New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-01
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.

mingo and several other questions "nlon
have been considered and determined are
perhaps well enough, but these disposed
of, let our representatives now take up
the matter of trade and with
the South American States. This trade
is now almost exclusively controlled by
Great Britain, and affords to that country
a vast income and revenue which by right
belongs to us. Previous to the late war
between France and Prussia, this trade
was divided between France and England,
but since the crushing of he ormer
under the iron heel of war, the latter now
absorbs the portion that France hereto
fore controlled, besides her own. Thus
England has secured an almost entire
monopoly of this trade.
We are a manufacturing people, and
the articles produced by US are In great
demand among the people OF South
America. South America is a large
consumer of manufactures and ma
chinery, the demand for which is in
creasing every year. We need the pro-
auctions of that country, and we consume
fully as much as either Great Britain or
France. To a very great extent we are
dependent upon South America for coffee,
dye and cabinet woods, medicinal herbs
and banks, gutta percha, india rubber,
hides, tallow and many other articles, for
which we pay money, as the balance OF
trade is largely against us. Such a state
of things ought not to exist. There is
everything in our favor to enable us to
have a more equal balance between the
two sections of this hemisphere than now
appears. Our relations are perfectly
friendly with all the South American
States. We have aided and assisted them in
maintaining the integrity of their several
governments against foreign invasion
and interference. Many of them are
modelled after our own, and through the
kindly advice and counsel of u govern
ment, which sympathized with them In
their struggles for stability and perma-
hence they were enabled to secure peace
and prosperity. Before u late war our
marine was successfully competing with
England for the rich and valuable cargoes
which left the seaports of the South
American States for all parts of the world.
Besides, our own trade with these friends
and continental neighbors was rapidly
augmenting until the war enabled "Per-
fde Albion" to cripple and nearly an
initiate our commercial marine.
If statistics were necessary to prove
the proposition that the trade is of vital
Importance to us, they could readily be
marshaled for that purpose. We state
the fact to be SO, without the fear Of con-
tradiction.
Now the question recurs, what is to be
done to. restore to us this vast and i'm
portant trade? England for a long time
has been engaged in establishing direct
lines of communication with the princi-
pal South American seaports and the West
India islands. She has her iron steam
ships transporting the mails, freight and
passengers to almost all important sea-
ports on the eastern and western coasts of
| South America. In the building of ships
by the English, iron has been substituted
for wood and steam for sails, and thus
an advantage is obtained over Us in their
vessels used for commerce and navigation.
We must admit this stern fact which
initiates so heavily against us in the re-
establishment of our commercial rela-
tons with our sisters of the South
ern hemisphere, and to successfully
compete with and wrest from our trans
atlantic rivals that trade which by every
consideration belongs to us, We are about
to secure San Domingo, and thus obtain
a coaling station for our steamships.
Then iron steamers of all classes should
be rapidly constructed and placed upon
important lines to and from South Amer
lean ports where the imports and the ex-
ports with this country are the largest.
The difficulty in regard to this matter, it
is said, lies with our Congress. The
onerous duties connected with the build
ing of iron steamships in this country
makes it so expensive that competition
with England is an impossibility to
undertake without great loss. This be-
ing so, it is full time that u national
Legislature take up the subject, and
remedy this matter and remove this OBJ
struction to the winning back the lost ad-
vantages of which we were so unjustly de-
prived.
Referring to this important subject it
has been justly stated that 'Tf we have
lost our trade with one part of the world
we should try and compensate the loss by
increasing our trade with other parts.
| South America is at our w doors, and
our relation with its several governments
are friendly. The trade offers many in
ducements. We are nowlarge purchasers
of many South American products from
middle men, when we should buy in the
home market. This market is to a con-
siderable extent occupied, but it is not
impossible with proper efforts to
create a demand for our surplus
manufactures and machinery. This trade
offers an opportunity for extending our
commerce and of building up our COM
mercial name. The effort will have to be