The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-01


least advance eighty per cent on the flour.
lard on corn which he may export to the Span
ish islands to pay for his Spanish purchases.
The United States begins to perceive the
consequen es of this selfish and sectional
policy, in the perversion of continental trade
of which we have spoken. The error of re-
lying wholly upon the home market for the
protected manufactures has been made pain
fully manifest by the recent Industrial dis
content throughout the country. The cause
appears to consist in the increase Of domes-
tic production beyond the home or foreign
demand Within the past decade the produc-
ton Of provisions increased eighty per cent;
the production of manufactures one hundred
and twenty tiveper cent; the increase OF pop
ulation was some thirty-ilve per cent The
immigration of skilled labor from Europe
had given an abundance and perfection TO
American fabrics, which relieved our de-
pendence upon foreign countries ana re-
duced the revenues upon imported goods.
Yet the effect Of this progress was 10 d.
mnish the European demand for our surplus
food, while IL was impossible to find market
in Europe for our perfected manufactures.
Hence 1t was found that the immigration into
total alien immigration Of AS, 1s9 in 1879, to
1859, 1856 i'm 1876. When we note that the skilled
operatives have for many years past aver
aged fully ten per cent Of these alien immi-
grants. it will be readily seen that the sur
plus productions of the United States must
soon be far in excess of her home and present
foreign capacity to consume. The
late disturbances did not SO much arise
from any want or excess Of currency.
The manufacturer could make no profit on
borrowing money to create an article which
he could not sell, while foreign capital, as in
the case of silk or iron manufacture, would be
imported to manufacture any article which he
could SELL The demand for our productions
does not enable the employer to pay wages
adequate for the support Of the operative.
The United States has reached point of pro-
ductive excess and perfection which surpasses
the demand for this surplus. Like all other
nations, in ancient and modern times, she
will be compelled to appease this discomfort
by largesses, or enlarge this demand by colo
MES, by conquest, or by a liberal, enlarged
and conciliatory foreign policy.
The last annual report of the national Sec
rotary of State confirms the loss of the con
tinental trade. 1t also demonstrates value
in that trade, which, If enjoyed by the United
States, would greatly relieve the anxieties Of
our manufacturers and alleviate the priva
tions of our workmen. The Secretary esti
mates the annual trade of the continent
south of the United States at $53O, OOO, 600, of
which the United States enjoys about one
fourth, or $112,3 $4,000. 1t is added that not
''one-third Of this meagre share Is transport
ed in vessels under our own flag" While the
commercial returns of our own government
and some foreign authorities render it proba-
BILE that this trade is greater and our own
share more than that stated by the Secretary,
the proportions Of commerce and navigation
seem unchanged. 1t may be remarked, in
parenthesis, that If our consuls were required
to formulate their reports it might lead to
more correct estimates. Adverting to this
anomalous condition of commerce. the Amer
lean Minister at Venezuela says:
United States cotton is spun and woven in
England and is selling at high prices after it's
carried over $500 miles that 1t may be baked
in various forms and conveyed nearly 5000
miles to market only 1000 miles from its
starting point.
We may cite few examples of this national
dereliction The whole trade of the Argen-
tine Republic in 1875 is stated at $106,Os7 900;
of this the United States received So, O56, 600,
or two per cent. The national share in this
sail carrying trade was about IL per cent, but
mo steamer under the flag of the United
States entered or cleared at an Argentine
port during the years 1874 or 1875, though
more than a million tons OF steam was en-
ployed by European nations during the year
1875 alone.''
Our national trade with Brazil was even
more unsatisfactory, since an adverse balance
established last year Of $685. 1884, 1876 had to be
liquidated In specie. The American Minister
reports that "since the withdrawal of the
American line of steamers the trade between
the United States and Brazil has been carried
on principally in sailing vessels, bringing
cargoes of general merchandise and returning
to New York with full cargoes Of Brazilian
products
Our trade with the Spanish islands is even
more unfavorable giving a balance of more
than forty-tve millions of dollars. solvable
with specie or sterling bills RENTED to pay
for the manufactures of Europe.
The most singular perversions Of this trop-
ical trade consist however, in that Of the
Isthmus of Panama. This commerce has
been created by a railroad built with Ameri-
can capital and protected by the guarantee
of the American government. The goods in
transit in 1876 were: Imports, ST., 757, 600; ex-
ports, $40, 552,0OO Of this aggregate Of more
than 100000 the United States do not
enjoy, according to the very obscure sum-
mary reported by the consul, more than
SO, 100000, or about IA per cent. When, how
ever, we turn from the report of this consul,
which he says is ''as reliable as it can be
under the present circumstances, to the
more authentic returns of the Custom House,
we find that the whole trade between New
York and California, via the Isthmus of
Panama, was in 1875 but about $500, 600, of
which one million was in the precious metals
1t is not a proper occasion to do more than
indicate the immediate remedies for this
deplorable abdication of national duty.