The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-24

creaslng tide OF emigration the necessity tor
q speedy settlement of the Indian question is
pressed upon the attention of the Govern
ment, and while true humanity must never
be lost sight of, measures of severity will un-
doubtedly have to be adopted if any satisfac-
tory solution of the Indian problem is to be
arrived at, and if years of bloodshed and out
rage are to be spared.
TIE REVIVAL or AMERICAN
COMMERCE.
The message sent by the President to
Congress yesterday, which he terms ''an
earnest plea" for such action as will
ENSURE the increase of American COM
merce, will heighten the public interest
in this important subject. The extent of the
decline in our shipping interests during the
present decade is almost incredible. Up to
1860 the American tonnage had steadily in
creased with rapidity unparalleled in mari
time history. Our registered tonnage was
nearly equal to that of Great Britain, the diff
ference in hor favor being only little more
than half a million of tons, and as matters
were then progressing there was a fair pros
pect that we should soon surpass her. From
more than a million of tons, while the British
tonnage was increased by the addition of
more than million of tons, and now she has
nearly three times as much tonnage engaged
in foreign trade as the United States. AS
practical result, we are compelled Gin the
language of the message) ''to pay from
twenty to thirty millions of dollars annually,
exclusive of passage money, which we should
share with the vessels of other nations, to
foreigners, for work which should be done by
American.owned and American-manned
vessels.
The causes of this decline are numerous.
One of the most important is the insidious
course pursued by Great Britain during the
Rebellion. Her ship-owners, jealous of the
skill, activity, and success of their American
rivals, saw ia the war long-coveted oppor-
tunity to strike deadly blow at dangerous
competitors; and they improved it to the
utmost While the Alabama, Shenandoah,
and other Rebel piratical cruisers were nomi-
nally fitted out with English money and Eng
lish ornaments to fight the battles of jeff.
Davis, their real mission was to fight the
old battle of John Bull for supremacy on the
ocean, and they succeededin doing thousand
fold more for the spteful English ship-owners
than for the treacherous and deluded
people of the Confederacy. In direct war
with Great Britain we would have returned
blow for blow, which would have equalized
losses but by her contemplate and cow
ardly policy American commerce was made
the sole sufferer. While each merchantmen,
as it was driven from the ocean, covered
Semmes and his infamous compeers with
disgrace, British ship-owners joyfully hailed
each act of destruction as triumph rebound
ing to their immediate benefit.
Another cause of the decline of our ship
ping interests is no doubt to be found in the
diminution of our exports, more especially of
cotton. The quantity sent abroad since the
war is scarcely half as great as the amount
exported previous to 1861, and this decline
has caused, in itself, great diminution in
the demand for American vessels.
Beyond these causes the rapid substitution
of steamers for sailing vessels, and the con-
temporaneous neglect of our authorities to
cised powerful influence against us. Great
Britain and the commercial nations of the
Continent, foreseeing the approaching change,
were prompt to secure all the advantages to
be derived from it, by granting liberal sub
sides to such companies as were willing and
able to establish steam lines on important
routes, while the American Government
neglected or refused to adopt a similar policy
This difference, in itself, places the United
States at fatal disadvantag and if it is not
destroyed all efforts to restore our CONNER
cial prestige will be abortive.
The Special Committee on Navigation In
terests, whose report is referred to and en-
dorsed by the President, discusses the i'm
portance of subsidizing steam lines, and il
states that it would "be a matter of economy
if our Government should build vessels
peace, and readily convertible into fighting
ships in time of war, giving the free use Of
such ships in time of peace to merchants who
would take care of and use them until re.
quired for the national defense" If means
can be devised to carry out this policy in
just and equitable manner, and to make i
faithfully serve a great public end withou
contributing in an undue degree to the en-
richment of few private individuals, Con
gress should adopt it at once. There is none.
enough squandered on the navy to speedil,
restore our decaying shipping interests, AM
our statesmen should be honest and wis
enough to devise methods to render the inevi
table naval expenditures a source of imme
diate and direct gain to the people. There is