districts to the growth of certain plants, which do not thrive so well in other parts of the same latitude, give rise to transverse currents which serve as tributaries to the main channels, and, as inducements to social intercourse between the inhabitants of the same parallels of latitude.

The Mississippi river and its tributaries, the former flowing from north to south, and the latter from the east and west, constitute a perfect type of a commercial system conforming to natural laws. But to make this system complete, it must embrace the Gulf of Mexico and the countries bordering on its coast. This division of the continent, watered by streams flowing into the Gulf, abounds in the production of every plant common to either the Atlantic slope or the continent of Europe; and the quantity of coal, iron, and lead which it contains, is supposed to exceed that of any other division of the globe of equal extent. Nor is it destitute of the precious metals, or, indeed, of any natural element which could add materially to the convenience or comfort of its inhabitants. And, withal, the geographical relations of this region to other countries are not less convenient or admirable than its own completeness. Within a few days travel from the mouth of the Mississippi lie the valleys of the Oronoco and Amazon; both intertropical, and the latter far more extensive than that of our own great river. But the shores of the Caribbean sea and Atlantic ocean are but specks in the broad horizon, which will bound the future commerce of the Gulf of Mexico. The genius and enterprise of the age will, before the lapse of many years, open more than one communication between the two great oceans; and these will draw into the Gulf a large part of the trade of the entire western coast of the continent, from Terra del fuego to Kamschatka: while it will become the highway over which the trade from Europe and the eastern coast of America will pass on its voyage to Australia, China and other parts of Asia.

Such are the relations of this great valley to the Gulf of Mexico, and to foreign countries; and yet the people of this region seem disposed to avoid all commercial intercourse in that direction.

It is time that the public mind was awakened to this subject; for every year strengthens the commercial power of the eastern cities over the south and west; and, consequently, it will become more and more difficult to improve our natrual advantages, so as to make them available against the capital and enterprise of those who now

control the commerce of the nation. In this age of steam and enterprise, natural advantages avail but little without improvement. Ocean steamers are as necessary now to sustain the commerce of Seaport Cities, as railroads are to sustain the trade of Inland Towns; and no system of internal improvement that could be devised would materially increase the commerce of the Gulf, unless it were connected with ocean steamers, and, be the policy of the general government whatsoever it may in respect to foreign commerce, we regard ocean steamers and direct importations as being essentially necessary to the prosperity of the south and west.

We are not sufficiently acquainted with the details of commerce and navigation to affirm that the merchant in St. Louis can import every description of goods from England and France, by the way of New-Orleans, upon as good terms as they could be purchased in New-York. We are aware that many inconveniences are incurred by departing from the established course of trade with foreign countries; but it would seem to one unacquainted with the details of foreign commerce that, if it were cheaper to import heavy commodities, such as liquors, hardware, and queensware, directly from Liverpool to St. Louis, by the way of New-Orleans, it would be practicable to adopt a system of business, that would admit of stocks of general merchandize coming by the same route. And we should regard it as an especial favor, if some individual acquainted with the details of foreign and domestic trade, would enlighten us upon this subject: for, in our opinion, it is a point upon which the prosperity of the West, and especially of St. Louis, in a great measure depends.

If the people of the South and West can carry on their foreign. commerce through the Gulf of Mexico, without touching at NewYork or other Atlantic cities, as cheap as the merchants of NewYork can do it for them, it will be completely in their power to achieve a commercial revolution in the valley of the Mississippi, whenever they shall resolve to do so; for nothing is lacking on their part to produce this result but the will and the enterprise. They possess all the capital necessary to its accomplishment. The lands, the labor and commercial highways of the South and West, constitute the capital upon which their commerce is based. Under the present system they manage the capital only, while the Eastern merchants control the proceeds; the management and use of which constitute the principal part of the capital, upon which the

latter carry on their trade. The people of the South and West have only to take the management of the proceeds into their own hands. By this simple operation they will withdraw from the Eastern cities a corresponding amount of their commercial capital, and add it to the wealth of their own commercial cities.

How do the people of New-York accomplish the most costly works of the age, build palaces, and indulge in extravagances that would beggar princes? Where is the capital located, whence they derive an income equal to such vast expenditures? Doubtless, it is located chiefly in the South and West; owned and managed by the people residing there; by men dwelling in humble habitations, clad in plain attire, feeding on substantial but homely fare, breathing the malaria arising from unreclaimed lands, and, withal, generally in need of money. Such, in general, is the condition of those who own the estates, plant, cultivate and gather the crops; while the fruits of their land and labor are enjoyed by the people of the Eastern states. Reference to the exports from the Gulf will throw some light upon the amount of commercial capital which properly belongs to the inhabitants of the South and West.

