Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-12-27
Message From the President.

The following self-explanatory mes
| sage has been received by the Senate
from President Hayes:
To the Senate of the United States,
In answer to a resolution of the Sem
ate of the 5th inst, requesting. the
transmission to the Senate of any in
formation which may have been re-
ceived by the departments concerning
| postal and commercial intercourse be-
tween the United States and South
American countries, together with any
recommendations desirable to be sub
mitted of measures to be adopted for
| facilitating and improving such inter-
course, 1 transmit herewith reports
| from the Secretary of State and Post
master-General with accompanying pa
| pers.
The external commerce of the United
States has for many years been the sub
iect of solicitude, because of the out
ward drain of precious metals it has
caused. For fully twenty years pre-
vious to 1877 the shipment of gold was
constant and heavy, so heavy during
the entire period of the suspension of
specie payments as to preclude the hope
of resumption safely during its continu-
ance. In 1876, however, vigorous eff
forts we're made by enterprising citi-
zens of the country. and have since
been continued, to extend our general
commerce with foreign lands, especially
in manufactured articles, and these eff
forts have been attended with very
marked success. The importation of
manufactured goods was at the same
time reduced in an equal degree, and
the result has been an extraordinary re-
versal of the conditions so long prevail
ing and a complete cessation of the out
ward drain of gold. The official state
ment of values represented in foreign
commerce will show the unprecedented
magnitude to which the movement has
attained, and the protection thus Sc
cured to public interests at time when
commercial security has become indis-
pensable. The agencies through which
this change has been effected must be
maintained and strengthened if the fu-
ture is to be made secure. A return to
excessive imports, or to a material de-
cline in export trade, would render pos
sible a return to the former condition of
adverse balances with an inevitable out
ward drain of gold as necessary con-
sequence.
Every element of aid to the introduce
ton of products of our soil and manu-
factures into new markets should be
made available. At present such is the
! favor with which many of the products
of the United States are held, that they
retain a remunerative distribution, not
withstanding the positive differences of
cost resulting from our defective ship
ping and the imperfection of our ar
rangements in every respect in COM
| parison with those of our competitors
for conducting trade with foreign mar
kets. If we have equal commercial fa-
cilities we need not fear competition
anywhere. The laws have now directed
the resumption of financial equality
with other nations, and have ordered a
return to basis of coin values. 1t is
of the greatest Importance that the
commercial condition now fortunately
attained shall be made permanent and
| that our rapidly increasing export trade
shall not be allowed to suffer for want
of ordinary means of communication
with other countries.
The accompanying reports contain a
valuable and instructive summary of
| information with respect to our COM
merciaI interests in South America,
where an inviting field for the enter
prise of our people is presented. They
are transmitted with the assurance that
any measures that may be enacted in
| furtherance of these important interests
will meet with my cordial approval.
! TSlgned I r. b. HAYES.
Secretary Evarts, in his accompany
ing report to the President, says:
1t seems to be very evident that the
provision of regular steam postal COM
munication by aid from the Govern
ment has been the forerunner of the
commercial predominancs of Great
Britain in the great markets of Central
and South America. 1t isSbviously the
dictate of interest and duty on the part
of our Government to promote, by every
just and appropriate means, the attain
ments of this first and principal agency
for the desired expansion of our foreign
commerce. 1t is difficult to understand
how this commencement and develop
ment of the ocean postal system to be
the forerunner of expected trade can be
wholly trusted to the mere interests OF
mercantile combinations.