The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-01-20
Pail Together to Rebuild The Citys

The people of Monroe have found,
as we anticipated, that they are capa-
BILE OF achieving much where they
hesitated to undertake but little, and
they arc demonstrating that where
there Is a will there is a way. They !
now see, clearer than ever, the Inn
portance Of Monroe as a business point,
and ABLY realize how great have been
their advantages and how sincerely
they are attached to7he place and its
people. They have been accustomed
to tie idea that they could do but lit
tle.. They would say they had no
capital and not much credit. Two
thirds Of their. property gone, they
find, nevertheless that they are all
able, without exception, to recon-
menee blsiness, and now cheerfully
look forward to greater prosperity than
ever. Such is the terminating infiu-
ence OF labor, energy and enterprise,
that, in the midst of the great disaster
that has befallen our city, men find
even causes of congratulations and
strong hopes OF q brighter future.
The brilliant sparks emitted under
the hard blows of necessity light up
a fairer prospect than we have ever
seen before. We have met with SYM
pathy where we suspected rivalry, and
among ourselves has sprung up a feel
ing of brotherhood and mutual adj
yancement tho absence of which in
the past has been our most serious
drawback. But let US not be too SAN
guine. Our losses have been heavy,
preportionately larger than In any city
of the United States within the reck-
oning ofour chronology. Let us apprec-
late the losses, present and to come.
Formerly, with good houses and full
stocks, our business men thought they
could barely maintain abalance on their
books. We know now that they were
mistaken II they were not, they are
at present proceeding without hope.
We rather believe now, as we have
uniformly believed, that they have
been too timid, too selfish and too re-
stricted in their views of business.
Surprising that the calamity we have
suffered is appreciated, we submit to
our men Of business that as their cir
cumstances have been greatly changed,
they must also change their manner
and plan of conducting trade. They
have virtually lost five years-fve years
in trade and five years of life. Now
how shall they supply this loss? Let
it be understood, at the beginning, that
to recover lost ground extra efforts
must be used. The trade that has been
coming to our city in the past few years,
is not enough to enable us to- tide over
our misfortunes, much less to gain a
leap head. If that is to be our de-
pendence, we have lost five years and
over four hundred thousand dollars
forever!
The Inevitable conclusion is, that we
must redouble our energies and our eff
forts and increase our trade. We
must encourage and foster new chan
nels Of commerce. We must bring in
now customers, and make new dis
tricts of country tributary to the trade
Of our city. We must open new roads,
offer greater inducements, send out
agents, build up institutions, invite
labor and capital, engage actively in
works of public improvement, work to-
gether, risk all we can, and nerve our
selves for the reparation of unparallcl-
ed losses. Such must be our rcsolute
determination. And let it be a fixed
and lasting determination, not the squirt
or explosion of a moment, but the adj
amantine purpose of n lifetime.
We can succeed, and that most glo-
riously, if we will. But it requires
self-abnegation, for the time, and per-
sistence of purpose. 1t requires, also,
large degree of confidence-confiden
in our advantages, and confidence in
our fellowmen. 1t requires, in addition,
good stock of patience, and who will
not be patient, when we have so recently
seen the fruits of several years. labor
obliterated in a few hours?