“ Shall I post the dollar amount value of imports compared to the dollar amount value of exports for the major southern ports for the year prior to the rebellion?”
And that would address the question of whether or not foreign shipping interests were importing foreign made goods how exactly? Apparently you were the one claiming that foreign ships would have to come with empty holds, or was it the other guy?
Other guy I think.
The figures on imports and exports would show that for the most part ships arrived at southern ports empty and loaded up for the voyage home. That would be true regardless of whether they are U.S. or foreign flagged vessels. For the foreign ships the only explanation is that for the most part they unloaded in the north and then went south to load up for the voyage home.