The Forgotten Man, and Other EssaysSumner, William Graham
Science
The Forgotten Man, and Other Essays
Sumner, William Graham
Economics; Social sciences
The first effect of the opposite courses taken by New York and
Philadelphia was very favorable to his views. The southern trade was
transferred from New York to Philadelphia. Southern notes were at a
discount of twenty or twenty-five per cent. Receiving these notes from
the merchants, the Bank employed them through Bevan and Humphreys in
buying cotton. This operation began in July and was intended to move
the cotton to Europe in order to meet the post notes of the Bank when
they should become due. The firm of Biddle and Humphreys was also
formed and established at Liverpool as the agent of this operation.
In the extension of the transaction cotton was bought and paid for
by drafts on Bevan and Humphreys of Philadelphia, which drafts were
discounted by the Bank. Biddle and Humphreys, having sold the cotton,
remitted the proceeds to Mr. Jandon, former cashier of the Bank, sent
to England as its agent in July. To all this it must be added that
the Bank assumed the function of securing, for its producers, a good
or fair price for cotton. Jandon’s instructions were to protect the
interests of the bank, and “of the country at large.”
If the Bank had simply been a strong, sound bank, intent on earning
profits, it would have sent two or three millions to Europe, selling
exchange at one hundred and twelve, and would not have suspended.
The rest of the story would then have been very different for all
concerned. The arrival in June of a ship in England with one hundred
thousand dollars specie sufficed to sustain American credit and to
revive American securities. When the credit of a debtor is tainted,
nothing revives it like payment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account