The New York herald., 1879-10-22
Why this American" Route Is The Best
What Trade 1t Would. Open Up.
NICARAGUA VS.. PANAMA
The Rival Canal Projects Compared by
General W. W. Wright.
THE LESSEPS ROUTE PREFERRED.
The One Hundred Million Outlay and
Why It Is Justifiabe

Commodore shufeldt. who is just at this time do
ing Africa for board the Ticonderoga, has
given an opinion on the subject Of isthmus canals
that is worth serious consideration. He is we'll
known to have studied this subject much and to
understand it as we'll any officer in either our
army or navy. He was for long time connected
with the Collins and other lines of out Of
New York, and is we'll known to the old merchants
OF this city. Tho following is extract from
manuscript left in the hands Of friend before he
sailed on his African mission
THE COMMERCE OF AFRICA.
''In 184S the trade OF the United States upon the
West Coast OF Africa $4,000, 900 per annum. In
1876 1t had become reduced to only $5O0,OOO per
annum. During the interval between those years
the commerce of Great Britain had steadily increased
from f1.OO0000 to fl2,000.O00. This marvellous
and very morti:yng change effected by the
is. giving them moderate and properly restricted
subsidies. Do you think California would have been
settled and hourished she has but for the SUBJ
sides to the Pacific Mail steamers in their earlier
struggles ON that dangerous and unfrequented
coast? Or do believe that this great continent
would to-day be crossed by unbroken rail but for
government aid? We leave the question Of fraud
and corruption which cling about such enterprises
rs barnacles do to ships bottom, and which are
no more arguments against proper subsidies than
the barnace is against the of ship. We need,
tmperatively need. to-day subsidized mail routes
upon the ocean we'll upon land and the less
travelled the route the more government aid is
needed. would limit such subsidies both in time
and money. Statistics will always prove when and
where trade is improving and when it becomes
self-supporting.
THE COMMODORE BELIEVES IN COLONIZATION
II would plant a colony wherever there is yard
OF cloth to be sold or heather to be civilized.
England and other European nations do that. AS it
Is to-day. and the spectacle is humiliating to
template. you may sail around the globe without
sesing your country's hag either ashore or afoat.
It is the same with the Cinnamon and it will con-
tinue to be with il in selfconceit and self
complacency we continue to practise the policy Of
isolation and 1.-Two within ourselves rs the turtle
lives with his shell and for his she'll
NEW ORLEANS AND THE TRADE OF ASIA.
II showed, or endoavorod to show, in an address
loans was no longer imperial city. so to speak,
commercially otherwise; that she no longer con-
trolled the commerce Of the Mississippi Valley or
indeed material part Of the products Of the great
Southwest and this all because those products were
finding shorter, more rapid and cheaper routes to
the markets Of the North and of Europe. And it must
be remembered that this is not the first time in the
history of commercial routes that cities have been
loft to decay-cities which once had been thronged
with busy and wealthy merchants and all from their
own want OF forecast and generosity. We have
only to turn back to ancient times. to Babylon and
Nineveh. Tyre and Damascus. for examples worth
studying. They were in the direct line Of traffic
with the East, and her great wealth poured into
them and although at times desolated by the sword
they continued to flourish and their merchants to
grow richer until Alexander OF Macedon diverted the
trade OF Asia to the Red Sea aud the trade of the
Milo to his own city-Alexandria. Where. let
ask are those cities now? In later times that
trsfhc and commerce passed through Venice and
Genoa via the Red Black and Caspian seas, and
ttnucd until closed by the triumph of the Moslem
the Christian Then. again. those cities became
mere mementoes Of their former commercial glory.
TRADE WANTED.
$50 1t will be with New Orleans unless by some
means equally exacting upon commerce and equally
subject TO the laws of trade. find new, shorter
and cheaper channel and new markets for the great
products of the Mississippi Valley. to be carried
the waters of that river and its tributaries foreign
shores. 1t will be in vain that through the genius
or man. the bar at the mouth of that river longer
forms an obstacle to the passage OF the largest ships
nor that the magnificent water front of the city
accommodate the mercantile fleets of the world.
The ships will not come until you can give them
cargoes; and the cargoes will not come until you
can give them market. This brings to my
objective point. viz.. to point out line of traffic.
with its terminal markets. which, IL seized at this
City to its pristine importance. but give a fresh
impetus to the domestic commerce or the whole
country. profess no discovery. The route pro-
pose has been known to the civilized world ever
since the days OF the great Conquistador and long
before him it was probably the tortuous path of tho
Indians between the two great northern oceans of
the globe. mean transit route over the Isthmus
of Tehusntepec.
AND rEHuANrEPEc
"IIere let me say that the Gulf OF Mexico is en-
phatically. American lake. and has all the essen
tial American surroundings. as much tho great
less turbulent than these aud closed to navi-
CATION by reason OF inclemency of weather In
short the navigation of this gulf is less hazardous
ut any OF the year than the igaton tho
lakes referred to. This great lake-or Gulf OF Mex
co as 1t is calcdwith all 1t. great and varied COM
mercia surroundings. never has been brought prop
erly within our commercial Jurisdiction Nor have
Its waters been utilized as they should be by
progressive people tor the development of our ex-
pnnding commerce. glance at the map will show
your readers that within two days and half of easy
.tcaming through this gulf from New Orleans. in a
lne nearly south. you may reach the mouth of the
Coatxacoalcos River. Here is the northern terminus
OF tho great .Tehuantepec Route" From that
Polnt--mark tho reckoning-with less than half
Gay = railroadng. you can reach the Pacific Ocean.
This. It will 90 observed. is less time than
leans to New York. And you can reach the
shores OF that at point most con-
decd ut the end that short time YOU have opened
up all the islands and continent of the Pacific Ocean,
This to some persons may seem like n dream. but
other project SO feasible. other point so appli-
cable for the attainment Of tho purpose. That pur-
pose is the opening up OF transit route for direct
ing the wealth and commerce OF the East IN to new
channel and pouring IL into the lap OF the West.
After all. 1t Is but the way TO tho Golden orient
which Columbus dreamed OF and which now is
within our grasp.
why HE pREFERs RAILROAD.
II connne yself to- the project OF RAILROAD across
tho lsihnus OF Tehuantepec. because think it may
ms we'll be accepted as fact that an interoceauic
snip canal. In any torn. will not DO constructed
through any part of the American Isthmus during
The present century. Certain 10 is that the dema
OF commerce will not justify the outlay. But even
u they did, 1t would not DO good policy tor this
country to throw away the advantages II would
POSSESS In the right Of way from ocean 10
another by building ship canal Cor the banc-
nt OF European conmerce. No. that would
not "o. We have already one nation
(France) build an important md very costly snip
csnai or another nation lEngland). and when
poteu soid 81 triEc moro than onehaf its origina
'osI We should not DO IN too mush haste TO iini-