Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-08-09

uedSuTy department, anu Is completed
up to January l, 1870, being embodied
in the report OF Nj. Lynch's Congress
siOnal Committee. "There are now
about one hundred and ten large line
vessels making regular trips between
New York and Europe, and in the
whole United States the regular line
line steam vessels number about one
hundred and forty-fve, and the tom
mage fOOts up about three hundred and
fifty thousand tons. This is very near
the exact number and record of ton
mage between u ports and Europe.
OF these the Cunard line has twenty
two, the Inman thirteen, the National
ten, Liverpool and Great Western
seven, Anchor, thirteen, Mediterran-
can and New York nine, French
Transatlantic four, Bremen thirteen,
Hamburg ten, White Star six-aIi
large iron screw steamships except
the Lafayette Of the French line, and
the Scotia, of the Cunard line, which
are side wheel iron steamers. Not |
one OF the one hundred and forty-five !
vessels mentioned above carry the
American flag"
Is all this to be charged to and ac-
counted for by the exploits of the
gallant Admiral Semmes? If we
were rivals of Great Britain before the
war, and were on the point Of obtain
ing, il indeed we had not already at
tanned to commercial supremacy in
the commerce Of the world, what has
prevented vi regaining with rapid
lily, in time of peace, what we had
lost? In 1860 to 1862 the prepOnder-
anee was two to one ia favor Of
American shipping. Again, the Jour
nal Of Commerce informs us:
In 1856 we had seventy per cent. of
the shipping, while now we have
thirty-six per cent, and foreigners
own the balance. In 1856, eight per
cent. OF the shipping of the country
was done by steam; now thirty-eight
per cent. is by steam. Then we
owned siNty-five per cent. of the
steamers, now only twenty-five
per cent. Then we owned seventy
four per cent. of the sailing
vessels, now only fOrty-three-shOW-
ing that we have not only lost all our
steam tonnage not engaged coastWise,
but twenty-seven per cent. of our
sailing vessels. The United States
now pays $295,400 for carrying the
mails in foreign vessels. : The same
authority informs us that Sin 1870 the
total tOnnaga of the United States
was: In American vessels, 2,l52,Oz
tons; in foreign vessels, 1906, O97 tons;
but the American tonnage engaged in
foreign trade during that year was
only l,5l6,SW tons. In 1856 to 1860,
out OF a total entered tonnage from
the East Indies, China and Japan of
444,55l tons, represented by five hun
dred and twenty-five vessels, we had
under the American flag four hundred
and seventy eight vessels, registering
4lS,O35 tons. In fact, we had more
than nine-tenths of the foreign vessels
running to those ports, and almost
nineteen-twentieths of the tonnage.
During the second period (frOm :
1865 to 1861 we had to the same
ports only two hundred and seven out 1
of seven hundred and twenty-eight {
vessels engaged in trade between New :
York and these places. Nearly forty
four per cent. of our foreign trade, inn 8
ports and exports, is with Great Bri-
tain; that with the West Indies and I
comprises with each ten per !
cent. North Germany, seven; Cana 9
la, six and One-third; Brazil, three;
two, and Mexico, one per cent
Great Britain has forty-six per cent. =
the ocean tonnage of the globe, and
g first on the list; the United States
s second, and has nineteen per cent,
while France, the third in import
snce, has six per cent. The total COM 4
nerce of the world is divided among !
he nations about like this: In British
vessels, fifty per cent. in American
yessels, twenty per cent. all other
nations, thirty per cent. The ship .
building interest is crippled and bad
y WOr down. Grass grows in ship G
ards, and the machinery that ten 3
ears ago bent ship knees and did a \
7ast amount of boiler, engine !
md other shipWOrk, is rust. n
d. Ship carpenters now work
n she buildings you see going
Ip on Broadway; the brOad-ax WELD \
rs now slug jOist" or shove the Jack =
lane on fiat surfaces, while the fine
moulding Joiner does the neat work or L.
az turned cabinet-maker. The ship
nachinists labor in the locomotive Q
hop, and the calker is now toiling in I
rOpeWalk, or taking odd jobs at re-
ferrybOat leaks. The man who
lsde the beautiful brass finishings on
he Baltic and Adriatic, Of the Collins 7
ne. now turns washers or ornaments !
4 a gas fixture factory, or has secured d
lob ia a brass foundry. 1t is sad with pl
he shipbuilders, all of them from mas =
n TO prentice. They are scattered
broad upon the face OF the earth, and
is quite doubtful whether they will l
yer be brought together again." Il
On this subject at least we have the se
lost memorable logic, worthy the at nc
milton of the legislator and states 70
ian. While on the land the repress- -
e policy of reconstruction has Grip.
ed and crushed out the labor and
seduction Of the country, how much i
due TO the same cause in reduction
the great commercial interest on
water? How much to internal =
venue taxes, TO the exemption Of the n
nd.holding interest from taxation,
I'd to the general repression of en- ~,
rprise by the Encouragement Of in raj
sstments Of capital in the taxation Of lot
70 products Of enterprise and skill, j