Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-04-22
TIE MEETING AT THE GTHAMRER OF
COMMERCE.
speech of sr. Evoriti.

pers of yesterday, the OF COn-
meree was last night filed with the sub
stantisl business men Of our city, assem-
bled to listen to an address from Mr..
John Everitt, of London, on the subject
of direct trade with foreign parts.
Mr.. Everitt was introduced to the as
sembly by Mr.. T. 4. Nelson, the Presi-
dent Of the Chamber Of Commerce, and
addressed them in eloquent terms for the
space of an hour.
Mr. Everitt stated In his peroration,
that during his stay OF six weeks among
us, and since he last addressed the eltl-
zens Of Memphis, he had had 10 occa-
sion to change his mind in relation to
the condition of the South aud the
steps necessary to rebuild its prosperity.
The one thing necessary is labor. In
order to obtain this labor We must take
steps to create confidence among Euro
peans, that they can leave their country
and come to u safely. Some steps must
be taken to show them that they would
be welcome, and treated ike flesh and
blood, not as mere machines. The South
must make some sacrifice and change its
cid policy.
This is a land of wealth, and is de-
signed to be the bsbitation Of countless
numbers of men. 1 have never seen
/ su,h a country, and Am told that L have
not seen the garden spots, as yet. The
South before the war was the largest ex-
porter of produce in the world. Thisi Q
matter of fact, and can be proved by
statistics, and this with less than two
millions of Iaborers. What wsdld be the
case if these thirteen States were inhab-
tied by not two millions, nor ten mill
lions, but fifty millions? Thirty mil
lions of labOrers would only scarify the
sgil; fifty millions would barely get ct
tha wealth OF the land. This labor SHAH
come. We must not rest until it does.
Al should be reused, and resolved that
labor must come-the labor 10 TIL the
fields, build the Ievees, snd keep the riv-
ers in bounds. We will found q pedestal
Of mower on which to build q structure
to equal the widest dreams Of the en-
thusiast.
Every body is interested in this from
the banker 10 the shoe-black. We must
multiply the pIows around US. What is
SO likely to make Memphis q great city
as to have the country for $50 miles
round about il one great garden?
The relation Of the labor question to
our desolate fields is the same as the
question OF direct importation to III
commerce.
Why should not Memphis rival Gin
| einnati or st. LouisP Iii on the same
river; it has a network of railway CON-
muniCatiOn.
Ii Is the center of the cotton districts.
Cotton viii always be g staple; would
not advise to plant cotton alOne-but it
viii always be a staple.
Memphis must be a great center to
| which population and trade viii gra7i-
tate. To make it SO, we must secure d.
rect trade. What does direct trade
mean? It means lifting Memphis from
obscurity and making it known to the
ends of the world. Without it we will
algavs be in secondary position among
cities and peoples, and the South will
continue to be seen, as it ever has been,
- through q dark glass, darby"
Memphis has ever been, hitherto, a
/ suburb of New OFleans-a city 500 miles
( blatant This is q monstrous absurdity.
| II might SIS well be . suburb of London.
1 It must be a great business center. You
have the power to make it 80, and you
also have the power to render it the con-
trary, by quietly, slavishly and slug-
gisbly remsiniDg dormant.
You must get into the front rank or be
troddsn down. Merchants aud bankers,
Won must put your shoulders 10 the wheel,
or the golden opportunity will be lost.
By direct trsde" you secure and have
~ right kere,n So you Americans say,
everything In the world that you need,
without going to second, or third, or
fourth rsts msFKetsi and paying per
-ra upon per centage Tor them.
How ig TINS n be done? Nor
folk Is on an sir line from Mem
Dbis. ia q splendid port, capable OF float
inc the Great Eastern; build a railway
or railway connections with 1t. biz.
Sam. Tate shipped five hundred bales of
cotton from Memphis to Liverpool, via
Norfolk. He got it there twenty days
sooner. and at g cost Of three dollars a
bale less than he could have done by any
other route.
Pensacola is a good port-so others; /
am not for any one port. Multiply them.
! Not only cotton is to go-your lumber,
your black walnut, white oak, your
cedar, your iron ore, all of these COM
modities that we want mast be shipped
to Us direct. You can throw yoGr iron
! ore-the finest ore IN the wOFld-into an
/ open truck, transmit it TO Norfolk, and
ship it to england in its crude State, and
sell it for q splendid profit.
leone among you not to intefers Witn
YOU, but to help you in the matter OF
/ Immigration aud direct trade. l found
1 the ideas OF bOth ~ LOST children, which
/ adopted and haye made pr9teges OF. l
have done this to help yOp-to make
money. too, If 1 can, Of course.
Yo1r products must find 8 market
your grapes, your wine, your sweet po-
tatOes, yeEr hops, which grow sponta'
neously and most lu~yuriantly, will be
brought to purchasers. Only shoP tAe
same resolution and heroic, indomltabie
will and courage which you showed IN
the terrible struggle thEaGgh which you
have inst passed. You have all the In
gradients to be great. Pigs and grapes
made Cincinnati-yoG have both pigs and
grapes and 8 vast quantity OF other
Things which Cincinnati has not got.
Az labor is the forlorn hspe of your desc
lated fields, so direct trade is the forlorn
hone to build up Memphis. Vicksburg
has seen this. She is already in the field
with not half so good a chance as Mem
pbis.
money she could from the South. The
South should do the same toward the
North. England gets ali she can from
everybody.
T This matter is solemn, pressing, in
stant. Tt is the duty Of the Chamber o
Commerce to take the lead. They shoulC
get Up In pamphlet form, for distribution
far and wide throughout Europe. all thu
!, information necessary for emigrants, an(
: the statistics of the country.
A eustomhouse should be established
, here. Here the speaker was INFORMED
: bv the President that there already ex
isted such an Institution. L am glad t.
: hear it. YsH must see that the official
: do their duty.
: Ia conclusion, / would thank you al