The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-03
Every Interest Dependent Upon Recon-
struCtion.

The complaint MS to stagpation in business is
| universal throughout the South. The great lines
of travel and intercommunicaton are Iangulsning
for want of passengers and tonnage. Our rail-
roads, Which were ruined BY the war, were ronova,
ted Mt great expense and by means OF borrowed
capital. They are generally in excellent condition,
and are managed with great energy and skill, put
they begin to feel most seriously the dGopresslms G
influences of tile general stagnation. Our mer,
chants have exerted themselves as they never dld
before. For considerable time after the resump-
ton of business the largo number who carried on
their business in rented bOnses were compelled 10
pay exorbitant rents BY o strange contra ia
diction al the very time that they were least able
to do 30, they were required to aceede to the
enormous demands OF landlords. In this
city especially those demands were cnorc
mously high i'll consequence OF the dcstrucCIon VI
buildings by the great fire. and, coincidentaly, OF
tho iorro humber of persons who competed for
such as remained. This continued Tor cighteeh
months, when the burden became lntoleraDlc. we
are glad to be enabled to say that q reduction IN
rents has taken place. 1t would DO an endless
labor to undertake to record tho changes that nave
occurred in business in this city within the last
two years, The same house has, lii numerous IN
stances, had half dozen successive occupants.
One after another, after almost superuman efforts
to keep up, found it necessary Mt lenGtn 70 sue
cumb to tho irresistible pressure OF the times.
Every one in business has been buoyed up With
the Vague hope that affairs must improve, ana
each has held on as long as possible, IN ord"r 10
profit by such Improvement. 1t would DC lmpossi-
bic to tell tho largo number OF persons IN inc va
rious departments of business in this CITY VINO
have hoped, toiled, struggled, only to find them.
selves disappointed, broken up and ruined. a AS IL
has boon in this city, 80 has 1T been III al INC
cities and towns of the South.
Is there no remedy for this trightfu! condition
of affairs? Is there no mode by which our lines
of travel and intercommunicaton can be sus-
tanned, and by which our business men can
be kept from ruin2 Is there no way by which our
resources can bo developed and turned to proita-
bio account, and by which We may boneiit by LABOR
and capital? There is remedy, moue, u way.
They all centre in reconstruction. FROM that,
and from no othor human source, can our rehe1
come Our absolute necessities require thls re-
lief. Suffering people cannot STAND upon luic
punctiios and yet there are those among us WHO
teach that VIC must invite the continuance ol
the evils that weigh us down tor appearance
sake. This is that false pride that leads 50 many
woud-be fashionable people to sacrlhcc all inc
solid comforts of life Tor the mean ambition Oh max
ing an occasional show of sickly, sp.enaof Wnch
they arc put. Instead of attracting sympathy,
they excite derison and contempt. True honor,
as we have often shown, as men Ike GehGral Long
street lIaro shown, Is not concerned III ths thnS.
It is tinscl, pinchbcck ony-the counterfeit pre-
sentiment 1t is tho tin-pan thunder and petro-
lcum lightning of the theatre: Away with 'his
wretchcd glare and glitter, and let lis get into the
real sunlight. 1t is cheaper and far more agree
able to read plays and novels than 10 IuaeIIake,
at tho sacrifice OF common sense ana OF al inc
solid blessings of life, to seek to perform III real
life the parts of the heroes OF felton, we arc not
disposed to initiate Don Quixottc and engage IN
hopeless contests. we have better opinion OF
the calm, good sense Of our people than to sup
pose they are. ~
We must have an improvement in business. w, We
must redeem, regencratc and dlschthraii VIZ
ginia. We must place our aflairs upon, stable
aud permanent footing. We must make every
ncedfu sacrifice OF pride and feeling to preserve
to us and our descendants some remnant OF tue
liberty, political power and industrial prosperity
SO is by assisting in the work Of reconstruction
Richmond Wig.