The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-02
The Commercial Year.

- u0H COlhulClSiai JOe5
the close of the Confederate war, begins TO-
day; and they who have not despaired Of
this good old Charleston in the dark hours
OF her business prostration, who have hoped
against hope and fought the fight, may well
look forward with cheerful confidence to a
bright and prosperous future. 1t needs not
to describe the wearying seasons when
Charleston seemed to lie at the mercy OF her
rivals. There is no qualification in remind
ing the faint-hearted that they were wrong
and the sanguine souls were right. Let 1t
suffice to say that Charleston has year by
year improved her commercial position, both
absolutely and relatively. Charleston has
won the stakes; the prize in the race is hers.
| The exhaustive review OF her trade, printed
in another column, shows that she distances
her competitors, and is on tho assured road
20 wealth and peaceful fame.
When the commercial year lSTl,,72 opened
the citizens Of Charleston were slngularly
buoyant. They had just succeeded in over
throwing the Radical clique, who, for three
years, had made the city the prey OF a politi-
col party. From the incoming admins.
tration was expected a frugal yet liberal
policy which should lower taxation, or give
tho city tho full value OF every dollar spent.
Tho merchants and jobhers prepared for a
busy season. There was no cloud on the
horizon save q threatening epidemic, which
rapidly developed its strength, drove thou.
sands from their homes, and, for the mo-
ment, paralyzed even those least inclined to
tho gloomy and desponding. A reaction
came. AS country buyers could not visit
Charleston, the sellers sought out the
buyers. This State and the adjoining States
were thoroughly canvassed. No stone was
left unturned. The result is that, in spite OF
the yellow fever which ragged until lnte in The
autumn, the commercial year now ended
was, upon tho whole, The most satisfactory
which This city has known since tho halcyon
days twelve summers ago. In every branch
OF business there is o marked increase. The
merchants and jobbers report large percent
ages OF gains in the volume Of trade. AS o
cotton port, Charleston has passed ahead OF
Savannah; the decrease in receipts, attribu-
table to the falling of in the crop, being
much less than in that city. Long trains OF
cars laden with the feecy staple roll from
Mobile TO the wharvcs OF Charleston. Only
her limited banking capital prevents the in
fuence OF Charleston from being felt in
every quarter OF the Southern country. The
trade in lumber has become enormous; the
receipts OF naval stores rapidly grow larger.
AS O rice market Charleston retains her
ancient pre-eminence. The manufacture
and sale OF fertilizers, o business peculiarly
our own, is in o satisfactory condition, and
| the various combinations Of South Carolina
| ~phosphates grow steadily in public favor.
| Nor are the fruits OF commercial good for
tune hard to discover. New buildings
spring up on every side; the old buildings
put on a garb in keeping with the times;
Sullivan's Island, the Long Branch OF the
Carolinasy is changed, in two years, from q
barren sandhill to q bustling town, crowded
with careless pleasure-seeker5. And if, as
| we believe, the character and progress OF a
newspaper is an unerring Indication OF the
measure of public advancement, we may
modestly point to The CHARLESTON News as
a sign OF what Charleston is, and q promise
Of what sha shall be.
For the future the prospect is exceedingly
bright. Rival lines OF communication have
done their worst. The position Of this city
as q great mart is again established. No
whisper OF disease has interierel with bust
siness, and already the merchants are max
ing ready for an early and active season.
The planters are fairly prosperous; the
crops, although falling OIL rapidly, promise
to he fully up 10 the average yield. And,
above all, there is the well-founded belief
that the war now raging between the two
Radical factions will lead to an amelioratlon
OF the State Government. What South
| Carolina has hitherto gained has been in
spite of the worst government the world
| ever saw. One who is neither a prophet
nor the son of q prophet can see that, under
q tolerably honest and just administration OF