New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-25
4 LONGITUDINAL COMMERCE.

| The great commercial movement be.
tween the United States and Europe is on
a latitudinal exchange Of raw material
for manufactured fabrics. Analyze this
trade and see if it be not 50. Corn, meat,
cotton are exported to Europe. TO the
| value Of three hundred millions Of dollars.
| is returned in many more millions OF
goods. manufactured in good par: with the
food and material thus furnished.
The effect of this trade must always be
to keep the United States in debt to
Europe. since the commodities furnished
by the former are less valuable than those
Of the latter. This debt is at present rep
resented chiefly by the securities of
American States and corporations. en-
ployed in part to iluiiate the balance
against our exports.
If. however, we turn 70 the interchange
Of products between the United States
and the countries to the South. it will be
found to be base! On the reciprocal con-
sumption by each OF commodities pro-
duced by the other; not only will the
provisions Of our Western States find
demand in Spanish America, but the pecu-
liar products Of the tropical countries find
a great and always increasing market in
the Western States. This is the longi-
tudinal trade. and is based on the ex-
change Of articles produced On one paral-
lei of latitude against those produced on
another. This continental commerce is
the ultimate destiny of the West
ern States and Of New Orleans.
their outport. American manufactures
are assuming such extent and per-
fection that they will to great ex:en.
supersede European goods. and the sur
plus must find a market south of rs. Tie
immense population of the Western States
will require increased tropical goods. and
the same law that fayors the European
as against the American
consumer. will favor the American nanu.
facturer against the Spanish American
consumer. The payment IN precious
metals. or in those tropical products
which require now the export of precious
metals, will enable US 70 capitalize these
precious metals. and SO We Will begin to |
be Independent Of Europe. We will at
least cease to so in debt to the same ex-
tent as at present. and in any event Will
have accumulated the means TO nee. cur
obligations.
Our merchants may make application
If these observations by reading the fol-
owing extract from an article in the 7Irc
Republics paper published in the City Of
Mexico, devoted to the encouracemen. Of
intercourse between tia. cor,p-
ry and our own:
Thus showing tha. from five million dol
ars a year in 1881, the trade between that
)ort and Mexico had diminished to ninety.
me thousand dollars in 1872. This Is an J
fac: for the study of the mec-
hant and the statesman. In connection
With the decadence of this trade. much is
generally attributed to the diversion caused
y railway communications to other ports:
md the fact that many articles which had |
'efore passed down the Ohio and Missis-
ippi rivers, now 20 by rail 20 New York
nd thence TO Vera Cruz. there being 2 !
iEect communication between those cities.
acilitated by toe Alexandra line c; steam.
RS.
This feature in the diversion of the New I
)rleans trade amounts to but little import
nee when we consider that though travel
lg, to some extent, may be diverted from
lese rivers, the heavy Transportation of
Western produce and manufactured a-.i.
les suitable to the Mexican trade, would q
ave continued their course through these
reat arteries had there been q thoroughly
rganized Mexican and tropical trade at =
,mpted to be maintained in New Orleans: I
le facilities for shipping Western produce
Mexico and for carrying in return the
roduce of the latter country to that c;ry.
Unfortunately for .he perpetu..ion Q. n
ease G. he Mexican trade O. Ia: p:::.