The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-09-23
will New Orleans Take Warming

press of that city take passing
notice Of the serious warnings of
country papers respecting
of trade, for some time
to the observant resi-
dent of the country, the result OF
which is threatening to the flu
ture growth and stability of New
Orleans as Il great commercial
Our capitolian cotem-
poraries have, until lately, scared
so high in the bouyant atmos-
phere of impossibility, upon
wings constructed of well-filled
columns of adv ertisements, that
the notes of warning sounded in
the interior either never reached
the ears of our city brethren, or
else, hearing them, a scream OF
derision or the defiance of silent
contempt, was all we poor coun-
trv folks could discern as the ct
feet of our affectionate regard
for the proud queen Of our State.
But the gradual changes which
have been going on in the coun-
try begin at last to excite some
anxiety in New Orleans, and our
contemporaries there appear as
partially participating in the
feeling. Our respected brother
of the Picayune introduces a
paragraph taken from this paper,
with the following words:
Here is another thrust at that
..natnral advantages delusion,
coming this time from the Mon
roe TELEGRAPH. On that point
we are one with our contempor-
arv also in that we should in
crease our efforts to extend trade
and open new facilities for trans
nortation. But we question
whether we do not offer abundant
local facilities for trade; and
doubt most decidedly our COM
mercial exactions being more
numerous than those of other
marts: and as to "killing the
goose,' closing confidence" we
beg leave to say we do not see
ali this. Too often it is the city
goose that gets killed.
A great point will have been
gained in the controversy as to
the future of New Orleans, if her
capitalists and business men will
agree with the Picayune that the
commerce of that city, even to
be retained at it's present stand
ard, must have some other reli-
ance beside natural advantages
and the existing facilities for
Transportation. But we are COM
PEELED to believe that in even SO
apparent a matter of fact, the
Picayune is ahead Of it's consti-
tuency; since we rarely ever
meet a business man from New
Orleans who does not believe
that the superior natural advan-
tages' Of that city are more than
a match for all the cunning, in
genuity and industry of all the
cities in the Union. The posi-
bility of sections of the country,
lying on and contiguous to tribu-
taries of the Mississippi any
where below Memphis, sending
their cotton to any market, or
buying their goods and supplies
at any place but New Orleans, is
a thought so absurd that whoever
gives it utterance in the pres
ence of a "business man. from
New Orleans, must do SO at the
risk of being dragooned into
silence, or laughed at for his
folly. So far have we seen this
self-righteousness go that sound
logic and incontrovertible facts
going to show the turn in the
tide Of trade, would not be res
pectfully listened to, but the
speaker would be "bluffed" into
silence. And this, we may say,
appears to have been the strong
card of New Orleans business
men. You can't trade elsewhere
you are bound to New Orleans
why, the great Mississippi is
and similar asser-
lions have been the weightest
objections urged by New Orleans I