San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-05-19

ITS DECADEMCE DURING THE PAST
THIRTY YEARS.


In reviewing the conditions of Ameri
can commerce for fifteen years prior to
the civil war the Free-traders glow with
pride They delight in reconting the
growth of our shipping interests during
that period. Nothing is truer than that
American shipping greatly increased
EYUm 1916 to 186l-partly under condi-
tons already mentioned. and partly from
other causes. Our ships swept the seas
far and wide, hunting for markets for
what we had to sell; and the isles afar
off, hearing of our free ports, sold to
them largely and bought little in return.
Many went down to the sea in ships who
had never gone before. Sails and sea
men multiplied, and the gold of Califor-
MIA, together with the interests of Amer
lean farmers and manufacturers, paid
for the venture. Foreign freightS bur
dencd the produce of the one and heavy
importations checked the enterprise of
the other.
Their orators note, with indications of
deeply wounded national pride, that
our flag has almost disappeared from the
seas since the enactment of the Morrill,
tariff. We're it not arrant demagoguery,
it would be dense ignorance that ascribeS
Tie decadence of our shipping to any
revenue system whatever. 1t was the
southern COnfcderacv that caused the
Nuhdrawal of the United States mer-
l:&t marine from salt water. With the
.gtbreak Of hOStilities III 1861, the mi
Hin of the seas were, to a very great
extent. mustered into the naval service
IF the Federal government. As army
.Y"n,IortS, blockaders and armed war
craft, their paths of duty lay thick with
pcrilS. Storms, wrecks, cannon shot and
lorpedoes caused hundreds of former
merchantmen to adorn the casualty lists
Of the navy. Those remaining upon the
nigh seas were pursued and haras5ed by
| confederate privateers.
So vigilant and persistent were these
| pa'rOlmpn of the waters, so many We're
| ar vessels destroyed, that such as could
&or fad employment in the service OF
| II +
IT, -''N'' ''''''''' O'.' Il. u
'''''-" owl 'H''IP -. i'' III '''' IT,,
.,.:r wnarVeo. Whilst We were engaged
,prh and nail in family strife, iron
'!'"'9'I'i'9 ',''7S'E =,
| -4ii crafts. Answering the spirit Of the
age. commerce sought carriage on the
N"'I' 'L COURSES "' inc ''C'''''' " men '" I
were "'I''l'I9 every ''ei-i - ''iT Ue
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| "N Il" means IuI'9'cit' DIe'tI l"'u9'IIal
'Ellhpil' nave Oeeh Wol' ana vast inter-
h"| enterprises UileIIdA'H' lt"!l"aE
ines struck DoidlE across lle coitiheht'
'"hIuerlllS aI'he C'e oo''acI'S "l deserts
ana mountain ranges. oceans OF SAM
ana mountain SHOWS yielded IN turn ana
"l''' way l0F li'e nl9IlW'Ea Oh lnI'hu
commerce. EA-9oI'"SIS Oh eIIileI army
il'"Ie1 with the ; plrit OF ADVENTURE met
as iEl'h4' ana as Americans III the "reat
west Ir2lrle ana "oooIah" were SUD
que" win W., d raPiui'S never known Ue-
Ior', me lloe Oh empire ooaC against
! tilr OASIS OF the ROCKY mountains; then,