New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-16
THE COMMERCIAL RELATIONS OF NEW
ORLEANS,

nve republics OF central America, Is
fraught with much interest to the mer-
chants, farmers and manufacturers of the
Union. Both these gentlemen are shown
by the published reports of our State De-
partment to be engaged in the important
task of relieving the States to which they
are respectively accredited from the dread
of the filibusters of the past. They wish
to convince these States, in the words of
Mr.. Williamson addressed to the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, that the
United States desires them ''to enjoy the
blessings of republicanism good Provi-
dence has so bount;fully bestowed on
them.
Minister Foster has been persistently
engaged in the same duty, and we Under
stand that each of these ministers returns
to the United States on a leave of absence,
to report their progress in this important
work and to confer with their own govern
ment as to the basis upon which a more
intimate interco purse can be established
with these countries
The jealousy and dread of Mexico has
been greatly allayed by the cordial aid
given by President Lin coin and Secretary
Seward during the French invasion and
the imperial rule os Maximilian. Chill
and Peru found, that when Spain availed
herself of the domestic conflict of the
Union to insult and invade those States,
the United States was not too much occu-
pied at home to neglect the enforcement
of the Monroe doctrine
The adoption of an aggressive policy
had thus thrown the commerce and the
councils of Spanish America into the
hands of Europeans. The American min
listers to those States are all engaged in
enforcing the fraternal policy of Mr..
Seward, and the two gentlemen mentioned
in this article return to the United States
on the business Of their mission. While,
however, both represent the broadest ma
tionality of the Union, and the promo
ton Of the whole interest of the citizens,
we may be allowed to congratulate our
selves that the extension of policy based
on steam lines, low tariffs with fearless
and intimate social intercourse between
the republics of this continent, must in
cidentany inure to the advantage of the
Western producers and the Southern gulf
ports. at-..-~... ..-.-
We understand tha. Minister'S Foster
and Williamson desire to confer with the
merchants and manufacturers, their con-
stituents, m such trade conventions as
they may initiate, and we may infer that
during the stay of each in this and other
cities conference with such constituents
will be useful and acceptable to them.
We do not doubt our merchants and man
facturers will call upon these diplomatic
and confer earnestly upon
the development Of this trade through our
port and railroads.
The visit of Minister Williamson is, of
course, of especial interest to his fellow
citizens of New Orleans and Louisiana,
and we have therefore turned to the re-
port of the State Department for 1874 on
our foreign relations, and to the CONNER
cial reports of the same department, to
find the character and effect Of his agency
in carrying out the public and CONNER
cial policy of the government as we have
stated it.
1t will be known by our readers that the
five republics of Central America were
originally separate missions, and that
Congress had united them under the di-
rection of single minister plenipoten-
tiary. which appointment was rendered
Mr.. Williamson by President Grant. He
introduced his mission to these States by
repeating the language of Secretary Sew
ard in regard to q union of American re-
publics. He Immediately devoted him
self to give effect to this policy. He es-
tablished his legation at Guatemala and
has visited the capital cities of the five
republics with the purpose of enabling
them to comprehend the wisdom and sin
cerity of the new policy. As was natural,
he has sought to promote the more perfect
union of the confederate States. He has
secured conference Of their several
Presidents, and has been honored with a
request to extend his friendly Offices to
adjust questions Of boundary, and of other
interstate relations among them. He has,
moreover, devoted himself, with the aid
of our consuls in the Eve republics, to the
improvement of our commercial, postal
and travel intercourse, and in so doing
has demonstrated the great value of that
commerce, the small proportion enjoyed
by our people, and the shameful
want of facilities existing for an
intercourse with this large territory
and valuable trade. We can not
help remarking on the want Of such fa-
cilities by referring to the voyage and
visit of Minister Williamson to the United
States. l. BE departs from the city of
Guatemala, and goes by way of Honduras
to and across the Isthmus of Panama.
This we will assume as voy
age and travel of one thousand
miles. Q. From Panama to New
York is from twenty-five to twenty-seven