The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-10
THE NAVIGATION LAWS.

are before the country. In the main we In
dorse what II has done, and heartily concur
in the yiows cnuneated in It's memorial f.
Congress-. But there Is one recommendation
II has urged upon Congress from which We
must dissent, and which we believe. will moi
meet tho approval Of Tho commercial masses
IF the country. We know that IT does not ex-
press the views Of tho people OF tho West
while II " utterly repugnant W tho traditional
Southern doctrine Of ''free trade and
sailors rights" We allude a. the resolution
urging upon Congress tho establishment oi
direct mail service between New York and
| New Orleans and South America, md be-
tween New Orleans and Panama. under the
| restrictions Of the existing navigation awe
| which require the steamers employed on
| these lines to be entirely owned, lsuit and
registered in the United States" From the
very inception 81 the government. indeed In
the convention that formed IT, tho South has
been unalterably and consistently opposed 10
the principle which finds expressions IN our
navigation laws. To-day she believes
| that II Is due 10 them more than
| to any other cause that the
United States, formerly n maritime power
second 10 nome cannot to-day compete with.
not only England, but Germany, France,
Italy, Sweden and Norway. In carrying even
our own exports, that tho tonnage Of these
| nations Is increasing yearly. while tho Sscre-
| tary Of tho Treasury was compelled to make
| tho humliatng confession In his report made
| December. 1876 that tho tonnage of VESSELS
built in the United States during that year
Ms compared with the year, 1876, had de-
creased u per cent.
| II Is not necessary to go over n long and
tedious compilation of statistics to show the
| process Of decay Of our commerce.. II sufficos
| to say that IN 1860 our vessels did moro than
two-thirds Of tho carrying trade Of our coun-
| try Within seven years this relation had
been moro than reversed. In 1867 the pro
portionate values of foreign trade, as trans
ported in American and foreign ships. Is
stated ns follows, viz In American ships
$500, 900, 900 In foreign ships $3.50 00O, 900, or
double In favor Of the latter. In 1877 we 6ud
the gain to foreign ships still greater. tho pro
portion being as follows: In American ships
$3.50 0O0.000, In foreign ships, $40, 100000.
For the year ending June 30, 1879, our foreign
trade amounted 10 81. lb3,7 7a, 6o1. exclusive of
by individuals.
The amount paid for freIghts Is reasonably
estimated ut 10 per cent on values. and this II
the lowest admissible estimate. Then the
sums paid for freight on last years foreign
trade aggregated 1877 1863, fully rs per cent
OF which went TO foreign merchants and for
eign ships.
Yet we are given 10 understand that the
laws which operate this fearful drain upon
our commerce arc protective of American in
dustry. Tho perpetuation of these laws has
closed nearly all our shipyards, driven our
flag from the seas and is to-day pouring near
ly hundred millions Of dollars Of freight
money annually into tho hands of foreign
shp owners and making us daily more de-
pendent upon foreign merchants for tho facl-
tiles Of getting our products TO tho mar
kets OF the world. II ia inconsIstent |
with American honor. and fatal TO American
industry, TO purchase foreign built ship and |
raisn ne American flag above bfT and place
her receipts for freight to the credit Of Amer
lean commerce. But it Is not derogatory TO
American dignity. enterprise or labor to pay |
over SsG, 100000 for freight annually TO for
c1RU SIlIp bWIeIS. we STU WIItIt Inc |
scruple Of honor or the economy comes in.
These navigation laws have been aptly
termed - relic Of barbalsm" and disgrace |
to our statute books. which should be wiped
out.
How they originated need not now be dis |
Cusscd, but the curious student of history
will find, by careful study Of the proceed
ings OF tho convention which framed the
Federal constitution that tho power to regu-
late foreign commerce was inserted In that In |
str,Iment as concession TO New England |
shipping, then largely engaged in what Sena-
tor and Chief Justice Daggett, Of Connect |
cut described MS 'ihe truly benevolent and |
humane merchandise OF importing negroes
TO Christianize Them" which negroes were
purchased on the west coast of Africa by these
jealous philanthropists with rum, distilled
from molassos previously imported IN their
vessels from the West Indies. for which traffic
they demanded protection. This is how the
power to pass these laws happened to be CON
ccded to Congress. and our readers can best
judge whether they are relies Of barbar
ism" or not.
At that time, and under these peculiarly
circumstances, these laws may
have been admirable; but since then com
merce has undergone great revolution. The
sentiment of New England In regard to the
slave trade has suffered radical change;
steam has taken the place of sails, voyages
are different and crews are different, and
mems thoughts and business deas and
methods have become larger and more lib
I,,I -
rapid and certain. But in the United States.
alone Of all the nations OF tho earth, do the
same mean, narrow and senselcss laws pre-
vail which We're devised In the last century
to protect the slave trade and shackle
commerce. At the time our navi-
cation laws were enacted, all other CONNER
cial nations had similar regulations. But
now there is not one but the United States
that retains the same arbitrary restrictions
upon the building, ownership and navigation
~ oh, 10, ataI I,y