The New York herald., 1868-12-06
The National Board OF Trade.

Tho National Board OF Trade.
In the third days proceedings Of the meet
ing of the above board at Cincinnati, published
Yesterday, there was considerable attention
called to the interests Of American shipping
and 10 our telegraph system. Both subjects
were very justly agitated, but they did not re-
ceive that broad discussion to which they are
entitled as among the foremost questions of the
day. Few men willingly give the time neces-
sary to thorough analysis Of these great sub
jects and present them properly at such
meeting, feeling as they do that proper au-
dience will not assemble to give just apprecia-
ton to the result of careful studies. This
leads us to the consideration that there
are numerous commercial societies in diff
fsrent cities Of the United States dignifed
with the high-sounding titles Of "Board of
Trade" or ''Chamber of Commerce" These
are generally composed of merchants selected
for their wealth and position, with little refer
ence to their particular qualifications to treat
upon such broad subjects as might be supposed
to arise in the discussion of our national de-
velopment, domestic or foreign. Such socie-
ties are, perhaps, useful, and may in time be in
strumental in the organization of more per-
feet body which will be better fitted to cope
with the great questions which are daily
taking more prominence and which SO nearly
affect the general prosperity of our people.
In the United States we have been so busy
in the prosecution of practical work that we
have entirely ignored the theoretical, which
now, by our great advancement, throws itself
into prominence as rare study. This advance
ment has reached that point where laws are re-
quired to shape its future, and in the wisdom
of these will rest the prosperity or decadence
of enterprise in given direction. The great
mass of our merchants speak of trade
In its simple bearing of dollars, and the boards
of trade, in great part, do no more. They are
profoundly ignorant of geography and Of the
commercial relations existing between differ
ent countries even on this Continent. Geo
graphical knowledge is the first essential to
commercial or trade knowledge, and the man
who, without this, pretends to teach finance,
commerce and the general laws and effect of
interchange of the worlds products simply
demonstrates his ignorance.
The world in this century is taking its great
est trade expansion. The United States, stand
ing as it does in the dominating trade posi-
ton, is destined to have commerce to which
that of the present is puny. Much Of this flu
ture depends upon the manner in which we
deal with its foundations, which we are now
seeing laid with scarcely knowledge Of the
causes which give them shape.
The first great focus of information which
should be Immediately founded is National
Geographical Society, and large appropria-
ton should be made by the coming Congress
for this purpose. We should soon avoid, in
that case, the sending of letters to Panama as
the most direct route to the Argentine republic,
as has lately been done by our State Depart
ment, and the purchasing of a ticket via Eng
land to reach Costa Rica, as was not long
since done by United States Minister to the
latter country. No man of intelligence
can converse with the majority of
our merchants, and even public men,
upon geographical subjects and fail to discover
uACA i~mou10OiU iBhoi"hSC. Du' u
of boundary lines they are still more ignorant
of typographical features, of latitude, of longi-
tude and distances, all of which shape COM
mercial interchange and are the first elements
Of a proper understanding of the subject. We
want Board of Trade, but we want it made
up of the choicest brain of the country--of
travellers and scientific men, of financiers who
have given broad study to foreign as well as
domestic systems, Of merchants who are known
for their liberal views, of railway and steam
ship builders Before such board as this
lectures on great trade questions would be
given with pleasure by men who could feel
that rare effort would be met by rare appre-
citation. At present there is no trade society
in this country before which man possessed
Of valuable information can hope to be appre-
ciated by seeing large and intelligent attend
ance at the reading of any paper.
Our national greatness depends so entirely
upon proper understanding Of all the natural
and artificial laws Of trade that there should
be no more time wasted in the petty organiza :
tions which appropriate high titles only to bring
them into ridicue.
The Management OF Our Public schools.
In another part of to-day's paper we pub