The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-11-28
WESTERN INTERESTS.
Three Great Measures Improve
ment Of the Rivers-Two More
Pacific Railroads-Foreign
Commerce.
Correspondents Of the Citizen.l

| lOOTretpO1Oenco Oh LHo SlblNcH-l
The measures advocated by Gen.
Bussey, President of the New Or
leans Chamber of Commerce, and
which are to be considered and act
ed upon by a natie nal convention to
be held in New Orleans on the Sd
of next December, embrace the
whole subject of internal and for
eign commerce, and especially the
importance of increasing our trade
relations with the countries of Cen
tral and South America.
IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS.
OF these great measures, the i'm
provement of the Mississippi stands
foremost This is the channel of
commerce provided by nature for
the Mississippi Valley, and with its
tributaries, supplies about fifteen
thousand miles OF navigable water.
But the soil is so rich and so deep
that its very fertility chokes the
rivers, and makes it necessary to
keep their channels open by artili-
cial means. The success of the
grand enterprise OF Capt. Eads at
the South Pass Jetties shows how
this work can be etfectually done,
and how its accomplishment would
add nntold millions to the value of
Western products.
TWO MORE PACIFIC RAILROADS.
But the rivers cannot do all the
work. A vast territory of rich ag
ricultural and mineral land-suffi-
cient In extent and productive ca
pacitY to sustain fifty millions of
peOp.e-lies to the north and the
south of the present Pacific railroad,
and without. any means, either by
river or rail, of reaching the great
trade centers of the country. To
meet this want two additional Pa
cific railroads are required, one for
the Northwest, on or near the 47th
parallel, and one for the Southwest,
on the 32d parallel. AS both these
roads-the Northern Pacific and the
Texas Pacific-can be completed
without dollar from the national
treasury; and as they would not
only reduce the present Pacific line
to reason by healthful competition,
but hasten the settlement of those
immense districts of country, the
pubic sentiment is strongly In ia
vor of the enterprises.
FOREIGN COMMERCE.
These railways and waterways
would give the required facilities to
the West and far West, and carry
their products safely and cheaply
to the sea coast. But there comes
in the final link in the chain of hu
man industries. 1t will do no COOL
to transport our surplus products
thousands of miles and pile them
up on the sea shore. Our merchant
marine must be so increased that
these products can be promptly
shipped to those countries where
they are most needed. South Amer
ica is one of the most inviting fields
in the whole world for the extension
Of our trade. At present, in the
absence of ocean lines of steamers
in that direction. nearly ali our
trade with the countries of South
America is carried on in foreign
ships. Through the British steam
ships we get many millions worth
of coffee, sugar and other articles,
for which we pay gold, while Eng
land supplies the manufactured
goods, and the West sends some
flour to Rio via Liverpool. The
whole system is simply disgrace
as well as a serious damage to the
producing interests of this country.
England has taken advantage of
our past misfortunes to become mis-
tress of the carrying trade of the
worlG. A little energy and enter
prise, with the fostering power of
the government, will regain our
sovereignty of the seas, and enrich
both the government and the people
of the United States. All that is
necessary to establish and sustain
steamship lines of our own with the
commercial marts of the world is a
moderate compensation for carry
ing the foreign mails, and, as eXpe-
rience has shown, this little subsidy
is always returned twofold to the
country and the government, in the
profits and tariff on increased trade.
The same experience shows that our
trade with foreign countries is just
in proportion to our own facilities
for transportation. With countries
where we have the same steamship
intercourse as England, we divide
the trade, and where she has two
steamships to our one, she sells
twice as many goods as we do.
Let US stop this suicidal course,
open rivers and new railroads In
the West, encourage steamship lines
on the ocean, and thus restore in
dustrial and commercial prosperity
to the whole country. JAY EITEE.