The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-08-05
East, West and South.

East West anu pOutH.
Within the decade which follows
the census taken this year, we shall
witness political changes and read
| justments greater than have ever be-
fore taken place in this country in a
period of peace. The census of 1870
will make a large addition to the po-
litical weight of the West, and add
something TO the political weight of
the South. In all matters in which
the Nest and South agree they will
cOntr the Government; and they
are very likely to agree on the tariff,
the currency, and questions of finance
that is, OH the leading subjects OF Fed
eral legislation.
1t may seem odd to expect the
South to gain any advantage by the
next census, as its population has un-
dergOne the wasting effects of war,
and hR not bSen recruited by i'm
migrSdon But the abolition 0
slavery has added q much larger per
cent. to its Representative population
than immigration has added to that
of other parts Ofthe country. In the
appOrtionment of Representatives af-
ter this census, all the people of the
South will be fully counted, instead of
all the white person ands only three
fifths of the negroes. If there are
four millions of Southern negroes,
this change in the mode of counting
will be equivalent TO an addition of
100000 to the population of the
South, which is out of all propOtion to
the increase of any other part of the
country by immigration. IT, will
more than enable the South to recoY-
er its former relative strength in Con-
gress. Although slavery was aSolish-
ed several years ago, the consequent
addition to the Southern representa-
ton cannot be msade until after the
ceEsus. There has been no past, and
there will be no future census attend
ed witch such great gains to the South.
Besides this increase in the number
of its representatives the South will
make rapid gains in political influence
within the first few years Of the OPEN
ing decade, by a full resumption of
its former business intercourse and
connections with the North. Before
the war the South was, and very soon
it will again be, one of the most pro-
fitable markets for our merchants and
manufacturers. Before the war these
busir ess relations with the North
were a source s1Olitical
strength. AN4E sssfsg = the war,
and during the first year e%aiLs con-
&nuance, large and influE Eotiel por-
tion of our Northern bust Spen
openly or secretly sympats h
the South. They would y Deen
willing to make almost aEsSteOnces-
sions for the sake of keeping or re-
covering their Southern trade. About
the second year Of the war the tide
turned, and thenceforWard the pre-
vailing tone among the business men
QS the North was one of Zealous''lCy-
dCy." This was chiefly due to the
new fields of enterprise opened by the
war. The Government had become
a better customer than the South had
ever been. To supply its vast armies
with food, clothing, arms, ammuni-
ton, tents, wagons, medicines, ETC.,
taxed the energy and resources of thS
country. The great profits of army
contracts and the spirit of speculation
which dominated in all the walks OF
! business, consoled orr merchants and
manufacturers for the loss of the val
uablc Southern market, and caused
/
political sympathie' This great
! change will soon be reversed. Tho
! Government is no longer an extensive
purchaser of commodities. With the
reviving prosperity of the South its
! trade will have more than its former
/ value, and our active business classes
VIII rapidly exchange their fierce
'loyalty," for n tolerant spirit to.
wards that section.
Their is already quite a change in
this respect; but during the frs
three years after the close ofthe war
it was impeded by several causes
In the first place, the South had a sue
cessiOn of bad harvests, and the con
fiscatiOn laws and the prevailing pol
it;cal uncertainty paralyzed enter
prise, and prevented capital from
flowing into the South. The conse
quence was that the section recovered
slowly and heavily from the desolat
ing effects of war. Another thin.
which has operated against the Soutl
in the investments, made by our bus
mess classes in the public securities
They have feared that SOurthern in
, fluence would favor the repudiatiol
of the national debt and that the Gov
, ernment bonds would depreciate o
become worthless. The fear of repu
dition is allayed. The cotton crop
) OF the last two years have put the th
, South in condition of comparativ
ease and prosperity and rendered it
trade richly worth cultivdting. Th
full renewal of the old commercial re
: lations between the two sections wi
do much to restore the former pol
tical cordiality. In a ye II or to NOR
E the prevailing tone among our Unfit
: ential business classes will be simila
! to what it was before the war, whe
/ the South, by the aid of its Norther
l connections, exerted an influence j
e the Government quite out of prOpO
ton to its population.
The growing preponderance of I'll
West will te illustrated by the censU
. of this year. Most of the Europea
!. immigrants proceed Immediately
> the Wesss, and the migration from IL
b Eastern States continues at such
t rate that the rural population of Il
q East remains nearly stationary. II