The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-17

those OF these countries. She cannot REAP
| the full fruits by an interchange carried on
through commission agents, who will eat up
the profits Of the producers on both sides by
heavy charges and impose upon both the
slavery of advances at heavy interest. The
truth of this observation is shown by the
history of our trade with Brazil. There is
single house in New York, an English
firm. which by this system has
absorbed, like sponge, for years
tho rich profits Of the Richmond
-four trade with this country. Some years
ago San Francisco started o valuable and
promising trade with Brazil which she lost
by allowing 1t to be controlled by this and
other English firms and commission agents,
and she was finally obliged to retire from the
Brazilian market. Let Cincinnati, st. Louis
and Chicago profit by this experience, and
endeavor to build up direct trade with this
country, under the control of their own mer-
chants, without any other mediation than ex-
lists between them and their customers in
other cities of their own country. This
can be done only by sending honest and
intelligent commercial agents, drum
mers--to be plain-to the countries
with which they wish to trade, to
epresent the advantages they are prepared
TO offer. England now has the monopoly of
the Brazilian markets, but Brazil is anxious
to change customer for the United States.
She is rich and honest, her laws affording
unusual projections for commerce. Accord
ing to the census Of 1876 her population was
twelve millions and a half. Railroads are
II ow In operation and being built, connecting
the northern and southern provinces. and all
through her rich territory are large rivers
navigated by numerous steamboats,. In
1876 her coffee crop, the main export
to this country, was three million bags
of 60 kilos each, or three hundred and eighty
five millions Of pounds. The same year she
imported over 100000 barrels of flour, besides
immense quantities of bacon, lard, butter,
soap, cheese, potatoes, hardware, agricultu-
raj implements, machinery, cotton goods,
and numerous other articles produced by
the West In quantities tn u have glutted
every tempted market. hit better market
than this for the West, and what reason can
she urge for not invading it except her own
lack of enterprise and large commercial
sagacity2
If this trade is SO valuable? Why is it that
New Orleans, which Is even more Interested
than ourselves. and which lies on its very
threshold, has not done something towards
securing it for herself The reply Is a very
simple one, and though it may be somewhat
humiliating to make it, we shall do SO very
bluntly. New Orleans has not taken the lead
in this matter only because her
merchants are too poor TO make the
venture. Success requires capital In
money, or its equivalent, and New
Orleans has neither. Our merchants
are singularly situated The whole agricul-
tural industries of the Southern country trib-
utary to this city are carried on by advances
made, either in cash or supplies, on the crops
of each year, and every cent our merchants
can command is absolutely required here at
home. They have no surplus, then, for such
ventures, and no means with which to SEEK
these inviting fields.
Besides, we have no products that are mar
ketable in these countries. The West sup
plies us, and it should also supply them
This trade would undoubtedly be big boz
nanza to New Orleans, but only as a port of
entry and export, a market place half way
between the two sources Of production, and
this only because the great and bountiful
West Is behind, seeking market and con-
sumption for her exhaustless products. Let
the West, then, take hold and New Orleans
will not prove a laggard nor an ungratefu
friend