The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-21
Some Timely, Reflections.

dustry, enterprise, and commerce, VIII no
Of itself produce great city. Those con
dttions must be made available with great
eat effect By the energy, sagacity, conf
dence, and .copstancy, OF the population
who occupy such a locality. They mus
turn 10 account the facilities nature ba'
afforded by adding all the accommodations
that art can invent.
Such location we have here in hlch
mond; and we believe We have also such
popnlation as that described. Still, 1t ha'
its lessons to learn, and it will be salutary
Ia study those lessons with zeal, and &c
profit by what they teach. -- ,, :
Richmond under the system o. slavery
suffered as all the cities in the slave States
did. The genius Of the country was alto.
gether agricultural, and the agriculture
ran chiefly in the line of two great staples,
which were produced mainly for foreign
consumption, and since their mere snip
ment could not build up cities they did not
do much in that way. But the great draw
back to the growth of Richmond was an
obstacle which was engendered by slavery,
and was added to this. Mechanical indus.
try was not encouraged, and the mechanical
arts were not studied amongst us.
The gains Of agriculture were expended
In land and negroes to Increase the gains
from agricultural pursuits, and the me-
chanic was only enabled to so on IN q
small way-chiefiy cobbliDg and repairing
and contributed no large aggregate to the
general wealth. Capital was essential to
manufactures on large scale, and our
capital was not gwen to any such purpose.
1t was absorbed by agricuture-the south
ern agriculture in the staples that, while
they helped to pay our foreign debt and
furnished the means of profit to Northern
bankers-yielded very little TO support and
enlarge southern cities. The great, tile
immense aggregate Of faorics for the cloth
ing OF the southern laborers was furnished
= by northern manufacturers, who grew
strong by this southern support and the
investment of the gains Of industry IN the
North in manufactures instead OF Land and
negroes.
Thus under slavery, while we were al
the time increasing the wealth Of the North,
we were doing nothing for our own COM
merce and skilled industry.
But change has come over us. The war
has ended slavery aud stopped one mode OF
investment of the gains OF southern indus
try-that of buying negroes. 1t has done
more. 1t has destroyed Il branch of trade
fostered by tue wholesale purchases of
planters of the clothing, shoes, and hats,
and northwestern bacon, for the wants Of
the labor Of the country, and instead we
have retail traffic to meet the rapidly
recurring wants of the freedmen, who, no
longer protected and provided for by the
provdent care and judgment of the master,
indulge their ungoverned caprces in such
purchases rs please them. Thus great
confusion and disruption OF the form of
trade that once prevailed between the
North and South has taken place, and this
change has been for the advantage OF our
local industry. The large purchases have
been discontinued-that systematized and
settled course of trade which fixed not only
the fabric, but the very men that were to
supply it, is rooted up and ended. This
opens the way for new enterprises and new
trade which secures to the departments of
manufactures and commerce amongst US.
decided advantages in the "new departure:
of domestic economy. Ill. &
This brief glance at the changes that have
occurred is pertinent to the enterprise of,
the present time. 1t explains the slow;
growth of other days and shows why We
may look for better success now, even were
our means of intercourse, with the interior
not at all increased. We>find' that not only
is the profit upon industry more than for
mery left free to be devoted to new pur-
poses, but that the old channels OF trade,
once so settled and deep, are disrupted,
and our business classes thus enabled the
more easily to inaugnrate new ones to their
advantage. Lazy 1f''.. -
Now. then. as was remarked in the begin
ming of this article, favorable natural con-
ditions do not of. themselves build cities.
1t Is necessary that the citizens should
make those conditions in the highest de-
gree available by the energy and forecaste
with which they conduct their public mea.
sures and private enterprises.
No city has superior advantages for man
ufncturing to those OF Richmond, ano
none has temperature and salubrity more
favorable to the continuous and vigorous
pursuits of commerce and industry the
wear round. we have an outlet to the SEES
that Is capable Of accommodating the en-
tire coastwise trade, and quite sufficient te
meet the demands Of nineteen out O.
ba x,occais anootno6 in ho Tor mo-,
trade. The few that can't lind accommo
dation can easily be freishted 4 few miles
below with athe facilitated and cheap sys
tenn Of towage. Our intercourse with the
interior Is soon to be as complete as that Of
any Of the Atlantic cities. So that for all
purposes of interior and foreign com.
mefee Richmond is amongst the most "a
vored Of cities" .8 r.. -, 3D. >f,.
With these encouraging circumstances
the people Of Richmond should be stimu-
lated to the employment of every means ia
their power to promote the Improvement
OF their city and the increase OF Its popu-
lstion. These means should include orna-
mental improvements as well as solid.
While the appliances and the ways for the
easy direction Of the processes Of trade and
transportation should be wisely and as-
tiyelyimproYed and enlarged, and the med
sures for stimulating manufactures SHOULD
DO liberal and decided, the appearance Of
! the city should be improved In every pos
sible way. A street extended, the eurbs
! laid down, and the trees planted along. Ii,
soon comes the settler, who builds his
house and becomes the taxpayer, srein,-
HufSt0g t1H CITY fifr ifs o,r,ary tifx,r m 10