The Portland daily press., 1870-02-19

New YORK e Shanghai via P. H. X. and San
ETdnCiscn. ....-............... ss5h
Saa Frarciseo 10 Shanghai per steamer. $780,. 5,SSs
Cbicag 10 J 0kolaIn i. ........,. S'oo0
st. Louis about same distance as Chicago ''''0
Nothing in the future is more certain than
that the foreign importations Of the W.st ero
to be made directly to her chief commarciaI
cities and distributed therefrom from morris IN
seaboard. The railways which are tn snnnIv
them in part are but in their infancy. and Nv
means OF Improvements yet to be iptroducad
may ere long be able to compete snccesstnIiy,
with steam transportation by water. ThronoR
such improvements, the routes across enr 60
tinent, already the most direct NAV haoome
the cheapest routes from London to China and
japan. Between the western termini of thasa
routes and the lands that are washed hv tho
Pacific and Indian Oceans, nature has nrov;d.
vded tree of cost great highway, which we
have only to occupy with vehicles Of transnor.
tatiou. No mouutain barriers are to he scaIod
OF levelled to reach them.
Those Asatic countries are teemiug with q
busy industrious population, skilled in the
mechanic arts, and adopts IN the science of ar
rculture. Astounding in wealth, with exten
sye internal and little external commerca
their trade has been the prize for which al
commercial nations have for centuries con-
tended. The trade of the more Important of
these countries, India, China and ,Janan
Great Britain now draws to herself and dis
world.
The silver products of the mines of America
make nearly the circuit of the world to reach
via Great Britain, the countries of the Fast
while the products of those countries come
back to America by the same circuitous route
These far Eastern countries are at our verv
doors; their relations with us more friendly
than with any other nation; their trade is at
our command, if we will but stretch forth onr
hand and take it.
The advantages to result from the revival IF
| our commerce and navigation, and esneciallv
from our obtaining possession of the Pacific
trade, are confined to no one section of the
| country. With the Sandwich Islands in on =
| possession, and by the adoption of a wise and
liberal commercial policy, we can control the
trade of Eastern Asia and the commerce of
the Pacific. and pour their wealth directly into
the valley of the Mississippi, which is to be the
| centre of population in the future of our conn
try. Chicago, st. Louis and other cities of th !,
| West are, as we have said, to become ports of
| entry and distributors of the products of Asia
as well as of Europe. Thus, the great West
has the same interest in reviving and main
| tanning the ocean commerce of our country
under the American flag that the Atlantic
States have in opening up internal lines of
commerce., whether by the hnilding of great
lines OF railway or by the improvement of lake
or river navigation.
Shall we, after having expended millions in
opening this opportunity of controlling the
| commerce of the world by uniting the two
great oceans that wash the opposite shores OF
the continent after astonishing the world by
| our enegy and wisdom in Carrying through
such gigantic commercial enterprise while
surprise it still more by our supineness and
Jolly IN neglecting to avail ourselves OF the
| greater advantages which nature has opened Ia
us without cost?