The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-02
THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
suGGEsTgONs As To THE DEVELOP
mENr OF IT'S TRADE AND
INDUSTRY.
An Open Letter from Hon. Louis Hush
showing the Necessity Of CotnHner-
ctaI Alliance Rstweea the
south and west.
New ORLEANS. November /. i.
NEW
Mr. Joseph Brown. President Of the st. Paul
Convention. and. eS on,cio, of the Executive

and the executive committee, the objects which |
in my opinion, should be kept prominently In |
view and which should guide these conventions |
in their noble efforts to develop the immense g |
resources of the Mississippi Valley, give tone |
and strength tn the expansion Of our CONNER
cal relations, tend to the maintenance Of this |
government by cementing the various sections
by indis soluble links and thereby secure and
perpetuate the happiness Of our people
Nothing. therefore. can be more fit than q II |
open letter such as this. written to explain these
interests aud enforce this duty, and to press
their Importance on tho people of this country
and of those most. who are most concerned.
While there are. undoubtedly. a series Of the
most formidable physical obstacles to the free
navigation of the Mississippi river and its prin-
cipal tributaries which the general governor
Is In duty bound to remove, there IRE also
other serious distractions which 1t Ia equally
important to overcome, or 10 modify, in order
to complete the chain Of any proposed com
mercal system that may be deemed efficient.
On tho principle that rapidity of trans 1t is
more than an equivalent for disregardiDg the
time-bonored business maxim Of economy in
TRANSPORTATION. modern commerce seems to de-
msnd that commodities shall pursue the most
direct line bstween production and consump-
ton. There are, however. In the way Of direct
or indirect intercourse difficulties of another
description which materially impair our COM
mon interests. and which. for this reason
alone are really worthy the earnest reflection
of any assembly convened for the special pur-
pose Of considering ALI, impedimsnts to the
free and full service Of our watercourses with
the avowed object of adopting well digested
| measures for their removal.
| It need hardly be said that / alluds to the in
| consistency of ignoring all reciprocity In the
| management Of the commercial relations Of the
| Mississippi Valley with the surrounding States
and colonies of this continent.
| Again. Assuming the navigation Of the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries to be all that it is
possible to achieve for the purposes Of trans
| portation, we cannot forbear extending our
view to q point ut which the United States will
| have reached the maximum of production re-
| auired for the complete supply Of every for
| eign and domestic demand. On the other hand,
| while the facilities for transportation as we
| very well know. are not increased in any CORE.
spending ratio. we cannot fail to recognize in q
special manner. rs an obvious fact, the ever
| augmentng surplus of commodities. particu-
larry In provisions, which Is being regularly ae-
| eumulnted for the markets of the world. and by
| the growing Northwest far beyond any other
| section of the country.
|
extent on the increase of provisions and man.
u7actured products during the past decade.
They are based also. In measure. on the de-
cline or arrest of European immigration and
on the discomfort among the Industrial classes
as manifested In the mineral and manuiactur-
| ing districts within the past few months.
The question thus arises. what must be done
with the progressive supplies which tho coun-
| try IL undoubtedly capable of producing
which. indeed. we know it to be actually pro-
ducing?
II we look to Europe we find that the normal
demand for grain Is limited to Il hundred mil
lions of bushels. chiefly purchased by England
| This could not absorb tho American surplus
even If we had no competitor. The European
demand for manufactures and shipping could
not be supplied from this side of the Atlantic
| The United States would thus have reached n
| stage not uncommon in the Industrial progress
| Of nations when the accumulation of Droduc-
ton beyond demand will occasion stagnation
in the current of enterprise and discomfort
among the agents Of industry. In all such
cases nations 80 embarrassed have been COM
PEELED to plant n colony or make n conquest.
1t is thus that England has appea ed the omi-
nous murmurs Of unfed labor by drafting her
surplus members to America or to Africa. and
sumers. She has forced her way into
Asia and compelled Il reluctant people
to discard their standard Of civilization and ac-
| cept her own. We are threatened with q similar
want of an additional demand for our surplus
products but we cannot establish colonies in
foreign countries. nor should we conquer other
people to relieve the discomfort Of our own citi-
zens. Fortunately we have on our own conti-
nent q territory far larger than Europe. 1t Is
adapted to producing those commodities Of
which Asia so long held the monopoly. 1t is ca
pabe of consuming the products of our own in
dustry to an extent which would afford us great
relief. 1t would, however. be as unnecessary as
it would be dishonorable to advance upon these
countries and wrest from them those liberties
which they have won from tyranny, and which
we have engaged to guarantee This is not q
barbarous country, nor are it's inhabitants an
uncivilized people. Our just and kindly relations
induce these neighbors to regard us as friends,
| and our immediate commercial position gives
us the vantage ground in trade over all Euro
pean competitors. This field has the advantage
over the combined land and ocean conveyance
required to reach transatlantic markets from
the West, and should command preference be-
cause transportation, by the route to the tropi-
cal markets. would be entirely water borne and
hence cheaper. We have moreover, the vast
and productive South of own country.
equally as desirable as the more southern
cimes. This fertile region only asks to be en-
couraged to purchase from the superabundance
of her countrymen by increasing her ability
to interchange with them. Why then. should
we not wisely utilize these ready advantages?
The States and colonies of Mexico, Central,
insular and South America have an annual
foreign commerce, according to the report OF
our State Department, of s53o,Oooo0o Of this
trade Europe enjoys three-fourths, leaving to
the United States the meagre remainder; and
it is to be especially remarked in this connec-
ton tina. the United States purchase much the
greater part of her imports with specie. thus
depicting her own resources, while the other
countries pay for their purchases principally
in the fabrics or other productions of their own