The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-23
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 80, 1869.
THE REVIVAL OF AMERICAN
OOHlTEPnE


COMMERCE.
IT has lately been shown by the committee
entrusted with the duty of urging upon Con-
gress the consideration of measures designed
to revive the dropping shipping interests of
the United States, that their decline has kept
pace with the substitution of iron steamships
for wooden vessels. The infamous course of
Great Britain during the war accelerated the
downward tendency which had commenced
before the Rebellion, and it caused the real
or pretended transfer of many American ves-
sells to British owners; but it was, after all,
only secondary cause of the change which
has so seriously damaged our commercial
marine. In former times American vessels
not only did the bulk of the carrying trade of
the United States, but a large share of the car
rying trade of other nations. Now all that is
left us is but small fraction of the carrying
trade of our own country, as a very large pro-
portion of our imports and exports are
transported in steam vessels belonging to
foreign nations. The profits arising from
this trade can never be restored to American
citizens in any other way than by the con-
struction of American lines of steamships. 1t
any large number of lines of sailing vessels
as to make Conestoga teams successful rivals
of railways in the land transportation of mer-
chandise. The new movement is one of real
progress and of such a character that its force
cannot be averted. Our only remaining re-
source is to initiate it, to show the world that
we can build steamships too, and to regain
our wonted supremacy by acquiring as great
a superiority in the modern mercantile ma
rine as we achieved, in former times, in the
old sailing vessels. In achieving this end the
aid of the Government in some shape, will
be inevitably necessary and in view of the
interest manifested in this subject by the
various departments at Washington, the allu-
sions to it in the annual message, the promise
of a special communication from the Presi-
dent, the comments of the Secretary of the
Treasury, and, more recently, the views sub
mitted to the Naval Committee of the House
of Representatives by Admiral Porter, deci-
sive and beneficial action will, we presume,
not be long delayed. In this connec-
ton one of the statements of Admiral
Porter possesses special importance. He says
that ''the value to our Government of the use
of thirty vessels like those of the British mail
lines would, in case of war, more that equal
he combined strength of our present navy
this be true, why should not fair proper
ion of the sum now granted to the support of
he navy be used to subsidize mail steamship
ines Ironclads, monitors, and other ves-
Jels of war are indispensable in time of actual
conflict; even in time of peace they are occa-
sionally useful in inspiring respect for the
American flag in distant ports, or in remind
ing belligerent nations that we can speedily
prepare for a desperate naval contest; but as
they do not directly serve any useful CONNER
cial purpose, it would be thousand times
better to organize our naval system on the
plan outlined in Admiral Porters significant
suggestion. BY helping to construct and
maintain steam lines similar to the British
mail ships, we would accomplish at once
commercial object of the highest national
Importance, and, at comparatively small ex-
pense, double our present navy. Surely this
proposition is worthy of the attentive conside
ration of Congress, as partial substte for
the system which squanders millions an
nually without even remote prospect of
securing direct pecuniary returns. AS other
nations have called their lines of steamships
into existence by liberal governmental aid,
this policy should also be adopted here. 1t
would be far better to pursue this course
than to grant the prayers of those who ask
for such changes of the tariff as would lead
to the construction of the proposed new Anne
rican steamships of foreign material Let
us have the new lines American Throughout
made of native materials and machinery con-
structed on our own SOIL commanded by
American officers, and supported or subsi-
died by the Government. On the Pacific
this policy has already been virtually esta-
blished Now let it also be carried into
effect on the Atlantic coast. If we cannot
compete with the older European lines, we
can make beginning with lines to Cuba,
Mexico, South America, and gradually ex-
tend them in other directions, wherever it is
probable that commerce will follow the