New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-04
aTHE LIFE-BLooD OF A NATION is ITS CON-
MEGCEp

TO the Editor OF Tho TIL u n @.
Sir: President Garfield, In addressing the Chi
cago Board Of Trade in 1884, commenced his address
by the use Of the following sentence: "The lie
blood OF nation is its commerce. which announce
ment brought down great applause from the house.
met Mr. Garfield the following winter In Washing
ton at tho Office of the late Judge Devens, who was
then the United States Attorney General. Mr. Gar
field noticed on General Devens' table one OF the writ
ers Harlem River prints With the above heading and In
qdIred its author. The Writer answered that 1T was
his cogitations for Harlem River print laid before
Congress the previous winter.
But how true 1t Is that there Is on inherent power
in commerce that Is often memorable in its demands
For was it not commerce that prompted Christopher
Columbus to go hunting for this Western Continent?
Was 1t not that prompted CHINA to build Its
imperial Canal, 1000 miles in length! Was 1t not
commerce that promoted Dewitt Clinton to connect
the great chain of lakes our northwestern border
with the Atlantic by the Erie Canal 1858 miles in
length with Its sevcnty-wo locks, extending through
what were then the prImeyal forests OF the State OF
New Y0rli-a herculean task unequaled by any one
In this cOuntryl Was it not commerce that prompted
Count de Lesseps connect the Red and Mediterranean
Seas by the Suez Canal at the expenditure OF some
800, 100000 shortening distance 3,7o0 mllesl Was
II not that prompted Great Britain 10 build
the Manchester Ship Canal at expense Of S45, 0O0
OOO connect the great manufacturing city with tide
wateri Was ii not commerce that prompted Massa-
chusetts, with outlay Of $4,000 900, to tunnel the
IIoosac Mountanl Was 1t not commerce .aat caused
the building of the Mount Gems tunnel through the
Alps costing S15 900 600. and also the St G0thard
tunnel built by France Italy and Swift erland at an
expenditure Of $1,000 coo francsi Therefore IL will
readily be that commerce docs command
and that the, are those who wisely
obey its commandments. So commerce has prompted
Great Britain, Germany and France to do European
carrying trade to transport products, mails, and
citizens desiring 10 go to Europe, also
foreign ministers and ambassadors to foreign courts
and by doing they have the opportunity OF gathering
into their several exchequers sope $3.50 O0Oo 900 an
nually from the people OF the United States. Al
though private interests have built notable works
such as the Brooklyn Bridge, and railroads to the
Pacific, largely by moneys received from public lands
yet the Government OF the United States has done little
after sxty-vc years Of legislation on the little six
mile Harlem Canal only one-fourth Of 1t is done,
tlnn 81 900 ,O0O for which commerce has been
clammorous for more than half century
gravey ask the question: whether in the United States
there statesmen. political economists no
thoughtful, consfderate men in or out OF Congress who
can promptly ard wisely legislate for our countrys
commercial veal. that can have a merchant
marine service like other nations, and that we can
successfully compete and excel. Why could not the
economical basis Shall II be said as appears true
from the facts, that the policy of the United States
Government Is to remain inactivel Is 1t because our
young have wit and grit as those OF other
nations have? 1t IS hlmilating in the extreme to
have once rnexcelled commerce in the European
trade entirely driven off the Atlantic and out OF our
other Governments towards their shipping SIN more
humilsting Is II that our own Government being
abunGany able is so unwiss as not to nd3pt the
New-York, Oct. @. 1891.