Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1868-01-08
From the st. Louis Republican.
NEW ENGLAND NOT PROSPEROUS.

fTOm Tue Oh LOUIS IsCpuuiiSoa.
NEW ENGLAND NOT PROSPEROUS.
With all the supposed advantages Ut high
tariff, industry and business are greatly de-
pressed in New England ut this time There
is but little demand for manufactured goods oi
most makes. Some of the factories are stop.
ping altogether; others are working short
time, and others are proposing reduction ol
operatives wages The ship-bulldipg interest
is, il possible, more stagnant than ever. Most
of the vessels built last Year paid the builders
little or nothing-as it is impossible Tor the
ship-yards on the New England coast To cOul-
pete with those of New Brunswick or Nova
Scotia. OF course mechanics find it hard tO
get full employment even at lessened wages
and employ ment generally is scarce, and not US
well paid rs it was last year. At the same
time, save in items of wearing apparel, the ex-
pense ot living is as high as ever. This state
ut things brings hard pressure on the work
ing men of the manufacturing aud mechanical
CLASSES; and the complaints from these classes
are now more general aud louder than they
have been for many years
No part of the country was or Is more IN
terested in prosperous agricultural South than
New England. When, IN the old slavery times,
the South raised cotton and sugar, the South
was striking two blows for New England when
it was striking one for itself. The factories of
New England were supplied with cotton by
the South, while the latter bought lnanuac-
tured goods hardware, cutlery, farming uten-
sils and notions of all kinds of the former. New
England ships did the carrying for the South.
New England shp-Owners aud New England
ship-yards flourished upon the profits of that
trade The navigation, commerce and manu-
features of New England aIl were immensely
benefited by the command it had over tie
products ot the South The commerce. be-
tween the two sections was most advantageous
to New England.
Since the cessation of the civil war, it has
been peculiarly the interest OF New England
that industry ut the South should, IN the matter
of productivencss, be put upon IFS old footing.
No section of the country save the South has
more at stake than New England in the qucs-
tion of a harmonlZcd, peaceful and prosperous
South. No part of oar people should, from
mere motives of seif-!nterest, labor harder tn
repair the ravages of the war at the South than
the people of New England. Yet, while all
this seems very obvious. there IS no part o' the
country which furnishes go many advocates OF
policy most adverse tn the restoration of
peace and prosperity ut the Sonte, or from
which proceed influences SD hostile 10 the re-
establishment of its industry and productive
ness. Massachusetts, deserving the lead of
such statesmen and patriots rs its Winthrops,
is content to be led mt the pleasure of men like
Sumner, Boutwell, and Butler. A large, aud
by far the INST sagacious portion OF her leading
business men are aware ot this great mistake,
but have no power to correct it. Fanatics III
and out of the pulpit, visionary abstractionists
agitators and revolutioIIists always wanting to
" reform" everything and virtually arguing
that because thing is established that is a
reason why it should be destroyed, have got
Of the popular mind and engrossed
the formation Of public opinion. Cunning pol
iticians, like Butler, following in their wake,
have served to deepen these wrong impressions
That, under such Influences and so mislcd and
abused, the people of New England should nc
cept counscls ruinous to themselves Is not
wonderful. Perhaps they may very soon wake
to the consciousness that, under the dclusise
idea of serving "God and humanity" they
have really been trampling down one section
of the country to the great detrilncnt of their
own material interests.