New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-10
THE FUTUPE or YEW.YORK

In another part Of this paper we publish an
account of the suburbs Of New ork, showing
how the great city is steadily pushing out us
branches into the surrounding districts, and
engrossing year by year larger share OF tue
national life. Notwithstanding that 1t is one OF
the worst-governCd cities in the civilized world,
that it is heavily taxed, afflicted with countless
nusances. and deficient in many Of the con-
yeniences which naturally belong to great cen
tiers of population, its immense natural ndvan-
taces for commerce have made it prominently
the depot of American trade and industry, and
its geographical position, 1t now seems eyiueh''
is soon TO render it the chief mart for the ex-
changes of the world. For centuries the great
problem of merchants has been how best 10
barter the products of Asia with those OF Eu
rope 1t was in quest Of solution OF ths
nroblem that Columbus sailed his little ships
across the unknown ocean, that the Portuguese
navigator dared the specter OF the cape tilaV
the old Venetian travellers made their adyentur-
ous journeys overland to far Cathay, and that
Parry, and Franklin, and Mcclure faced the
perils of the frozen sea. The Dest way HUN
Europe to the East was by sailing westward
across the Atlantic Ocean; but the North-
American continent lay across the path, ana
commerce was therefore obliged to seek long,
diAicnlt. and circutOus route in the opposite
direction. With the growth of facilities Tor
Transportation, and the opening of avenues
across regions which till recently were track
less, the course OF trade is beginning to change.
The establishment of lines of fast steamships
between China and our Pacific coast is one OF
the most important incidents in the CONNER
cial history of the world Already the teas and
other products of Asia are beginning TO seek
the European markets by thel way OF Panama
and New-York The mails from China to Lon
don are conyeyed across the North American
continent. passing through the two chief sea-
ports of our Pacific and Atlantic coasts; and
as soon as our Pacific railways are finished
there can be no doubt that the bulk OF the
traffic between Europe and the East will pass
through New-York and San Francisco. The
Great obstruction which has hitherto turned the
tide into longer and more difficult channel
will then have been overcome, and the problem
Of the carly adyentmeys solved at last.
in view Of this the future of New-Iork be-
comes more brilliant than that of any other
city of modern times. a generation hence we
can imagine Broadway converted into MANI
moth RiGltO, where merchants OF every hatloiI
under Heaven will congregate, and the none
tary exchanges of the whole world will be
effected in sight of THE TRIBUNE Office. The
domestic commerce of America will naturally
tend more and more as time goes on toward
the same point; the corn and wheat OF the
| teeming West, the cotton and sugar aud tobacco
of the rejuvenated South, the manufactures OF
busy New England, will flow faster and faster
toward this great mart of the world, where
ships of every flag will crowd the harbor to
convey away our products. Already, as it In
anticipation of this future the steamship lines
which have hitherto connected other American
cities with the Old World are forsaking the
smaller ports and concentrating at New-York.
The new epoch of prosperity is dawning. The
great works which are to complete the connec-
ton between MS and the cities of Asia are hur-
rying toward their completion and, in few
years mt furthest, New-York will start on n
new ratio of increase that will be almost with
out parallel in history.