The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-15
A New Scheme of Direct Trade.

|
The chairman Of the Agricultural and In.
ternal improvement Committee of Georgia
publishes circular letter, in which he says
that it is his intention to introduce bill in
the General Assembly of that State for the
incorporation of an association whose OBJ
jects shall be ''to secure commercial advan-
"tages, gold for cotton and laborers for
"farm work. The capital of the associa-
tion is proposed to be obtained by sub
scription on the part of the cotton planters
of Georgia; it being estimated that enough
will become members to raise by cultivation
two hundred thousand bales, upon which
an assessment or subscription of two per
cent. would give an amount Of two million
of dollars. This would be sufficient to es-
tablish line of steamships between Sa-
vannah and Liverpool, and Brunswick and
Liverpool. The cotton of members of the
association would be carried free of charge
by these lines, and the ships upon their
return would bring gold for the cotton, as
well as farm laborers and such supplies as
the planters might require. BY this plan,
it is estimated that the producer would save
'sten cents per pound on long cotton and
GIVE cents per pound on short cotton" lost
by the pre-. . manner of shipment and
sale; an'' oi4l u L" saving of great
~. -.
moment -, 81, ~ ds imported di-
rect W. -r.,s 80 .- chemes to show
what Geo. i.-,l..a of doing, and for
the addit. :. d our people may
learn how muo. easy it is for this
State than for z. to secure all those
grand uuvuu u1on must grow out Of
the direct exl ION of our produce and
the direct imp .tation ofthe goods required
for consumption.
We do not believe that the Georgia plan
ters will act together with sufficient una
nimity to make the newjoint stock shipping
association q success, even on paper; and
in the promise to carry free of charge the
cotton of members, there is room for un
ending trouble and confusion. The scheme
may become an accomplished fact--in time;'
but to our mind the only certain and safe
way Of continuing this business of direct
trade, is by forming steamship company
in the usual form, but with Southern capi-
tai, whose shareholders shall rely for their
profit upon skilful and intelligent manage
ment, and to which shippers can well afford
to pay o fair rate of freight. This, how
ever, cannot be done until the South can
command more commercial capital. For
the present, we must be content to have
ssdirect-line" steamships owned wholly or
in part by foreigners; and it is gratifying
circumstance that, while Savannah has not
yet been able to send from her waters the
| first steamship of what is to be the direct
line between that port and Liverpool,
Charleston has already dispatched one fine
steamship-the Golden Horn, Of the Charles
ton and Liverpool Direct Steamship Line,
and has the Camilla the second ship of the
same line, already in port and receiving
cargo.
While, then, Georgia is talking about
s'direot trade" Charleston has established
"direct trade" and it becomes US not to
relax our efforts. We must not be content
with one line or two, six steamships or q
dozen; but should keep pushing things until
we have demonstrated to the merchants
across the water the importance of our South
era trade, and to the planter at home how
much he has regularly lost by allowing him
self to be made, without murmur, the COM
merc:al bondsman of the merchants of the
North.
We do not expect, nor do we want, the
"direct-line" steamships TO bring US back
laborers to take the place Of the freedmen
on the farms and plantations of the State;
but we want manufactured goods Of every
kind and description, and We want the pro-
ceeds of our cotton remitted in gold, not
paper. 1t is this direct trade which has
made Northern cities grow up in almost
oriental magnidcence, aud direct trade will
cause Charleston to become port second
to none on the continent. Whatever the
efforts that may be made, no Southern port
can long keep in advance of Charleston; for
not one has the natural facilities and advan-
tages which are hers. But it is useless TO
speak of overtaking others. when We already
have the start. The Charleston direct
steamship line is ia operation already, and
we hope that every planter throughout the
State will give it his immediate and steady
support, both in exporting cotton and i'm
porting supplies. The news should be
spread throughout the State and the adjoin-
ing States. We must talk for ourselves.
Others will not talk for US. The whole
South is interested in the future of Charles
tod, and we should not fail to show the
South which way her interests lie. In the
meantime, send down your cotton for the
"direot-line."