Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-29

puDiic eHLSftEise tuat arc " "0'S4SP tAS
South and give us a Pacific railroad.
THE kyNuAE MEETING OF TEE Ma
TTOxAL BOARD GF TRADE.
TIE second annual meeting of this i'm
portant body will be held st Cincinnati
on the Sd proximo. No Convention
which has met during the past few years,
will exert such an infuence upon the
legislation Of the country. It will be
composed OF the ablest members Of n
class of citizens who, ia ali countries and
ail ages, have more or lees given diree-
tlon aud tone to that policy which en-
Iightens and vitslizss a nation. From
the days OF WAsHINGTOE, when HAN
COG and MORRIS aided in directing the
American Ship OF State, to this hour, the
merchants of the United States have
been foremost snong the leading spirits
who have moulded the machinery OF po-
liticsl affairs and their ambition has
always been TO build up, rather than to
Lul down-t0 foster and encourage,
rather than chill and depress, the rising
energies OF the people. At no time IN
the history OF cur Government, have the
suggestions Of their long experience and
practical wisdom been more felt and ap-
pFeciated than during the past eight
years; and now, when the credit OF the
nation, State and individual, must pass
under the crucible OF their cool consider
alton, the result Of their deliberations
will be looked for with 10 ordinary In
tersst. Their dlctum will greatly iniu
enca the action OF Congress upon any
question involving the commercial pros
psrity OF the country and ne are sure
their opinions will be az beneficial
as wise. The South will look TO this
Convention with q special interest
not for political, but commercial sup
port and aid. We on Thursday gave to
our resders extracts from an interesting
speech made by the Hon. Mr. RAUM, in
July last, regarding the vast influence
railroads exert on commerce and we
trust the Cincinnati Convention OF the
National Board Of Trade will not fail to
give this subject it's just consideration.
Our Chamber ofCcmnerce mas especially
presented the Southern Pacific Railroad
as a great question FOR the nation at
large, and wholly commercial IN It's ns-
ture. We shsil regard a reeoDmenda-
ton of this projsct by this Convention,
as tantsmount to deciding Congress 10
give it the aid it should have IS a ma
tionAl work.
Then, again, comes up the question Of
duty on railroad iron, IS presented by =
correspondent : few days since. Every
railroad COW built is deeply interested in
this, for they will al have to renew their
iron and every enc yet TO be built is
even more deeply interested In getting
iron free Of duty. Is it right for the
Government to pay, annually, one or
two thousand dollars per mile for i'm
proving the commerce Of the Mississippi,
and charge q railroad three Thousand
per mile, if ore should ever be
built CT the banks Of that stream?
There is yet another and an equally
important matter which, We trust, will
be considered by the National Board of
for no measure hiss greater GEM
meEclal results involved. We auude to
leveeing the N ssissippi river. 80 other
river on the globe has rs many miles Of
navigation, including It's tributaries. Il
exceeds Is, 000 miles; snd the commerce
floating on ihess Eaters exceeds the in-
land commerce Of all Eoglsnd. West
Pennsylvania, West Virgins, Ohio, In
dana, Illinois, lows, Minnesota, Kan
sas, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, Ten
aessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louis
IsDa are all interested Ia the navigation
Of the main stream. Ia 1850, the popu-
OF the Union was 81 go. 600; the
population Of the above States sss ii. 5O0,-
co the value Of all property in the
was $40, 900. 600 eco; value Of same
in these States was 81, 900, OO0 600; mum
bsr of horses, cattle, sheep and swine,
81 coo GOO; number OF same Ia these
aies, 90. $50 000; bushels Of wheat raised
the Ulited States, III .000, 600; bushels
lf wheat raised ia these States, $780,
90; bushels c0f8 raised ia Inc dotted
States, $50, coo, coo; came in ths above
) .ates, $50. 900, $50; bushels Irish pota-
Joes raised In the United States, 10 0GO,-
40; same ia the shOye States, 40. coo. eco;
~hogsheads sugar raised IN the
States. 302 600 900; same in the
States, e9s, O0O, 600; pounds tobacco
in the United States, 429 coo Go0;
anne ia the above States, 225 GOO, coo;
,sles cotton raised 10 the United States.
.19S 900; same in the above States, g.
10 900. These figures, carefully COM
lied from the census tables OF 1860,
psek for themselves. Even then, nearly
.aif the population OF the Union was in
be States directly and Immediately in
10 the navigation Of the Missis :
.ppi river and they contained half the
more than half the animals,
.!sed mors tasn half the grain, tobacco :
I'D cotton, and aeaFly all the sugar pro- !
need In the whole Uaion. AL this vast {
Ira - national power has = special in {
,rest In tbs eommeEce of this river; yet !
lis commerce may never be estimated !
ntil its lsvees are repaired, ard the pro-
and wealth OF the people On Its .
sre aalply protected against inun- :
alton and consequent destruction. Look q
our noble river now, from Memphis to '
.sw Orleans. Thousands Of acres are
ing waste, more because the river can :
'urss over them In high water than il
ON any other esuse, Neither States
counties nor individuals can repair Z
leyess. Nothing bat the Federal :
overnment can provide for en- outlay a
costly SIS this must be to make the d
ork effective. IL the Government can T
a Pacific Railroad, surely it can do !"
hat may be needed to conhae this river
thin is banks,
We commend the subject to the con-
lerstion Of. the National Board Of VI
ade at Cincinnati. One involving q