The domestic exports of New-Orleans, during the year ending 30th June 1851, amounted to $81,216,925. The cotton exported at Mobile for the year ending 31st of August 1851 is valued at $22,298,670; and the cotton crop of 1850 exported from Florida and Texas, valued at $60 per bale, amounts to $14,641,247. Amounting in all to $118,156,842. And if we add only $1,000,000, for other articles besides cotton exported from Alabama, Florida and Texas, the amount exported from the Gulf ports will exceed two thirds of the domestic exports from every part of the Union, during the same period. A portion of this, say about $60,000,000, went direct to foreign ports, and the balance coastwise to be reshipped, at least a large portion of it, to foreign countries. But this is not all: a large amount of produce grown in the states bordering on the Mississippi and its tributaries, found its way to the Atlantic across the northern lakes, and through the Pennsylvania canal. This properly belonged to the Gulf trade, and a portion of it would have gone in that direction, had its natural commercial advantages been improved and properly developed. And if the foreign merchandize consumed in the Mississippi valley and in the States drained by streams flowing into the Gulf, was imported directly to the principal cities of this region, their annual

exports, foreign and coastwise, would amount to $200,000,000, within a very few years from the present time. from the present time. But who will dare to estimate the commerce of the Gulf of Mexico, when the resources of the countries whose waters it receives shall be fully developed; when the valleys of the Oronoco and Amazon shall be reduced to cultivation, and a commercial thoroughfare established between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans? But the inhabitants of the South and West will realize but little benefit from the commerce of the Gulf of Mexico, so long as they continue to carry on their foreign trade through the Atlantic cities.

Nor can mining and manufacturing be successfully prosecuted here, until the commercial exchanges are brought nearer to the places of production and consumption. Manufactures of almost every description flourish best in or near commercial cities, where all the facilities necessary to the prosecution of their business can be more readily obtained than in rural districts, distant from any great market. Indeed, it is scarcely practicable for manufacturing to succeed and be long sustained in districts which are continually drained of money to support their commercial operations, carried on at distant points.

Commerce and manufactures sustain relations which cannot be severed without reducing both to that condition, in which they are found to exist among nomadic tribes. Commerce, like manufactures, requires fixed points for its operations; and the latter always thrive best when located near the former. Were the seat of our foreign commerce located on the Gulf shore, or on the Mississippi river,it would be the means of not only retaining in this region the profits of capital invested in agriculture, but promote the growth and permanent establishment of all kinds of manufactures, composed of the raw material found or produced in this country. Every interest, both rural and civic, would be promoted by establishing the route of our foreign trade through the Gulf of Mexico. And we are fully persuaded, that there is no enterprise in which money could be invested, that would so certainly build up and establish St. Louis-making it a great commercial and manufacturing city as the encouragement of ocean steamers between New-Orleans and foreign ports.

We are rejoiced at the liberality and energy displayed by our citizens in the encouragement they have given to the construction of railroads and other public improvements; but these works, though

convenient to ourselves, are to be regarded chiefly as the means of enabling us to add to the wealth of the Eastern states; for like the proceeds of agriculture, the profits arising from their operations, will all be drained off in that direction, so long as the seat of our foreign commerce remains in New-York.

We invite the citizens of St. Louis, and more especially the owners of real estate here, to give this subject that serious consideration which their individual interests, as well as the interests of the country, demand. It will require much time, as well as capital, to build up a steam marine for the Gulf and ocean trade; then let us begin at once, by ascertaining how far the general government will assist in the enterprise by establishing mail routes, and by making appropriations to aid in the building of mail

steamers.

We are gratified to perceive that the Post Office Department has recommended the establishment of a line of mail steamers from New Orleans to Vera Cruz, to touch at Tampico. In our opinion, no measure proposed for the consideration and action of the present Congress, is of more importance to the Southern and Western states; for should this line be established on a liberal scale, it will be the first step towards restoring the commerce, which we have lost with Mexico.

It is a remarkable fact in the commercial history of the country, that, while its commercial relations and intercourse with the nations of Europe have occupied so much attention, our commerce with Mexico has been permitted to decline from $9,490,446, the amount of imports in 1835, to $2,135,366 in 1850.

Regular mails and travel are calculated to remove the prejudices which exist against our country and people on the part of the Mexicans. And such facilities would induce many of our enterprising citizens to visit and settle in Mexico, for the purpose of transacting business; and it would not be long before their exertions and enterprise would open new sources of wealth, arouse the Mexican people from their state of apathy, and develop the long neglected resources of perhaps the richest country of the globe. When considered in all its aspects, there is no other nation whose commerce we should regard as of so much importance to the United States, as that of Mexico, provided the inhabitants of that country possessed a sufficient degree of energy to develop their resources. And hence we esteem it the true policy of our government to adopt