New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-03-20

ID VIII pun Ou' wv h"hNy wa
the same The genial and chivalric Southern
ers may see fit to vote for his small swindlc
in return. And, as ancient Pistol said, profits
" shall accrue"
THADEAND TREATY WITH SOUTH AMERICA.
For year past our merchants and manu-
facturers have been paying unusual attention
to ways and means of increasing our foreign
trade, and especially orr trade with South
America. The Administration long ago recOg-
nized the force of the popular demand. and
made loud procamations of its intention
to make this n cardinal point in its foreign
policy. When it lassoed that wild diplomat
list, Governor Osborn, on the plains of Kan
sas and exported him to Chilli we were adj
yised that he had been selected for the purpose
of building up trade with that thriving
Republic. But while Governor Osborn IL
trying to learn little Spanish, and getting
ready TO study up on trade" we maY as
well reflect that, although diplomatic relations
were established between this country and the
South American Republics rs long ago rs 1922.
there exists nothing like commercial. or, ut
least, a postal treaty between our Government
and theirs and il we are eager TO build up
trade, postal treaty would certainly not be
an unproptious beginning.
When a New-YOrk merchant wishes to send
a letter to correspondent III Chill, he
now pastes II cents worth OF stamps
on it TO start with. This postage, how
ever, only carries ii as far as Panama, although
il it is directed to Panama it only costs .
cents. From that port a British mail steamer
takes the letter aud delivers it to Valparaiso,
and charges 10 cents more for it. Then the
Gillian Government, which as yet has never
handled IT, forwards it to its destination and
demands 3 cents more. In this way the cx-
penses of a letter at both ends of its journey
amount TO 80 cents, which seems like pre-
cipitous tariff when we consider that
it could be sent to any Office in Rus
sin for cents. But even this eX-
action could be endured if it brought any
assurance of safe and speedy carriage. The
official correspondence from this country is for
warded IN q separate bag TO our consul on the
isthmus. He there sorts it, and it is sent in
separate bags to Calla0 and various points on
the coast by the first steamer. But our mcr-
chants letter is handed over in the heat
of the day to dignifled official of the
State of Panama. OF course, no we'll
bred Spanish American can postpone his
siesta, and he therefore calmly goes to
sleep and never begins to sort the
mail until the cool of the evening. Mean
while the steamer sails for the West Coast,
and the merchants letter will probably 90 in
q week. We say probably,n because some
times the Panama official refuses altogether
to forward any mail No one has yet been
able to cipher out the exact reason for this
refusal but the diplomatic relations be-
tween the Republic of Panama, which is about
as big as q door yard, the United States
of Colombia and the United States of Moth
America are exceedingly three-cornered and
intricate, owing to some disputed revenue
from the Panama Railroad; and whenever there
isn't money enough TO go around, diplomacy
gets itself into u snarl, and the postmaster
stops the mails until several tons of letters
accumulate on his hands. When harmony is
restored, he can't send off so many letters at
once. and he therefore uses them as fuel when
he bos his chocolate.
Now. all this does not tend to facilitate
trade and intercourse, and it is very evident
that a postal treaty would be followed by most
benelcent results. 1t was stated, yesterday,
that an American gentleman in Peru was ne
cotiating such treaty, but private citizens
are not in the habit of declaring war or nego-
tlating treaties with sovereign States. Accord
ING to the orthodox method of procedure, the
Government of Chill would send courty
notification to our own Government that
Chill was willing to entertain some pro-
posals for a treaty, and then Mr.. Evarts
would respond in q letter of sixteen pages
declaring that he also was superlatiyely will
ing. This would occupy three months. Then,
after some more etiquette and negotiation,
each Government would appoint commissions
crs, who, after reasonable delay, would con-
vene and perhaps agree upon something
Then n copy of the covenant would be sent
to Washington to be signed by the President
and approved by the Senate, and the same cere-
mony would be soemnzed in Chill, and after
n year or so the treaty would be an accom-
plished fact 1t ought to be added that such
treaty was almost concluded by the late
Administration, our Government agreeing to
deliver letters to the CHILEAN Consul at Pam
anna for cents and the CHILEAN Government
agreeing to deliver letters to our agent at the