The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-12-09
BUSINESS PROSPECTS.


had impoverished the planters, and, as
a necessary consequence, the merchants
at the end of the year could scarcely
make both ends meet. Confidence was
lost, and those few of our merchants
who were able to advance to planters
on the old plan felt a natural hesitation
to embark in so uncertain an enterprise.
The crops for the new year were there-
fore pitched under the most unfayora-
BILE circumstances. A year Of anxiety
and the most piuct..ing frugality fol-
lowed. Planters had to rely on their
own resources to pay their hands, and
few could see what the end would
hring forth. The years harvest has
just been gathered and has far exceed
ed the most sanguine expectations.
The planters of Louisiana the past
year have been blessed with one of the
most favorable seasons they have ever
seen. Whether we consider the crop
of cotton, sugar, or small grain, the
season for planting, for maturing and
gathering, has been all that we could
have desired. If theplanters had been
enabled to plant on an extensive scale
they would have realized handsome
fortunes from the present years crop.
AS it is, they have made themselves
quite comfortable and feel abundantly
encouraged to make extensive prepara-
tons for another year. The merchants,
have felt the effects of the past favora-
bic season. Tt is estimated that the
new crop Of cotton alone has already
caused twenty-five millions of dollars
to change hands in the city of New.
Orleans. This has caused unusual
briskness in all branches of mercantile
business, and the city has seldom as
sumed so lively an appearance. Con-
fdence seems to have been fully re-
stored, and there cannot fail to be as
good an understanding between the
merchants and planters as existed in
former and better times. Any plan
ter who can make good showing of
his ability to conduct a plantation, and
who has it moderately well stocked,
can doubtless now obtain supplies for
the next year to any reasonable ex-
tent.
But here lies, in our opinion, the
great danger to both merchant and
planter. We fear that the temptation
to incur large debts, which has ruined
so many ofour planters and merchants
in times past, will again prove too
great to be resisted. All ought to be
satisfied by this time that the old sys-
tenn is false one, and one that, while
it occasionally enables lucky planter
to realize fortune, ruins the large ma
.jority of those who are led to adopt it.
Witness che heavy mortgages which
now lie upon three-fourths of the fine
plantations in the State, and prove such s:ci.
a dead weight upon the energies Of
even the most thrifty and industrious
of our planters. The whole system is
a species of gambling, in which it
would be difficult to find the winners
of all the money that is lost. ','s
The past year has shown what the
planters can do by taxing their ingen-
nity to plant without mourning heavy
debt. Let not this experience be
thrown away upon them. Let them
continue to plant on an economical
scale, and call on their merchants, only.
for things which they cannot do with
out. They may confidentially expect
this aid, and at the end of the year
their whole crop will not be consumed
in the payment of the merchants debt.
The disposition of the freedmen, too,
leads us to hope that the next year
will prove an exceedingly fruitful one.
The nine days. wonder Of, politics has
abont run its course, and left the newly
enfranchised, as well as the disfran-
chised, and all others, perfectly willing
to abandon politics for a business which
shall shall promise more satisfactory
results. The owners of the soil will
protect the laborers, of all colors, in
their civil rights and the laborers will
doubtless apply themselves to their
task with more than ordinary energy
and industry. We hope that we shall
have peace and On immunity from fur
Their political excitement until our State
shall recuperate somewhat from its inn
poverished condition. The true pa
triot now is he who shall esclew poll
tics and turn his attention to the de-
velopment of the wonderful resources
OF. the South. In truth the man who
can now "make two blades of grass
or two ears of corn grow where only
one grew before is worth the whole
race of politicians put together"
BRIDM FoLLIss DONE AWAY W1ru.-
The Cleveland Herald has the following
sensible ideas:
A gentleman Of this city, whose daugh-
ter is soon to be married, has printed on
the wedding cards, mo presents will be