New Orleans Republican., 1871-09-02
WHAT FACTS AND FIGURES SAY.

That one cloud upon our domesuc
horizon has its silver lining was amply
demonstrated yesterday in the volumin-
Gus trade reports which were published
by the press of New Orleans. The extent
of this luminous fringe was sufficient to
occupy thirty-two columns in the Times,
twenty-eight in the Picayatne, seventeen
in the REPUBLICAN, thirteen in the Bee,
and ten in the Bulletin. Facts and argu-
ments were piled upon one another to prove
the present prosperity Of our own COM
munify, and its steady, rapid and compre-
hensive advance in the path of CONNER
cial greatness. Figures and calculations
of an exhaustless nature were employed to
mark the increase in the tide. What was
done years ago, what was done last year,
last month, last week, were arranged side
by side to demonstrate the coming on Of
the food that is to make New Orleans
what her friends have predicted that she
| would be. The greatest skeptic in the
city can observe the landmarks and be
! satisfied that the current is setting
steadily, and that it is constantly and
certainly on the rise, and that rapidly,
too. Every article of export has in
creased in the extent of its shipment from
the interior Imports keep pace with the
| exports. The entries at the Customhouse
are augmenting all the time From front
and rear the business of the city main
tains prosperous and tropical growth.
And this augmentation is developed, too,
| in the face of that chronic and croaking
prophecy which decided that the South
was lost, and that her material prosperity
was being devoured by the evils of herp po-
litical situation. The cloud that hung
about Us, and which we all lamented, but
which the REPUBLICAN faithfully and
hopefully classified as temporary evil, is
lifting itself away, and the lining Of silver
shimmers on the Frightening horizon in
whatever way we cast our glance of OBJ
servation.
The extent of our general prosperity is
discoverable by comparison, and in draw
ing the parallel which is to demonstrate
the growth of the community, it is not
only proper to exhibit the difference be-
tween the commercial values shipped to
New Orleans in previous years and those
received last year, but it is also justifable
to go behind these references, and to sum
| up the relative growth Of the interior it.
self, as compared with its progress in
| years that are accepted as the best for
New Orleans. For instance, it is always
with q glow Of satisfaction that the an
cient regime point to the period just be-
| fore the rebellion as the halcyon era that
promised so much for the richness and
glory Of the Crescent City; and this self
same ancient regime is never so dismal as
it is when il attempts to make itself COM
Portable by pointing to the glory of 1850
and the shame of 1870. Then there were
niggers and planters, now there ere freed
men and farmers. Then the few fourished,
now the many are prosperous.
The cotton crop last year was almost
equal to what it was in 1S59-60, there
being sum of 375, 900 bales in favor Of
the latter. If we count the difference in
price the present yield is worth about
one-fourth more than the crop Of 1859
brought and if We estimate the benef-
ciaries, it will be found that ten men were
benefited last year where one was bene-
fted before the war. The crop low is
grown by a million Of freenen where it
was previously grown by million of
slaves, and the result is the product of
this wealth is now diffused through mil
lions Of hands where, before, its bene-
fits were confined to thousands. The
laborer spends the price of his service at
home-the planter expended the gross
proceeds Of his plantation at Saratoga.
The South now fattens upon what was
thrown away at the North. The effect
has been and will continue to be, that the
interior communities that depend upon
New Orleans have grown and must grow
richer and more prosperous, and able to
be more liberal to the chief city Of the
South. In the matter Of sugar the yield
is not so large as it was before the war,
but it is much larger than it was last year,
and it is almost five times greater than it
was in 1866. The augmentation over 1870
is Sc, 791 hogsheads, which is almost four
times as much as our entire receipts in
1866 were, and is very handsome in
crease. If we count herein the enhanced
value of the crop, perhaps the producers
are not the losers in this article If we
had a large growth there would be large
demand for labor to move it, but in the
matter Of actual cash returns We have
nothing to complain of, as We have re-
ceived almost as much money for a small
yield this year as we did for our large
yield in 1860.
In regard, toe, to coffee and tobacco, it
will be seen that the trade, which almost
deserted Us on account Of the war, is again
returning, in valuable volume to our en-
richment. Where $4,000 hogsheads of
tobacco were received at this port in 1861, |
only y, 107 were received in 1867. In |
1871 the number is increased to above |
24,0O0, representing an augmentation of |
one hundred per cent. Just SO of coffee;
where, in 1861, we imported 261, GOO bags,
in 1Sf5 the receipts fell off to Is g4S Tact |