The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-26

multitude of steamers of the Mississippi, II
}. had the vast demand for their supplies q
9 wen as the opportunities faE mi shis On the
: bTsae 81 bulk and transfer. to sea-going
\ vessels not only of cotton, but OF every va
Iriety Of product of the great Mississippi
valley. Il is, therefore, an exception, = IL
depends not on cotton solely.
Cotton, is sold at the nearest market to
Its place of production. 1t is there bought
for foreign account or for; the American
lospitalist or manufacturer, and is shipped
I:straight for its foreign or domestic destina-
|tion. Therefore, when il. reaches the Allan.
| tic port whence it is to be shipped, it leaves
| nothing whatever there. The railroad that
TRANSPORTS it thither delivers it without cost
to the ship that there receives it, and no
body makes anything QUITO it. Even when
the seaport is the place of purchase and
shipment of this great stapleof the world,
no more is retained there upon the trans
faction than the small commission for pur-
chasing and The per diem Of the wharfmen
| and steyedores. What slender support
for q cityl si ~;
| Cotton is not peculiar in this sort Of
poverty Of results compared with the mag
| nitude of the transactions in it. Tobacco
resembles it very closely. This city has
had large tobacco trade for nearly CEN
fury, and yet how slowly it has grown?
The inspectors, with o few coopers to take
off the casks and expose the tobacco
the speculator-and the ships to carry OFT
the freight to Europe-were all that were
engaged in the business. In no other
trade, perhaps, save cotton is there so much
produce received, sold, and shipped, with
ESQ little expense and leaving SO small an
amount in the place where the whole pro-
cess is conducted. As with cotton, a large
portion of the transactions in tobacco are
for foreign account, and the gains ore
transferred to the foreign Spectator.
Therefore, to trade in these staples
merely-to be the place Of their shipment
cannot make great cities. 1t is worse than
idle to imagine that a. commercial commu-
nifty can grow and become great from any
such sources. The capital absorbed by them
invested, in manufactures or any other
branch of commerce would yield far more
wealth. s..
| And this is all right. 1t is only where
the cotton or the tobacco undersocs change
that it is enhanced in value, and then the
labor that effects: that change must be re-
munerated. This gives employment to
many laborers, and adds to the strength
and wealth of community. Until it is so
changed the price paid for it, less commits
sions-reduced by competition to the lowest
fgure--goes to the planter. So that, after
oil, manufacturing makes large commune
ties and wealthy cities. 1t takes the trade
of hemispheres without manufactures to
make great cities. These are so few as to
establish the fact. n5this country we have
New York. In Europe, London. In Asia,
Calcutta and Canton. Few others deserve
to be named in the category -. a'-4
Now, from these facts, we may truly as
sumo that there has been something vision
ary in the schemes for through freights in
Virginia and che sacrificing of the largest
interest in the State to that chimera. The
Southside road has had an immense freight
in cotton, which has but leaped into the sea
and swan off to Europe or New England,
tleayine not dollar in Norfolk. The idea
T of great steam lines to transport these
/ freights has, been maintained with zeal
not compensated by results, and the de-
Imands for transportation have been readily
4 met by the; jobbing craft that is ever wait
1 Ing for orders for freight: .:.: S.f.,
t. We would most incerely desire to see
our people delivered from the decisions
which have 80 long nisaed them. Wedo not
I mean to say that the staples we allude to
fare not sources of profit to the country.
They are the source Of wealth y but the
trade in them does not make great cities
Nor do we believe that the farmer should
tbestow oil of his time and labor upon
fthem. He should increase the variety of
! his crops as the. best safeguard against
! the failures from unp.ropitious seasons.
aThis, however, is departing from the
main point. !, We wish to impress upon tht
communities of Virginia that they viii b
disappointed in their expansive theories
based on the staples and freight business
They must rest upon the solid foundation
of mechanical industry, which gives new
forms to-, the agricultural and minera
! wealth Of the State, and in this. way gives
! employment to thousands and retains in thu
State the gains Of, their industry added t.
fthas of the farmer or miner who produced
! ready to the manufacturer's hand the raw
& mstarial. s;,s,.9I ro tga, seAG .aa4:yiH
II Upon mechanical skill as ,the, corner
:. stone commercial enterprise may rest will
9 entire assurance Of success and multiplied
ton. st;. q, ,T,Sf =. as;,,x!9
Therefore we say that here in Richmond
the State has ;this cornerstone, and any
I poliey which is. detrimental to- thia Git,
impairs the advantages Of comznercia
!, prosperity upop this basis without pampen
4 sstions from any other taaartes, herea'
.diift This eityZWere possessed the proper
sfaegres, Of tbase shortest and amost expedi
datious ainss 81 commauin ication With Che great
4 centres of production, without which NJ
city can begrest in this day, when specs
!, isetties all commercial struggles the stat'
4 interests would DO promoted In the mos