The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-04-01
LETTER FROM TRENTON.
TRENTON, March 81, 1877.

TRENTON, March 81, 1871.
Editors Telegraph:
In the absence of any local news
worthy of special note, we concluded to
make few remarks on the relative po-
sition Of the North and South, and the
Importance of the South making en-
deavors not only to regain the CONNER
cial status she lost by the late war, but
to take a position equally high with her
formidable competitor. 1t was at first
hoped that with the abolition Of slave
ry, the energy Of the South would be
aroused by the sudden blow, which
ought to have brought her to q realiza-
ton of her dependence and caused her
to throw off that lethargic torpor which
has so long characterized her, and occu-
py the true position nature has intended
for her, that of an independent pro-
ducing region. Yet, she continues to
drift with the current, and belongs
moro completely to Northern capitalists
to-day than she did before the war.
They import for her, and export for her,
they make her wardrobcs and her tot
lets, and just as long as the people of
the South lie placidly and contentedly
on their oars-and leave their shipping,
| manufacturing and commercial inter-
| ests in the North, and fail to realize
that in order for any country to prosper
the study of economy must be her first
step-just 50 long will she be in state
of vassalage to her princely masters, who
are fattening on her labors.
| Southern merchants buy their shoes
in Boston, dry goods in New York, and
whiskey in Cincinnati. And why?
Because vast corporate powers, central
izing their wealth in the North, give
to it 81 preponderance of Railroad, Bank
and Manufacturing capital, the mono
poly of trade, both foreign and do1nes-
tic, and the ability to meet that trade
more cheaply than the South.
! How, then, shall VIC account for this
commercial supremacy? It is easily
done. The planters Of the South make
good crops with de1noralizcd free labor,
invest the proceeds in hats, boots and
shoes, dry goods, and almost every
| oSAASA XVI oASAC lASy tollSoIilSt lIltiltA-
featured at the North. The Northern
man places the profits he realizes out of
our products i'll trade, builds manuf.c-
turing Establishments, converts our raw
material into goods, and sells them
back to US, and thus holds the lever by
which he moves the commercial inter-
est to his own cnriching. Why, then,
| will it not pay us to do our own manu-
featuring? It is simply because, in the
first place, we have not that energy
which characterizes the wary Yankee !;
secondly, we have a system of political
economy that is dcmoralizing from its
inetlectualness-in fact, no system at
all. The North pushes forward to her
own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, crushing every
thing that comes in contact with her
advancement, always preserving her
balance of power by keeping the South
dependent on her for resources; even
| building her railroads, to bring her in
closer connection, and thus proving to
our too credulous people that it is to
their interest to give them all they
make to build up her manufactures by
which to supply them. Cotton is not
| king, but trade is; and until the South
takes the commercial interest of the
people more at heart, and begins to
make improvements at home instead
of abroad, she viii never compete with
the North, who have the numerical
strength and balance of trade, which,
we must understand, is the balance of
power. There is a way to break the
chains that bind us in this state of vas
salage, and las sscharity begins at homc,"
let the farmers, the "bOnc and sinew'
of the country, men who are identified
with every interest of the country, take
hold Of the whcel-clect honest men to
legiSlatc for you, men that you know
are equally interested in our commerce
and general improvcmcnt-orga
joint stock companies, build manufac-
tories and manufacture your lowclls,
prints, boots and shoes and instead of
buying, yearly, cargoes of canned fruits,
make them an expectation. Make your
corn and flour; establish agricultural
schools and give your sons practical as
we'll as scientific cducations and, before
another decade, you will see the thou
sands of acres of land, now lying idle,
in a prosperous state Of cultivation,
worth from one hundred to two hum