Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-24

been considerable, whether it originated
in oppressive mismanagementO Of the canal
system. or whether in outside influences
beyond the control Of the people of New
York. 1t might be supposed that the great
systems Of railway spanning the State,
parallel with the Erie canal, and other
great railroad lines further South, but
connecting the same two extremes and
engaged in the same trade, by competition
reduced the canal profits so low as to sug-
gest the shifting of the burden to the
shoulders of the State. But aside from the
impolicy of such step, which must have
presumed, for success, upon the imbecility
of the people. it is understood, we believe,
that the canal system was paying one
in spite of the numerous railroads put in
competition with it. That the increased
number and facilities Of the railroads
decreased the profits of the canals, there
can be no question but since the canals
and railroads all combined were not equal
to the capacity of moving the surplus
crops Of the Northwest to the Atlantic,
this cannot be regarded as the motive
power in the sudden revolution, and we
must look further for the true source OF
the movement.
This is to be found in a system of 1rdter
transportation recently completed by Can
ada and Great Britain between the river
st. Lawrence and the great lakes.
The completion of the Welland canal,
enabling ships Of two thousand tons bur
den to pass around Niagara Falls end
anchor in the harbOrs of Buffalo, Detroit,
Milwaukee. Chicago and host Of smaller
lake ports. brings all the force of British
cheap navigation at once against the
American lines, both canal and railway,
along our northern border, and immi-
nently threatens to divide with. us our in
terror carrying trade and set up Montreal
a. a rival to New York in spite of all our
railroad bOOms.
Against this great and daring enter
prise. put in operation at cost of S54,-
OO0.OOO. with England behind it already
monOpolizing the carrying trade of the
ocean. New York set free her canals in
the hope that it may check4the advance OF
the British upon her base of supplies in
the Mississippi Valley, and preserve to
the metropolis that system of commercial
feeders which proved so efficient in her
early growth and prosperity. Whether
results will answer these expectations
remains for the future to decide, but the
memorable laws of trade which made
New York city itself possible, are only
detained, not changed, by temporary eX-
pcdients. and may wipe out the advantage
of free canals in New York by free canals
in Canada.
From Duluth to Buffalo, a lake coast of
perhaps two thousand miles in extent,
England now completes with America for
the CARRYING trade of the West, and her
superiority on the water will doubtless
1 transfer much of the direct trade of New
/ York to Chicago, eight hundred miles
nearer to the great bulk of Western pro-
I d1ce. and if this produce must halt on its
way from Chicago to Europe, Canada will
/ see to il that it halts at Montreal, city
/ three hundred miles nearer to Liverpool
/ than New York. Thus we have indica-
| tions. to say the least, that the future
great central line Of North American
| transportation will he on the line OF the
/ st. Lawrence and the great lakes, and
4 conducted, Iii harmony, we trust, between
{ the two leading powers of the civilized
worId-England and the United States; for
we can then no longer appropriate the
name America exclusively to ourselves
because of the magnitude of competing
/ British empire growing up and bordering
/ our own vast domain on the North.
As an offset or balance to this great
/ Northern line, the equilibrium of trade
will be just as likely to dictate great
| Central American line of transportation
/ along the Gulf coast of the Southern
| States. from Mexico to Florida or Georgia
/ ON the Atlantic: while the Mississippi
] and its tributaries form the great central
pauorama. intersecting both lines, and
! completing our wonderful continental
| water line system of cheap transportation,
| to be fed at all points by not less Won
derfuI system of railroads. now but in its
| infancy, with all the progress that mas
/ been made.
If New York is to maintain her grandeur
as the metropolis over Chicago or some
possible future Southern city, she has
more work to do than to free her canals,
or even 10 construct new lines of railway
to the West. In reference to the two great
East and West parallel lines indicated,
her situation will be peculiar. BY no pos
sible eEpedient, short of superiority over
the British commercial marine, can she
hope to control EurOpean=bOund frelghts
on the Northern line, though IL skirts her
very borders, for. passing out through the
Gulf Of st. Lawrence, nearly thousand
miles Of safe inland navigation stands
Of nil
ing and sea risks from her harbor.
But to connect herself with the
Southern line. from which all freights
must turn norshward on arriving at the
Atlantic. she may devise eXpedients and
maintain her supremacy by garnering the
rich harvests Of the South. Philadelphia
and baltimore stand in her way TO the
middle interior states, and etfectually cut
her off from such Southwestern trade as
might reach her by railway, and it thus
seems that the adjustments of trade, grad
uaIly changing old currents, are destined
ultimately TO limit her interior trade 10
the few States lying west and between her
seacoast and the Mississippi river.
But New York is a great seaport, bold
and prominent on the broad Atlantic, and
the hating place Of ships from every
cline visiting the giant Republic Of the
Western hemisphere. In this prominence,
making her the entrepOt of foreign nations,
lies the great advantage ii win doubtless
| be her care to maintain, but TO be success
ful. after so much damage by the Northern
line, as already suggested, she must look
To the Southern line 10 sustain the ship
ping in her harbor. Ii she continues TO
fail in freighting European ships for the
return trip, as she did last spring, when
a number Of large steamers were obliged
"a s-eigh anchor in ballast for New Or
leans 10 obtain cargOes, the goods brought
bv those ships, for the West at least, will
be delivered at the ports where the return
cargoes are obtained. To avoid this it
will be her interest 70 encourage and has
ten the perfection of a SOstaern line by
STRENGTHENING her commercial relations
with the ports Of the South Atlantic.
If the Spectators Of Chicago could lock
I'D all the Western grain and sead her
ships away empty in 1882, they can do
the same in 1888, and will not hesitate
whenever corner is desirable among
them. But New york cannot afford to
send off her ships in ballast to double
the cape Of Florida for cargoes Of grain,
and 20 rival Chicago in the grain trade OF