Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-06-04
THE COMMERCIAL CONVENTION
AT NEW ORLEANS.

AT NEW ORLEANS.
One of the most hopeful signs Of the
practical regeneration of the South
commercially and politically, is seen in
the gatherings Of the merchants and
capitalists, first at Memphis, and since
at New Orleans. Over four hundred
delegates had presented their creden-
tails. The action of both the Memphis
and New Orleans conventions has been
characterized by the utmost harmony
Of sentiment and fraternity Of feeling.
This becomes the moro significant when
it is remembered that the delegates are
nearly equally divided between the
South and West. Neither If these Sec
tons can find their proper developments
without the others aid, and the Missis-
sippi river traversing the country of
both, becomes q common bond Of in
terest between them. When at the APP
proach of war, in 1861, the South
threatened to cut off the West from the
great river, they subsequently made
good their threat, but the West, feeling
the Importance Of such n tributary to
their trade, swore they would hew their
way down it to the sea, and they loo
made their promise good. The shores
of the Mississippi was the bloody
ground of n hundred battles the stur-
diest, most determined enemies the Con-
federacy found we're the men Of the
West; the most implacable foes toe West
confronted were those of the South
whose homes and interests were bound
ed by that river. The war is over,
capital is plenty, the West was never so
rich, tho South never SO eager TO rise
out Of her ruin, aud to-day the men, or
rather the chosen representatives of the
men who fought so bitterly for the
custody of the Mississippi, are together,
seeking no longer to destroy commerce,
but to rebuild it, and fruternslly con-
sulting together rs to the means by
which they ear make the old stream oil
discord a stronger bond Of union be-
tween them. After all, the strongest
tie between individuals or States is that
Of self-iuterest, and when the West and
South have firmly established that link,
their prosperity and their political faith
are likely to become identical.
Reconstruction, to be Of any prac.
teal effect, must emanate from alto
gether different sources than Congress
sional. Congress may force the horse
to the well, but having him there, i!
cannot make him drink. He, after all
must still be master of the situation
when it comes to the one essential
point. They who fancy that the
moment the men of the South laid
down their arms they became lovers o.
their couquerors, have not guaged
human nature very deeply. It wa:
some u Of lasting bitterness &c
them to see their cause defeated,
especially when it Ind been deal
to their shearts for years, buI
that was less than the spectacle Of theii
burned cities, their ruined fields, theil
dcsola,ed homes, aud their bcggared
wives and children to whom they re-
turned. These were not exactly the
things calculated to engender love il
their hearts for us of the North ant
West. But when the West goes dowr
to them, carrying in its hand the capita
with which to rebuild their cities, re
establish their trade, encourage theil
h~usbandry, and reins,ate them in com
fort ouce more, the West does more Il
bring about fraternity and good will be
tween the two sections than n hundred
reconstruction acts could ever do.
This is exactly what the Memphi:
Convention DID,, II exactly VIVA tn'
New Orleans Convention has been doing
The South wants capital, and the Yves
has it TO spare. Out of this condition
of things will grow that uniformity o
interests between the two that, unit
now, never had n chance to exist. Sla
ror, ,bo .,uso of di~ssnnsion ia dead
That made the West and South natural
enemies long before war Was talked Of
but between II free South and II free
West there can be no disturbing cause,
while the waters Of the same river wash
the shores of both, and becomes the
avenue along which the products oil
both may be freely exchanged.