New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-04

= z J x
THE STEADY GROWTH OF NEW ORLEANS
. The snsmissHof New Orleans snd III
: enemies Of republicanism flock togethe'
when general attack is to be made, ane
5 when they have done SO, they are nothing
more than collection of very small AMI
: mails. Flakes Bulletin, printed in quite
a fourishing little town, of large preten.
tons, located on delicate ground, works
up the following bit Of romance and gives
it to the Galvestonians as news:
The grea. cities of the West, such as St.
Louis, Cincinnati and Chicago are not only
| reaching after, but are gradually securing
the trade that has heretofore gone to New
| Orleans. While this decline Of the Ores.
! cent City is q matter of deep regret, yet it
is one that is to be attributed alone to the
apathy among her business men.
The ''romancing" of the Bulletin may be
consoling to q few small traders in Gal
weston who are jealous of the Crescent
City, but beyond this it can serve no good
purpose; it can not serve as truth. We
published statement but few days
since, based upon statistical information
received from departments Of the gen.
eral government, showing that New Or
leans is now, next to New York, the
largest exporting city in the United States.
We demonstrated that she has foreign
trade six times as large as Philadelphia,
the next largest city in population, to New
York, in this country. And we have to
60 onlya step further. and quote from the
returns made to the general government
Of the last census taken, to show how ut
terly false is the statement Of the Bulletin
in regard to what it is pleased to style the
decline of the Crescent City. In 1860,
New Orleans had white population num-
bering ia, 500, and black population
numbering 24,074. In 1870, her white
population had increased to 140, 1923, and
her black population to 5O,456. Accord
ing to this authentic showing, New Or
leans has gone on steadily to improve in
growth within the last ten years, notwith-
standing portion Of that time she was
crushed from the effects of disastrous
civil war and system Of blockade
enforced by the general govern
ment against Southern ports. Her
total population now is near on to two
hundred thousand. In 1860 it was only
1875, go. And notwithstanding the block
ade that destroyed her internal and ex-
ternal commerce for time, and the war
that took away thousands of her people,
she has not shown the least evidence of
decline, but has recovered from the
effects Of war and marched steadily on
in the scale of improvement. She has
not only increased her population since
1860 to one-third more than it was then,
but she has actually reestablished her
exportating trade and placed it upon
footing far in advance of all other
American cities except New York. This
resuscitation Of trade, it is true, is more
the consequence of the natural advantages
that New Orleans possesses as a great
centre than the conduct of
her business men. If they exerted them
selves to make trade as do the merchants
of St. Louis, Cincinnati and Chicago,
there would be no inducement for the
merchants Of those cities to send their
"drummers" South to entice away any
portion of trade that, if left to find o
market, would naturally come to New
Orleans.
We are satisfied to have the merchants
Of other cities compete for all the trade
hat is worth having. They have right
% do it, and We honor their enterprise
md energy, and even their holiness, in
sending into Louisiana and Texas to Sc
'ure trade that properly belongs here ,
We are not going to find fault with the
merchants Of St. Louis, Louisville, Gin .
'innati, or Chicago, for doing this. Nor ,
re We surprised at the course Of fuke's =
Bulletin. The proprietor Of that paper is .
Interested in building up Galveston. He :
makes his bread and butter there, and ex- =
'ects to profit by the growth Of the place.
Well, We have no objection to the !,
rowth of Galveston, nor to the growth o. =
ny other city; for the growth of American
tiles must be received as good evidence of
be growth and settlement Of the country
round them. We have often written with
ride of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, q
hicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Louisville, :,
an Francisco and other American cities.
is natural that an American should !,
el proud of these evidences of his "
ountry's greatness. We desire to see -
alveston grow, because it is a portion -
our country. We have seen it grow. y
! 1s37-the first Of January-there was -
ut one house on the island. Now Gal 'e
'ston has, according to the last United
tates census, nearly fourteen thousand
habitants. 1t is to be hoped that this -
little town may continue to !.
'ow; but We are satisfied that its growth -
N not be accelerated by spirit of ~
eanness exhibited by its business men =,
I'd officials toward this city. -
But while the course of the Bulletin E.