The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-22
The Darien Canal.

the present, and it is certain to be one of the
grandest facts of the future. Since the Suez
Canal was formally opened the Darien Canal
or some canal across our isthmus has been
pronounced necessity. The necessity has
been confessed, not by Great Britain alone,
but by several other nations Of the European
Continent. In a recent editorial, expressive
evidently of the commercial sentiment of
British traders, the London Times says that
growing interest is felt ''in commercial circles
in the possibility of another ship canal, deeper,
wider and less subject to fogs and sand drifts,
through some of the Central American States,
to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans"
has connected his name and his administration
with this necessity and with this forthcoming
triumph. tbs well known that the President
is favorable to the enterprise. 1t is just as
we'll known that with his sanction initial steps
have been taken. 1t is our opinion that if
President Grant does not permanently asso-
ciate his name with the Darien, or some such
canal, although it may be named by another
name, he and his friends will have good
reason to sorrow over lost opportunity
II is we'll known to us that the Suez Canal
while full of promise, is not yet encouraging
to the great mercantile firms of Europe, par
ticalarly to the great mercantile firms of Great
Britain. After long and laborious calculation
the moneyed and business classes of Europe
generally have arrived at the conclusion that for
sailing vessels the Suez route will never pay.
Their reason for so concluding is not merely
that the canal is not yet deep and broad
enough to receive vessels of the largest ton
mage, but that when the canal is made all that
the canal ought to be the Red Sea presents
difficulties which are insuperabe. This, of
course, applies chiefly to sailing vessels 1t is
not denied that when the canal is deepened
and widened steamships, and such steamships
as have hitherto navsgated the Red Sea, will be
able to make the entire passage from Bombay or
Calcutta to any point in the Mediterranean, or
to any port in Great Britain or beyond the
Straits of Gibraltar in a space Of time short
ened by some weeks. The Suez Canal brings
the British ports nearer to Bombay by over
four thousand miles, brings New York nearer
to Bombay by over three Thousand miles,
over four thousand miles, brings Marseilles
nearer to Bombay by over five thousand miles.
So far as Great Britain and our Atlantic sea-
| ports are concerned the saving is very nearly
one-half. But the advantages gained by short
ened route are more than c0unterbalanced by
tonnage dues, by the expense for coal and by
| general insurance On the whole it has been
concluded that the Cape route cannot be ruined
by the Suez Canal
Aside, however, from the imperfections Of
the canal the Red Sea difficulties stand seriously
in the way. The channel of that sea is narrow
| Coral reefs abound. The winds are always,
] or almost always parallel with the sea.
Losses, serious losses are inevitable Proba-
| BILE perils fully counterbalance the apparent
gain 1t is this reason which has compelled
the merchants of Great Britain to speak out
through the columns of the London Times.
They see that our Darien Canal, once made,
will be success and a success for ever. We
have no Red Sea. The isthmus once cut, the
Atlantic and the Pacific will be one. The
ports Of China and Japan, and all the ports on
the Pacific coast of this Continent will be
brought nearer to our Atlantic ports by some
thousands of miles, and nearer proportionally
to the ports of Western Europe. We have
obtained from the greatest commercial nation
of modern times the confession that the
Darien Canal is needed 1t is not for us to
despise the demands of the world beyond us,
especially when those demands coincide with
our own interests. Much depends on General
Grant. AS warrior his name is great. As
a ruler in times of peace he has given, and he
still gives, promise. But ii he would take his
place with the Alexanders, the Caesars, the
Eapoleons of the past, he will not lose the
opportunity Of linking his name with the
Darien Canal. Peace hath her victories not
less renowned than war, and the olive is not
less desirable than the laurel. Words are not
lost upon the wise.
Dom PEDRO ON LOPEZ. Everybody in
South America would, it seems, be quite content