, 1866-01-20
Prosperity North, AdEefAity South.
From the Richmond Th1g.l

The North Is prosperous, more prosperous,
II is said, than It ever was before. Petroleum,
war contracts, the market afforded during
The war for It's manufactures, una the products
OF the soil, all consplred to Increase Its wealth
Its canals, railroads, and I'LL other works o
1utcrna! improvement arc in perfect order. The
domestic establishments, the equipames, tho
dress and appointments of the people are all
on d scale Of elegance hitherto unknown.
Tie botels, restaurants, Saloons theatres, as
indeed all places oi accommodation and
amusement, are luxurious and attractive to
IN e1tcnt that Is surprising. Many of both
sexes are tempted from the plainer pleasures Of
home to the countless places Of a1nusement-
Northern cities arc filled. The report Of the
Board OF Police for New York city shows that
the saloons alone Of that city muster nearly
two regiments Of handsome waiter, girls, num-
boring twc circ hundred. equipped with an the
neretttcIons charms and Establishments that
women OF TINT class know SO well how 10 maze
effective, The total numhcr Of these saloons
is - the number OF yisi.css per day Is set
down ct e, ,95fl, and tho receipts per week at
931 ,5ds. This Ii but one item Of luxury and
cxtEayagance in one OF the Northern cities.
The police report informs us that the numb2r
'creasmg'; that their dupcs md victims are
counted BY thousands, and arc men who
move In "the best, most cultivated aud
highest circles Of society" Thcse twelve
hundred '*dsuehtcrs Of pcrdittonn arc women
who have not quite lost ali shame. The uu.
u,crous dens Of in1qutty. where all shame and
modeaty are thrown aside, aubitiously at
tempt to supply their place By MI the glitter
ing attractions Of luxury and maepihcencs.
This luxury and extrava.snce prevails
throughout the whole North. How different
the picture presented hy the South!
The South is badly Of, worse OF By far than
1t ever was, or We trust than 1t ever will be
agnin. It lost all 1t owned but its lands and
houses many persons lost these. Its cur
rency and securities in which all its people
were interested. pcrished in an hour. 1ts
horees, cattle and poultry ercn were destroyed.
desolated Is tfan army Of locusts had dcvoured
them. Its negroes, to the yalne Of two thou
sand millions Of dollars, were set free. It's
railroads aud ot1Cr public works were broken
mp. The elegant eqalpages that were seen
before the war are no longer seen. The tew
that remain belong to strangers who have
come among us, or TO fancy men to whom
fine turn out Is sort ot sign OF advertise
ment- There Is no display of dresa and no
attempt to follow the fashions. Dwelling
houses look old snd lilapidatcd. The
furniture is defaced and broken. The
places Of amusement ere for the most part
closed, and the hotels are plain. modest apd
mnprctending. There are fortunately no mag
nibcent saloons, no pretty waiter girls 10
allure young men to their ruin. There are
drinking shops, and an abundance Of them
but they do not resort to such au1lliaries to
make them attractive There Is no eItsaya-
gance, no attempt at display. The people art
poor md have the good sense to practise q
rigid economy.
Our viccs are not the vices generated by an
inflated prosperity. They arc those developed
by deprivation and poverty. We arc now
learning those lessons tanght In the scvcro
school Of affection, aud it will, perhaps, be
all the better for ns, In the end that
VIC had 50 rough beginning. Econ.
ed end sty arr Industry, IT sres1pa Raanet3saes 3a.ees
upon us by The necessities Of our situation.
We hope that they will become The habits
and the governing principles OF our 1ises, 60
that should we once more be blessed with
prospcity-and these are the means by which
it Is a,taiDed-we viii know how to:en}oy,
without abusing it,