The Portland daily press., 1870-05-09


In 1860 the total was 500, 2SS,55O, Of which
S507 ,247,757 was in American and $255, O4C,-
1913 was in foreign vessels. In 1869 the total
was SS76, 443,2S OF which only $2S995O,272
was in American, while 1856, ,012 was in
foreign vessels. In other words, prior to 1860
about seventy-fve per cent. of our imports and
exports were in American vessels, while at the
present time we are reduced to thirty-three
per cent. foreign vessels carrying sixty-seven
per cent, of the exports and imports to and
rom American ports; and worse than all, our
decline in this regard is so steady and so Ger
tain that it is only a question of time, and not
very long time either, when our merchant
marine viii be among the things that were, land
we shall be entirely dependent upon foreign
ers TO carry our merchandise and our mails, as
well as for the facilities to travel to and from
foreign cOuntrie3.
hold in my hand freight circular Of Me-
row d Tell, Glasgow, from which l read:
There are two startling facts that wildly bring
before us the anomalous position of the American
nag at present; first, that he amount ct American
tonnage entered at the ports Of the United Kingdom
has decreased from $4,000 tons in 1861 to 100000
tons in 1867 second. the extraordinary fact that lie
immense steam traffic between the United States
and European ports should be entirely monoE Oiled
by British and contne ntal companies, who are las il
is evident from the large additional amount of ton
mage being constructed for lhem) determined 10 keep
their hold OF the trade
What have we lost and what are we losing
by this loss OF our commerce.? Let us See 1t
is estimated that the freights are on an average
s per cent OF the value OF the cargoes of YES
sells. Assuming this estimate to be correct
our pr opOrtiOn of the ireights on our own eX
ports and imports in 1869, was $23,6OO,O0O,
instead of $57, 100000, as it would have been
had we retained the same per ccntage of the
business that we had prior to the war; net
loss OF more than $33 100000 per annum. This
difference not only goes to enrich foreigners
and swell the balance of trade against us, but
tends directly to strengthen the naval force of
our possible enemies, and thus necessitates the
maintenance OF larger Navy of our own; as
the naval force OF every nation must in great
measure be regulated by that of other nations
with which conflicts may arise.
And this leads US to the consideration of
another loss resulting from the decadence of
our merchant marine which cannot be esti-
mated by any pecuniary standard, can neither
De weighed nor measured, and yet is as real
| as the loss OF character or credit to an indivd-
ual; mean the loss of national "prestiee"
cannot better illustrate this point than by
quoting from speech made by Mr.. Laing in
the British House of Commons in 1867 upon
the proposition to send the English mails to
India by French steamers. He said:
IL am not one OF those who attach an exaggerated
importance 10 what is called PRESTIGE But when
you come to question like this when all the steam
ers that enter the ports of the East, nd which
employed in conducting the correspondence and
communication with all parts OF the East are seen
to carry the French flag, then say there is nothing
so dangerous to the prestige OF the English name as
to have it supposed that French enterprise and
French influence have pre- conference, and that the
French flag has taken the place OF the English.
There is nothing am satited that tends 50 surely
10 keep up the name and influence of England in
the East as tae sight OF those splendid steamers
w In nQ Iorify nIO
on the weekly fortnightly, or monthly performance
Of their voyages"
Sir, has not the great Republic, represent
ing as it does all the nationalities of the world,
cOnqueriDg by its moral power and influence
| rather than by force, an interest in maintain
ing its prestige" equal to that of any other
nation? And yet our flag, emblem of our ma
tionaltv and our power, which ought to float
on every sea and be displayed in every port of
the world, is scarcely to be seen in any, and
| is fast disappearing from the ocean. A CEN
fury ago the commercial enterprise of our
people excited the wonder and the envy of
the nations OF Europe, while the admiration
of the friends Of liberty in the Old World
found expression in the glowing language of
the great English orator. as commenting upon
our national enterprise, he exclaimed:
"Whe wo follow them among the tumbhng
mountains OF ice, and behold them penetra ing INTO
the deepest frozen reces:es of Hudson bay and Da-
viss strait; while we look for them beneath the
Arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced into
me opposite region Of R3lar eSdr that t9sK
pent of the south. Falkland island. which seemed
too remote and romantic an object for the grasp
OF national ambition, is but stage and resting
place in the progress of their victorious industry
| Nor is the equinoctial heat more discouragng to
them than the accumulated winter OF both the pOIes
We know that while some OF them draw the line
and strike the harp0on ON the coast OF Africa other
run the longitude and pursue their gigantic game
along the, coast OF Brazil. No sea but which is
vexed by their fisheries, climate that is not wit
ness to their tolls. Neither the perseverance of
Holland nor the activity OF France, the dexter
Gus and firm sagacity of English enterprise ever
to the extent TO which it has been pushed by this
recent people, people who are still as were in the
grstle and not yet hardened into the bono of man
hood.' p
Such was the character and prestige" of
our country century ago. To-day our ships
of war are run over and suAk by the merchant
steamers of Great Britain with as little cere
mony as though they were Chinese junks.
If there were no help for this condition OF
affairs, if in consequence of natural and insur-
mountable obstacles we were declared from
participating in the advantages derived from
commercial pursuits, we might submit with
regret to our fate. But with natural resour.
ces unsurpassed, with our country in the very
highway OF the commerce of the world, wash
ed by two oceans, abounding in the material
for constructing ships and freighting them,
and with population proverbially adventur-
Gus and enterprising, we have it within our
power absolutely to control the worlds COM
merce. If we fail to do it we are unequal to
and unworthy Of oul opportunities.
| But, sir, aside from any consideration OF
profit or of pride, a prudent regard for the
safety Of the nation should induce us to re-
store our shipping; and this consideration has
always influenced the statesmen of all mari
time nations to consider this interest an ex-
ceptional one; to be fostered, not to benefit
any special class, but as one of the most eff
cient and economical means Of providing for
the common Defense" 1t has been said that
"the Americans are a people that soonest for
get yesterday" but cannot think we have
quite forgotten the value OF our merchant ma
rine as an auxiliary to the Army and Navy
during our late struggle for national existence:
certainly those who were in positions to know
the service rendered by this volunteer naval
force during the war fully appreciate its value
The President in his annual message. aud
again in special message, has urgently called
our attention to its Importance, and has con-
densed into single paragraph, in his special
message, an argument that ought to settle the
whole question. He says:
"Our Navy, at the comm ncement of the late war
consisted OF less than one hundred vcsses of about
one hundred and fifty thousand tons, and force Of
about eight thousand men. We drew from the mer-
chant marine, which had cost the government