Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-02-08
Tenfold Profit.


Mr.. Greeley said the other evening at the
Southern Relief Meeting in New York, that
"ten millions of dollars, diffused over the
South Immediately, in the form of food,
and seed and implements, would return
one hundred millions in the crop the pre-
sent year" This, although stated as an IN
ducement to Northern men to extend aid to
their suffering countrymen of the South, Is
unouestionably true. 1t would pap the
merchants, manufacturers and ship-owners
of the North to distribute charity in that
way, while it would relieve an amount OF
suffering and distress of which the strong
est representations can give them but a
very feeble idea. Hundreds of thousands
of fertile acres are lying waste and relaps-
ing into swamp and cold field" for the
want Of food, and seed and implements to
cultivate them with, which, if supplied,
would make them laugh with fatness-and,
when the harvest time comes, the fairness
would mostly grease Northern pocket books.
It is, indeed, a veryEserious question forthe
North to consider whether the universal
restitution of the Southern States shall con-
tinue ornot. The various industries which,
during the war, made greenbacks plentiful
among them, ceased with the war, and if
to the cessation of them is to be added the
cutting off of Southern products from the
general supply, the consequences must be
felt in money panics and the general de-
Il H.,
conceded that no country ever pre-
sented such opportunities for investment
as these States now do, but the answer
made by Northern capitalists to all who
have attempted to direct attention to these
opportunities has invariably been, eve
are afraid to risk it until the Reconstruc-
ton business is settled" with the addition,
perhaps, of sundry remarks of political
nature not very complimentary to the
South, and not suggestive of the particu-
lar wisdom or goodness of the speaker
We do not purpose discussing who is re-
sponsible for the settlement of the Recon
struction business. We only cite this reply
of Northern capital to Southern poverty
as the one almost universally met with by
those who have heretofore attempted to at
tract it in this direction. We think that
the real objection to these investments, on
the part of Northern men, lies more IL the
dices exercise over them than in any sound
financial reasons. They are, almost to q
man, stout believers in the indestructibility
of the government by any possible means,
and therefore no consideration of danger
in that direction can influence them
They must know that, being "loyal," no
danger of confscation can disturb them
They admit the truth of the representa-
ton made as to the advantages of invest
ment in the South. And yet they are
afraid, they say, to risk it. Meantime, la
Dor is dying out or leaving the country
agriculture is languishing, and the settle
ment OF the Reconstruction business is as far
off as ever. We trust that the ten millions
of which Mr.. Greeley spoke, will be difused
throughout the Soulful for no other rea-
son, merely to show what a very large pro-
fit it will realize. Every charity of this
kind which may be inaugurated will not
only fill the poetic description, but will be
complete realization of that unique Amer
lean idea of combining the virtuous and
the profitable in all enterprises into which
the virtuous is obliged to enter. There is
to-day idle capital enough in the North to
make both sections rich, if applied to the
development of the resources of this Sec
ton but the prospect, at present, is that
it will continue idle, benefting neither
It is to be hoped that the reconstruction
elephant may not get loose and roam up in
that direction, inasmuch as he feeds on
greenbacks, and has an awful appetite
His late keeper, Mr.. Stevens, seems to be
getting very uneasy and somewhat demon
allied about the condition of the animal,
and would, doubtless, rejoice with all good
patriots, if somebody would kill it and re-
iieve the country.