Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-03-26
lailg aiennrbrt Nournal,
AUG U $ It a.
Saturday Morning, March 20, 1870.
PRESIDENT GRANT AND COM
J{ER(I

The earnest and active interest which
President Grant takes in the revival of
American commerce and navigation is
shown by his recent message to Congress
in favor of measures to promote them. He
regards their decline. followed rs il is by
our being obliged to pay large sums to
foreign vessels annually for doing work
that we ought to do ourselves, creating
a drain upon our resources. 50 far As the
nation is concerned, like casting the same
amount of money into the sea- us Il sutli-
cient cause for national humiliation. The
idea that nation like this, with its vast
interior resources, and washed for thou
sands of miles by the waters Of the two
great oceans should depend upon foreign
nations for transportation and commerce,
is one which finds no favor in his mind,
and he emphasizes his objection when he
says that we ''must oue day possess full
share Of the commerce of these oceans no
matter at what cost This is somewhat
different from the view which is taken i'll
some quarters, that our navigation inter-
cst> are local in their advantages, being of
no particular benefit TO any section except
the sea coast. and having little national
importance. When the chief of the nation
saws we must have our share of the com
mercc of the oceans at any cost, the decla
ration is sufficient to stamp the nationality
of the question. and give it the importance
in public estimation which it deserves. We
doubt not that England has already taken
notice of the expression, and weighed its
import as touching her commercial inter-
ests. We trust it may prove the keynote
to q movement that shall wrench from her
what she has already stolen from Us III
commercial advantages, and make our
flag second to none on the worlds great
highway.
In summingup the benefits of the ma
tional blessing of building ships and navi-
eating them the President puts the case
in its proper shape. 1t viii occupy thou
sands of workmen in constructing and
manning vessels; create a home market
for the produce of the farm and the shop
diminish the balance of trade against us
and give us an invaluable supremacy upon
the seas in case of foreign war. OF the
value of the merchant marine Us a means
OF national defence in time of war, his ref
erence to the aid which it afforded the ma
Al. ? -.
cation This merchant marine had cost the
government nothing, but had been a source
of national wealth, and Yet i. furnished
six hundred vessels, exceeding one mil
lion tons, and about seventy thousand men,
to AID in suppressing the rebellion" With
such an indisputable record as this the
building up of our navigation interests
should not need friends even upon the
prairies of the West. National defence
falls alike upon all parts of the country,
while commerce extends everywhere that
production exists. The West as much de-
ponds upon vessels to transport its products
abroad, rs the Atlantic States depend upon
building and sailing them to support their
population.
In recommending the bills now before
Congress, the President speaks with APP
prevail of the labors of the Committee
which prepared them, and whose duty it
was to investigate the causes of the decline
of our commerce. The details of the bills
are very properly not endorsed, these be-
ing left uncmbarrassed so that free dis
cussion and further consideration may
shape them into such form as may appear
best tor the main object. What the Presi-
dent desires to see is the adoption of the
best measures that can be taken for the
encouragement and aid Of our navigation
interests, and that too as quickly as posi-
bic, 50 as to give a favorable influence to
shipbuilding this year it may be done.
Here is hope for our Maine shipbulders,
providing they keep pace with the de-
mands of the times in regard to the mode
of constructing vessels demanded by car
riers. There is something to be thought
of in the growing demand for iron vessels
and steam propulsion which ought not to
be neglected or passed over as Of no CON
sequence.
"P1PER CPEDIT" RESOLVES.