en-.
tsrprise who open carrying trade to our YES
sells. These commercial guards are invalu
able--absolutely necessary to give lasting sta
bility to a policy which Is not to be SWEEP
aside as ours has been, only by the breath o
civil war. What would foreign war bring
10 our commerce IL civil war has shown sucl
dire effects? Our naval vessels are nowhere
ut home and have no reliable point Of suppl
and aid unless they touch some port in tn
|
ship has home at hand in any part of tn
world. Gibraltar stands guard al the outlet {
the Mediterranean. and Malta Is centra
utmost 81. Helena watches American an
European commerce as it sweeps round tn
Cape Of Good Hope, while Cape Town control
the trade of half the world in case Of wa
When California and Australia turned the
, pilded sides to the world, English statesmen
! however unjustly to Buenos Ayres, seized Il
| Falkland Islands. They dominate the Cap
4 Horn route to the Pacific. And 80 we mig
traverse the world, showing the broad swee
, Of a commercial policy which has been la
, with cold foundations. We, too, though Sc
, ond in the race with our great rival, must n
] neglect the lesson she teaches us. We wa
notwithstanding points along the gre
!, channels Of our commerce.
!. The unerring finger Of progress points to I
n Pacific as the great ocean over which min
tenths OF the worlds commerce Is to flow.
!. We shape its currents II will enrich us. Wi
,r q generous rivalry with other nations. We m
6. still win in the lists. With our right hand
= NAV grasp the treasures OF India; with q
!" left distribute them 10 Europe. These great
vsntages must, however, be protected, guard
To guard them we'll we FIRST require the Sal
wich Islands for these are the natural cen
!" Of protection to the Pacific Ocean trade
!" dominate IL completely. Panama, the locus
a. national eyes at this p9msnt pal. Y, ]
-p. declared aud gusranteed 70 be great neui
sn no;n, ~ ,ha rhoia rorld. be controlled In
81 Interests We want, too, tbe islan} q Y
~ Fernandez, on the wsAs coast Of South Amer
- Had ST. Thomsa. In the West Indies, B