The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1870-04-06
Identity Of Interests of the South and West

country and of the different products of the South
and West must be impressed with the fact that the
two sections are in great part dependent upon each
other and their interests almost Identical Whereas it
equally evident that the interests of the Eastern or
New England States in direct antagonsm to those
of these two sections. Pending the events which cul
minated in war, this fact patent to the Southern
mind, that many over-sapguine men permitted them
selves to be deluded with the hope that the West
would cast her fortunes with us-losng sight of the
other fact, that the people of that region yet in
leading strings to the East, whence most of them had
emigrated, and that this feeling Of dependence would
counteFac even the sentiment of selfnteres usually
the controlling motive of human action. Bya manip
ulation Of that sentimentalism which prompts weak
minds to cling piece Of bunting after has ceased
to represent vital principle, the cunning yankee
Unused the Western masses with maudln attachment
to " the old flag" and wrought them up the point
of cutting the tbroats Of their best friends who mi
not entertain the feeling. Massachusetts struck
the keynote and the whole choir from Maine to Cal
fornia raised their nasal song in this crusading hymn
against the South-for it is humilating truth that
the weaVers of Lowell aud the shoemakers of Lynn
have given tone to the politics. and shaped the des
TIMES Of this country
The war came; and the West. instead of joining or
even sympathizng with, her natural allies" fore
most 10 the crusade against them 1t is needless to
comment upon the results-results politically dis
astrous the freeing of the slaves pecuni
arily So Every vestige of the rights of the States,
and of the constitution it was has been swept
away by the rude hand of war and by the subsequent
/ q I,k,T
In rebellion" Not only has the South been politically
and financially injured but all the States conceive,
have received wounds which time must render fatal;
while those of the West have almost equally with the
South been crippled commercially, well-an injury
they would have severely felt this, but that
the high price of cotton has prompted US to devote
but little attention to the raising of provisions prefer
ring, with false policy we must think, to purchase
from the West. Should the price of cotton materially
decline the very incidence of the negro character WILL
paradoxical may SEEM suggest to him to raise his
own provisions to greater extent requiring intn-
itey less labor than the culture of cotton and being
equally remuneratve 1t is doubtless the experience
of most farmers that the freedmen DESTROYS
than themselves to plant largely of grain. If farming
apart they will very certainly to do So and every
South operates injury to that extent to the West.
This will prove of the bad effects only apparently
trifng resulting to the West from the emancipation
Of the slaves.
But this is of the past; and It's the part Of wisdom
whatever our individual feelings and animosities may
be- to let the dead past bury its dead and turn our
thoughts to the future. A strong political bond of
union between the West and South is their mutual
tagonsm to high tariff, which enrches Eastern
ufacturers at the expense Of Southern and Western
consumers And the Southern States truly repre-
scented in Congress- instead of by set of men who are
in the hands of Radical leaders clay in the hands of
the potter the tariff laws might by the united efforts
of the two sections soon be amended to enable
US to be independent of these administration
Europe could supply US with most of the articles Of
luxury OF necessity at from fifty to hundred per cent
less than we forced to pay by the "proectiVe
policy of the best government" As is the West
has become thoroughly aroused to the vital impor-
lance of her interests the question of tariffs, and
the St. Louis Democrat the leading Radical paper Of
that section assumes fact that the next Congress
will be elected upon an anti-tarif platform.
But aside from, if not paramount to all political con-
sderaons there commercial interests which should
bind the two sections The traffic between them in
creasiug in Importance with wonderful rapidly We
see an index to this the amount Of produce and ar
tices of manufacture brought from St. Louis to the
Red river country If this channel of trade prove
cheaper there will be proportionatey.largc amount
of provisions consumedas the price OF an article has
of course very much to do with its greater or less con-
sumption The quantity of provisions and especially
of -four landed at this port alone by the Carter line of
steamers, has been immense while the number Of
wagons amount of furniture, wooden ware &c, have
been still more remarkable
And now comes Cairo reaching towards us hand
richly laden with the necessares Of life, with the as
surance that she furnish them cheaper than ST.
i Louis Well let her come. We have become so thor
L oughly Yankeeized to have weakness for buying
in the cheapest and selling in the dearest markets
There is, however, serious drawback to this direct
l., trade with the West-the difficulty, rather mpossi'
It bility, of supplying return cargoes which would Of
$ course enable these boats to bring freight at lower
rates than if forced to return empty We do not know
how this difficulty be entirely remedied-Mr Sto-
ner has partially done so-uness the West should en-
ter into the manufacture of cotton goods And this
If the iron and coal facilities of Missouri especially
could easily enable it to do In such event could
get our teas and silks from China, cotton and wooden
Is fabrics, aakron and wooden wares from the West,
sending our cotton and beef in return and thus cease
all commercial utilization with the land Of steady hab
l. its, wooden nutmegs flannel sausages. But long
time will elapse before such commercial revolution
shall transpre, if ever and should it do so, would not
this prove element of discord between the two
Of tons Would not the West then demand the same
a. tariffs she is reluctantly forced to submit to
Yet all this is in the dim and distant future. Mean
a. time, let us cultivate those feelings of amity and mu
~ tua good will which policy suggests and christian
d forgiveness approves etus crush down. far may
i be- the old man Adam that's within US, prompting hate
y. to people who have injured and endeavored of de-
~ grade US.
ed 1t will be by glance at our list Of candidates
H. that there quite number of our citizens who arr