The New York herald., 1868-02-01
New York the Commercial Entrepot of tho
World.

New York the Commercial Entrepot of tho
World.
The diplomatic shrewdness of our govern
ment in securing footholds in the West
Indies affording convenient stopping places
for the ships and steamers flying the American
ensign, adds greatly to the commercial i'm
portance of this country and pertinently sug-
gests its prosperity and progression. This ex-
pansion will not cease here. It will flow ma
turally to islands and contiguous lands of the
least importance, commercial or strategical.
This great advancing, progressive spirit Of the
time, affords some idea of the future greatness
Of the United States end gives evidence of the
vast interests that will surround her ports Of
entry.
New York is in the minds of all
thinking men destined to become the great
midway commercial house of the world. Its
location, its land-locked, broad bays and deep
rivers, render its harbor not only Of the
greatest magnitude, but sale, easily accessible
and convenient of approach. Along its piers
are innumerable ships from every nation
ships that stand unrivallcd in their cargo car
rying capacity, ships Of harmony and proper
ton as well entitled to immortal remembrance
as the Parthenon. ships whose victories as
winged messengers are more honorable than
those gained upon q stricken field, even as
the arts of peace are more noble and emo
bling than the arts Of war;. This mercantile
marine stands forest-like along the miles of
harbor frontage-the shuttles that 60 10 and
fro weaving the unseen threads of gold that
community of interests.
But where this labyrinth of rigging is now
seen the growing Importance of New York,
with the broad arms OF the world centrng
commercially about her, will note a change
slowly developing but, certain in its results
1t will be no less than a complete revolution
of our mercantile marine. Clipper ships that
even now stand unrivalled are being found
almost inadequate to the essential require
ments of the great and growing business of
the worlds entrep6t, will vanish slowly from
the seas, and in twenty years will be as much
curiosity as the galley of the venetians
or the junk OF the Chinese are in this day.
In their places improved steamships, elegant
in construction and economical in use, will,
with their black pipes, be counted by the
thousands-ftting indices to the cnte erprise
of the extensive lines destined 10 carry the
maritime commerce of the globe.
This will surely and naturally make
New York its permanent headquarters.
Her location between the Eastern and
Western world of trade makes it the
port Of receipt and delivery. With the
great commercial enterprises now on foot
completed ; with the mighty Pacific Railroad
laundering along to the wide waters of that
sea; thence, by the grandest steamships
afioat, to far-ofr China, Japan and Asia; with
still more lines from Australia plying quickly
within FIVE days direct sail of her port with
other lines Of electric telegraph across the
sea- and New York becomes the centre OF the
worlds business and trade. All Europe will
then watch with eagerness news from China
and Japan through her, and England may
learn early intelligence from her distant colo
nies through the same source.
Not alone in this matter of despatch will
New York be pre-eminent but with the CON-
pletion Of the PACIFIC Railroad, where freights
are now shipped through the countries of
Europe, numberless in name, each exacting du-
ties, piling on amount after amount, more eco.
nomical as well as more expeditions route will
be through her avenues Of commerce, along
the rails to San Francisco, thence by steam
ships, deliverable in the East, weeks in ad-
vance of the Continental routes.
The future Of New York is bright. Her COM
mercial relations in a few years will rank her
far above the now great cities of the world.
She will WELD the sceptre Of the oceans COM
merce, will start new enterprises, growing
greater and greater until her prosperity is the
envy Of the habitable globe.