The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-19


rency and the diversion Of war. These
are some of the elements; and here
again we have British testimony. Mr..
W. E. Forster, in the speech already quo
ted announces that "the carrying trade
of the United Stated was tranferred to
British merchants" and Mr.. Cobden,
with his characteristic mastery OF de-
tails, shows that, according to an oth'
cial document laid on the table OF FAR
lament, American shipping had been
transferred to English capitalists as
follows: In 1858, thirty-three vessels,
1865 tuns; 1859, forty-nine vessels,
2l,673 tunss 1860, forty-one vessels,
twenty-aix vessels, 71,673 tuns; 1861
one hundred and thirty-five vessels,
g., 573 tuns: and 1854, three hundred
and forty-eight vessels, 265, 579 tuns;
and he adds: ST am told that this OPP
Grafton ts now going on as fast as ever;"
and this circumstance he declares to be
"the OTnUeSt part OF the questions OF
our relation with America" But this
"grRYest part" is left untouched by the
pending treaty. Our own official doc
uments are In harmony with these
English authorities. For instance,
have before me now the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury for 1868, with
an appendix, by Mr.. Nimmo. on ship
building in our country. From this
report, 1t appears that, in New England
States, during the year 1855, the most
prosperous year of American Ship
building, three hundred and Eve ships
and barks, and one hundred and sew
enty.three schooners were built, with
an aggregate tHnnage of 326, 429 tuns,
while, during the last year, only nifty
eight ships and barks, and two hundred
and thirteen schooners, were built, with
an aggregate tunnage OF IS, 697 tuns. l
add further statement from the same
report:
"During the ten years from 1852 to
1862 the aggregate tunnage of Ameri-
can vessels entered at seaports of the
United States from foreign countries
was 80, 225, 475 tunS, and the aggregate
tunnage of foreign vessels was $685.
1872 tuns, while during the five years
from 1868 to 1865 the aggregate tunnage
of American vessels entered was 8, $685.
S77 tuns, and the aggregate tnnnage of
foreign vessels entered was II, LII, 427
tuns-showing that American tunnage
in our foreign trade had fallen from
two hundred and sixty to sixty-six per
cent of foreign tunnage in the same
trade. Stated in other terms, during
the decade from 1852 to 1862, sixty
tered from foreign countries was in
American vessels, and during the five
years from 1868 to 1865 only thirty-ni ne
per cent. of the aggregate tunnage en-:
tered from foreign countries was in
American vessels-a relative falling of
of nearly, one-half."-[F Finance Report
for 1865, page 1886
1t is not easy to say how much of this
change, which has become chronic, may
be referred to British pirates; but it
cannot be doubted that they contri bu-
ted largely to produce it. They began
the Influences under which this change
has continued. There is another docu.
h IN Inn III kInaN
present question. refer to the inter-
estlng report of Mr.. Morse, our Consul
at London, made during the last year.
and published by the Secretary of
State. After a minute inquiry, the re-
port shows that, on the breaking out of
the rebellion in 1861, the entire tunnage
OF the United States, coasting and reg
istered, was 8, 539, 1913 tuns, of which g.
642, 625 tuns were registered and en-
pIoyed in foreign trade. and that, at
the close of the rebellion in 1865. not
withstanding an increase in coasting
tunnage. our registered tunnage had
fallen to 1902, 52S tuns, being q loss
during the four years of moro than
million tuns, amounting to about forty
per cent. of our foreign commerce.
During the same four years the total
tunnage of the British Empire rose
from 1888 1863 tunS to ,322 ,604 tuns, the
increase baing especially IN the foreign
trade. The report proceeds to say that,
as to the cause OF the decrease in Amer
lea, and the corresponding increase in
the British Empire, ''there can be no
room for question or doubt" Here is
the precise testimony from one who at
his official post in London watched
this unprecedented drama, with the
outstretched ocean as a theater, and
British pirates as the performers.
"Conceding to the rebels the belliger-
ent rights of the sea when they had not
solitary war ship ahoat, in dock, or in
the process OF construction, and when
they had no power to protect or dispose
of prizes, made their sea-rovers, when
they appeared, the instruments of teri
ror and destruction to our commerce.
From the appearance of the first corsair
in pursuit of their ships, American
merchants had to pay not only the ma
rine, but the war risk also on their
ships. After the burning of one or two
ships with their neutral cargoes, the
ship.owner had TO pay the war risk on
the cargo his ship had on freight as we'll
as on the ship. Even then, for safety,
the preference was, as matter of course,
always given to neutral vessels, and
American ships could rarely find en-
ployment on these hard terms, as long
as there were good neutral ships in the
freight market. Under such circum-
stances there was no course left for our
merchant ship.owners but to take such
proftless business as was occasionally
offered them, let their ships be idle at
their moorings or in dock with large
expense and deterioration constantly
going on, to sell them outright when
they could do SO without ruinous sacri-
flee, or put them under foreign flags for
protection."-[Report of F. 81. Morse,
United States Consul at London, dated
January l, 1868.
Beyond the actual loss to the national tun.
mage there was further loss in the arrest OF
our natural increase In this branch of indus
i've per cent. annually; making in 1883
total loss on this account of 1854 95S tuns,
which must be added to oS5 tunS actu-
ally lost The same statistlc1an, after e6Li-
making allowance for old and new ships,
puts the sum total OF national loss ON this
! add that OF the National Board OF Trade,
which, in a recent report on American ship
ping, after setting forth the dimtnutton OF
our sailing tunnaGe, says that 1t Is all tn be
traced to the war on the ocean, and the re-
suit is summed up in the words, tnat while
the tunnage of the nation was rapidly dis.
sers ana by sales abroad, there was no con-
structton OF new vessels going forward TO
counteIact the decline even In part" such
Is the various testimony, all tending to 0he
conclusion. That Is what1 have to say for
the present OH national losses through the
destruction OF commerce. These are large
enough; but there Is another chapter, where
they are larger far. refer, of courEe, 10 the
national losses caused by the prOlOn2at1On of
the war. and traceable directly to England.
No candid person, who studies this eYsnttul
originally encouraged by hope of support
from England; that 1t was strengthened at
once by the concession OF be!lserent rights
on the ocean;thati 1t was fed TO the end byBrit-
ish suppnes;thAt 1t was qulckened into renew
ed life with every report from the British pr
rates flaming anew with every burning
ha tod