New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-27
OUR TRADE WITH MEXICO,

| w AaI ioIciBHcT LOOKING at Gn0 prOpln
guilty of Mexico to the United States, to tn
fraternity of their treaty relations, and tn
similarity of their institutions, would hest
tate to say that these two republics enjoyed
an intimate and reciprocal commerce? Yet
so far from these reasonable Inference
being true, Mexico is more inaccessible t.
an American merchant than China, ant
either of three foreign powers, distan
more than six thousand miles, profit more
by the commerce of Mexico than we do
The inquiring mind would like to know
the causes of this singular non-inter-
course. l. The jealousy of race and re-
igion has much to do with the preference
shown to more distant powers. 2. Some
sense of uneasiness lest the expansion of
American progress should take the direc-
ton of that connection of States called
the Mexican union. 8. There was another
cause which has now passed away. 1t
was the apprehension on the part of the
Northern States of the Union that the
Southern States would acquire territory
for the expansion of slavery. The anxiety
to avoid further territorial complications
was such as to induce treaty about
1850, under which the United States
agreed not to acquire or colonize more
territory in Central America. The same
spirit also invited other nations to unite
with the United States in the equal use
and guaranty of the isthmian crossings
This policy of restricting the possible
expansion of the South seemed to extend
itself to the commercial relations of the
United States with Mexico and
other Southern States. For a long
time numerous citizens complained
of the injustice with which foreigners were
treated in Mexico, without receiving any
very jealous protection at the hands of
their own government 1t seemed the
spirit of American diplomacy to say to
the complainants, "You had better let
Mexicans alone; they are people of
strong prejudices, and you had better
trade somewhere else" This sentiment
is obvious from the voluminous memorials
OF American citizens dispirited and i'm
prisoned by the Mexican government. In
the meantime, so far as the language of
tr> aties is concerned we have nothing to
complain of; We are admitted to trade ION
the footing of the most favored nations"
yet of S50,000,000 annual trade, the
United States receives but about SIS, OOO,-
OOO A late report of Mr.. Nelson, Amer
lean Minister, says that the trade of Mex
leo sis chiefly in the hands of English,
French and Germans, who manage to get
along in spite of the disturbances of which
we hear so much, while notwithstanding
our proximity our trade does not flourish"
The policy of the United States should
now change. The surplus productions of
the West demand additional markets.
The plantations can no longer consume
the Western surplus. In adopting plan
for opening, principally through New
Orleans, the Mexican trade, we can not |
do better than accept the counsel of |
General W. S. Rosecrans, but recently |
our minister at the City of Mexico. He
proposes, by a chartered company, 'to
give to Mexico the capital and business
energy of Americans, and to establish
banks and other business facilities there,
and construct railroads, etc" This scheme
has received the flattering Endorsement of
JuareZ and Romero; of Mr.. Seward and
MIR. Chase; of Governor Hoffman and
Governor Hayes; of Senator Carpenter;
and, indeed, of all to whom it has been
submitted. He shows chow the trade
md business of the Spanish American
countries are controlled by English,
French or German merchants. These
IRE protected and fostered by their gov
who follow them with paternal
and are prompt to redress their
wrongs; while they do not regard appeals
or redress as the com, laints of querulous
II troublesome persons. Our national
reatment Of our neighbors upon this con-
inent has not been altogether as kind as
should be, and it is indeed wonderful
hat we have retained so much of their
onfdence and respect"
The New York Commercial! Bulletin saws
# his proposals:
We have but to be kind, generous and
and show no disposition to in
rude upon their territory to become at
nee the acknowledged leader, champion
nd arbiter of all America from Batfins
Bay to the Straits of Magellan, and to have
UGH following in this hemisphere as no
Their power in the world has ever had.
'hese young republics, and those yet to be
UGH, have an example in us to stimulate
heir zeal and ambition. They need have
themselves of the energy and enterprise
nd capital possessed by our citizens.
All this requires a new and decided
hange in the national policy. This was
lore than intimated in the December mes
age of the President, who saw in the
Outh American conference at Washington
ne promise of new era, and the proof of
sincere interest in the welfare of our
eighbOrs, and of our desire to extend our
and social relations with them.
he empire of the United States is on the
ointment of America. We can draw the
etter part of all its trade to us. The
acifc railroad begins already to change [
he course of the Chinese trade, and
'arien canal would form the crevasse
trough which all the wealth of Asia and t
ne Pacific would flow to build up and en- 8
ch this country
D. n.1o