The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1868-02-06
THE JOURNAL.
lTucsday, February 9, 1868.
The Condition Ct the South.

| LII ID sdlu IudG AliSefy LINUS eohipa-
n.y." an adage not complimentary
to frail humanity, but like most of those
old saws founded in some practical truth
eliminated by the experience Of ages.
Ifthere be any consolation in the fact,
that our neighbors are as poor and as
suffering as ourselves, our people may
comfort themselves to its fullest extent.
A recent journey from South Carolina
to Texas and back, enables the writer
to say, from observation and intercourse
with the people of Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, that
the ruin and distress prevailing here is,
to general intent, common to all
those States. The same causes which
Nave combined to render South Carroll
40 SO much poorer now, than at the
close of the war in 1865, have prevail
ed to greater or less extent in all
those States, with the same result
The upper counties Of Georgia, Ala,
bama, Mississippi and Texas, where
the white race largely predominates,
and the system Of agriculture pursued,
partakes rather of the nature of farm
ing, than planting, though suffering f.
nancially, are in comparatively q COM
Portable condition, materially, but the
whole planting interest of all the States
/ south of this, is PROSTATE and well nigh
hopeless. Business is at q stand and
large stocks of goods and no trade,
heavy debts, and exorbitant interest,
involve the ruin of thousands in all the
towns and cities from Augusta to Calves
ton. Capital to sustain the merchantile
and planting interests, cannot be procur-
ed on any terms, or for any securities,
and as a consequence, intelligent men
declare their conviction, that in the
cotton growing regions of the greet
Mississippi valley with its tributaries,
not more than one fourth of the lands
planted the last year, will be cultivated
this. The sugar interest of Louisiana
has been fatally crippled and many of
the finest estates are but melancholy
ruin. The Levee at New Orleans, once
teeming with untold wealth-the mart
of earth's richest products-a scene Of
busy life thronged by men of all ma
. tons and tongues, now in the midst Of
the busy season, looks down upon the
mighty river in almost silent and soli-
tary desolation. The fatal placard, "to
let" adorns the walls Of vast num-
bers of the houses in that ancient city,
and the papers and shop windows a
bound with the equally significant no.
tice, SELLING at cost" Hundreds OF
houseless and homeless poor roam the
streets by day and are lodged by the
police at night, and dependency hangs
its pail over the business community.
Yetwith all this the Creole city still wears
its holiday aspect, and bright smiles and
merery greetings tighten the gloom and
gladden. the hearts Of the saddest-a
precious heritage from their French
ancestors. Mobile wears buster as
pect than her sister cities, from the con-
centration of the cotton trade in small
space, and there is too, less complete
ruin in Alabama than in Louisiana
In Texas, where as late as year ago,
money was abundant and the hopes Of
the people high, there has been per-
haps q more complete and disastrous
failure of tho crops along the coast
counties: than in any other State
Galveston, which has grown immense
ly, during and since the war, and pre-
sents the newest and finest appearance
of all the cities Of the South, except
Atlanta, is at present paralyzed by the
failure of the crops. Large stocks OF
goods cucumber stores which arc bare
of customers, and planters vainly seek
ing advances, are seen at every corner.
Atlanta has risen from her ashes and
it is difficult to realize that so lately
she had been razed to the ground, but
there has always been wonderful vi
tality about this same young city. Now
whence this wide spread ruin and des-
olation of the fairest land on earth :?
Why, with their millions ofwealth seek
ing investments at from 2 to per cent.
per annum, should not foreign capital
lists come to the rescue Of the Southern
planter and merchant! The soil, tho
climate and the people are the as same
when great staples filled the treasures