The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-03-21
COLUMBIA.....S.--ec,.:-.,. G., e..
The Ph@nix--sspn Four Years Old To
~ Day"---ProspeCts OF ts<e South etc..

just four years ago-thef Phenir made ita
appearance. Our city and section had just
been swept with the bosom of destruction,
and war-terrible war-was still being
waged. Time rolled on, and the black
cloud remained pendant over the South
The Confederacy was crushed-our boys re-
turned home dispirited and almost reckless
crops failed; the superior race was forced to
succumb to the inferior; and a feeling OF
detection began to creep over the people,
But the Good Being who rules the universe
kept a vatchful eye over us, and just as we
were about to despair, stretched forth His
all-powerful hand and lifted up the dispi-
rited; the earth brought forth its treasures
bountifully; the torrent of ugly feeling was
stemmed, and the bow of promise made to
appear in oil its beauty. The political
horizon is still somewhat oEscured, but it
will eventually clear off. That the South,
which formerly was on the topmost round
OF the ladder, has during the past five or
six years been precipitated to the very bot
tom, will not be disputed-that she is
;z,ow rapidly rising again cannot be gain
,sayed; and the few and feeble obstacles re-
naming in her pathway will be eventually
surmounted. is the earnest prayer and belief,
not only of her true sons, but also of all
well-wishers. The bird" is firm in this
opinion; but, come what may, will endea-
vor to continue to be faithful chronicler
OF events. To show that the prophecy as
to the future of the South is not confined
to her people alone, we make the following
extracts from letters and newspapers. The
Mobile Register, of the 10th, says
''We yesterday had a long talk with cul-
tivated and clear-headed business man from
New York on the prospects of spring trade
He seemed easy and secure about the re-
moval OF all pressure, stating that there was
at this moment an uneasiness and want of
confidence in the public credit that would
lift as soon as the spring business began in
earnest: We were peculiarly struck with
the high estimate he put upon the value of
Southern custom; and the reliance he had
upon it to verify his prediction. And he
only repeats what we read by every mail
Southern merchants, in large numbers,
and of class of heavy buyers, are repre-
sented as already arrived in New York, and
her dealers look for an unusually active de-
mand from them this spring, in consequence
of the comparatively richer condition of
ly. The last crop was all profit, and there
were no drawbacks of old debts, the bust
ness of last year being on strictly cash
principle, not only between our merchants
and the Northern dealers, but between
Southern merchants and their home GUS
toners. The yield in money from the crop
now in process of expectation is not less
than $3.50, ,OOO 600. the profits ON which sum
will come back to crafty the naturally
luxurious taste-so long restrained by ne
cessity-of our people.
This is not n rose-cOlored view of our
own. 1t is fact and sense, and it is en-
dorsed by such business papers of New
York as the Commercial More than this,
it is endorsed by the active exertions the
live business men of New York, of Phila-
delphia, and even of Baltimore, are making
to secure this Southern trade A late mum.
Der OF the Baltimore Gazette has long let
ter, arguing that it was better for her deal.
ers-ln absence of direct communication
with many parts of the South-to agree to
pay the freight on heavy purchases to New
York, thence to be shipped South The
letter goes on to say:
L know of one case in point. mer-
chant was recently here from Conwayboro,
South Carolina, and after making inquiry.
found there were no means of shipping
from Baltimore direct to that place He
was deslrons of making his purchases here,
but this difficulty seemed insuperabe One
of our prominent hardware houses agreed
to pay the freight on his purchase to New
York, to be thence shipped as he desired
Ihls solved the difficulty, and tho conse-
quence was that bill of So, 600 was sold.
which would have assuredly gone to New
York but for the enterprise and liberality
Of the house here
Now, all this shows plainly the value of
our cotton crop this year to the trade of
the North. That trade wants the $3.50
600, 900 it sees in such big figures. Doubt
less it will get a very LARGE slioa of II. o,,1