The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-06-06
What Oan be Done for the South.

through the late expensive war to keep
the South in the Union, are equally
strong reasons for making the South
prosperous now that we have succeed
ed. The grand reason of the West
for fighting was commonly condensed
into single sentence, viz; that the
West would never relinquish its right
to the Mississippi. The Mississippi is
valuable only as affording cheap and
commodious route to market. What
market? Not mainly tho West Indies;
for the consumption Of Western pro-
ducts is comparatively small in those
islands. Not Europe, most certainly;
for the route is too circuitous. The
best market the West ever had is the
South itself. The products of the West
are too heavy and bulky in proportion
to their value for distant expectation.
The natural circuit Of American trade
is to CONVERT the grain and pork of the
West into cotton, tobacco, and other
Southern staples, by feeding the popu-
latio' which grows these taples, and
then exporting the fruits of Western
agriculture in this less bulky form.
which not only saves great expense OF
freight, but insures the certainty of
market. Whether grain will be in
demand III Europe depends upon the
European harvests. But American
cotton will always be in demand; and
Western products are sure of market
as long as they are used to feed cotton
growers.
The most important and urgent
interest of the West is that the South
shall be relieved of its embarrassments
at the earliest day possible. What the
West above all things needs is
a market. The market which, for
four years, it lost in the South, has
been temporarily supplied by the war.
Tue West had fed our vast armies, and
the multitudes employed in the manu-
facture of army supplies. But this
market is about to disappear. West
ern agriculture will tsink into a low
and feeble condition unless it gets back
tie Southern market; of which there
is no possibility except by the revival
OF Southern industry.
The great difficulty in the Soutt, is
the condition of utter impoverishhe6t
into which that section has been
brought by tile war. The pecuniary
prostration Of the South is SO absolute
that its industry cannot be set agoiug
without great Influx of capital from
the Northern States. All the money
of the whole section has been annihi-
lated. The property which has been
destroyed by the ravagcs of armies,
and come into dilapidation by the
absence and neglect Of owners, cannot
be restored without money to buy
materials and to pay wages. The
country has been drained Of animals,
both horses and cattle, till not enough
are left to draw the plow. Nobody
will send animals :here to be sold un-
less money is supplied, from some
quarter, to purchase them. The North
has money in abundance and can easily
supply this want, but in the present
condition Of things the South can give
no security. There has ceased to be
in the South any basis for such
security except its real estate. Lend
money to planter and there is no
longer lien upon'his slaves; they have
all become freemen. Money cannot
be borrowed upon Southern bank
stock or railroad stock; bank and rail-
roads are alike ruined. Northern
capitalists will not take the Southern
railroads, replenish their rolling stock,
and put them in running order, be-
cause, for aught they know, what
remain: of the property will be con-
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