The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-01
REv1vA1soF TRADE In rnk SOUTH.
MODERN RIVALS OF NEW YORK FOE THE GRAIN
TRADE OF THE WEST AND THE COTTON TRADE
OF THE SOUTH.

We commend to the perusal Of the business
men of our city the following thoughtful article
from the New York Herald of Friday last:
The City of New York cannot pLudently dis
regard the strenuous exertions that are making
norLhward and southwark to wrest from her q
share of the trade which she has 30 long
monopolized, and in the enjoyment Of which
che has come to consider herself beyond the
reach Of competition. The prodigious growth
of the city is due mainly to two oauses-hrst,
to the command Of Western trade, which she
secured at q very early date, and second, to
the relation she established and maintained
with the cotton crop which secured to her
almost monopoly ofthe importing business OF
the Union.
Her early command Of the Northwestern
trade was obtained through the agency Of the
Erie Canal, which was opened just IN time to
take advantage Of the rapid agricultural devel-
opment produced by steam navigation on the
| Western waters. To steamboat navigation on
the Hudson, the lakes and the great rivers OF
the West, and to the Erie Canal the West owes
ali OF its early and marvellous developments
in production and population; and this West.
ern growth has had it's most striking result
in the miraculous growth Of New York city.
The substitution OF railroad transportation
tt consi: :Nrable extent for that by water
has tended Z, dispense the advantages OF West
ern trade in some degree, enabling other cities
on OF near the seaboard to participate in
them with New York. But Notwithstanding
that these railroads are transacling o vas
amount Of business, still the great bulk o
Western trade must continue indefinitely to
prefer the cheaper transportation OF water.
The Erie Canal, therefore, must continue to
constitute powerful leverage in favor OF New
York; although it must be recollected that
the channel of the st. Lawrence, subse-
ouently rendered available for the discharge
Of Western trade, constantly threatens di-
version OF important fragments Of the mass
from New York, and admonishes our great en-
poriufn OF the necessity Of uuceasing vigilance
and enterprise for the preservation OF her COM
mercial dominion.
Nor is it by water alone that this competition
is threatened. On the north the comLle lion OF
the Hoosic tunnel, with the consolidation of
the roads from Boston to Albany, will soon
create powerful competition on that line;
while still more formidable competitor looms
up in still higher latitude. Mr.. ALVIN Bron-
son, in late number of Hunts Magazine,
speaking Of :he great line OF railway leading
from Lake Michigan to Portland, Me-, says
that it will put New York upon her mettle, and
completed, Portland will be nearer to Chicago
by two hundred miles, and to Liverpool by
three hundred miles than New York, an advan.
tage Of distance which is only compensated to
New York by the advantage Of cheapness OF
transportation afforded BY the Erie and Oswe-
go canals. =,
is making the most noteworthy exertions to
share with New York the importing and export
ing trade Of the Union. BY means Of its great
est work-the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad-it
is drawing to its warehouses very considerable
share not only Of the grain OF the West, but OF
the cotton and tobacco Of the South and South,
west. It disputes tor trade with New York at
Chicago and Cleveland, with Philadelphia at
Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta. By means Of
consultations and leases it has secured entire
control of powerful railroad lines thro1ghWheel-
ing. far into Northern Indiana, and through
Petersburg andC Cincinnati eight hundred miles
to Indianapolis. It is not content to stop at
the termini Of its own proper roads on the
banks of the Ohio, but by means Of powerful
of the disputed territory, and from standpoints
nearly thousand miles from It's own count
ing houses and depots competes with its rivals
for the commerce Of the interior. Besides a
due complement Of calling vessels, it now has
five ocean steamers, owned by itself, running
regularly to European ports, and contcmplates
o steady increase Of the number of steamers
rous line of steamers plying to Charleston, by
means of which it draws to it's wharvos much
of the trade brought to that city by railroads
from Memphis and Atlanta
The abolition of slavery md the Inauguration
of cotton culture by free labor must surely
change the centres OF cotton production. The
most important of these new contrcs will be
Memphis, aud the great bulk OF cotton will be
produced in that portion of the former cotton
region most favorable to white labor. The In
dian Territory, Arkansas, Tennessee, North
Carolina, upper South Carolina, north and
middle Georgia, the same portions OF Alabama
and Mississippi, and north Louisiana and
Texas will henceforth make up the cotton
growing region of the United States. Towards
the northern boundary of this fine country
now stretches railroad from Norfolk, vir-
ginia, to Memphis, on the Mississippi,
MIN hundred and fifty miles in length;
and this line will soon be extended due west
through Arkansas and the Indisn Territory
10 the valley Of the Rio Grande. That
portion OF this hoc lying east Of the Missssip-
pi is fed by branch roads coming up from the