New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-09

HIssissinm ...... 38s, s,O0s4lI l69449, ,S.s
south Carolina. 40 80 - 90 90 eea
Texas 6................... Zo,9i',oin A-oo'|;''0
According to the full figures a sum equal
to two.thirds Of the bonded debt of the
United States was lost from the property of
the thirteen States VIII n bore so largely
the burdens of tue Coz ederate war. This.
it must be remember ed, is exclusive Of
what was regarded as property in slaves.
OF that the writer in question says:
However ini9uitous the system, it was
the chief wealth and main support OF a
large part of the Southern people; their
earnings were invested in il; their industry
denended on it; their wives ard children
hau no other security from W. 1T. To the
nation it was not wealth; to individuals it
was all the wealth they possessed; and this
loss, added to that already mentioned
makes a total of So, ,230, 900, ,GO0-o'er one
half of the entire property OF the people OF
thirteen States, and $2S7 in gold for each
person.
OF course, the census figures show
nothing of the kind, and would not be OF
any value if they did. The great loss
which so worries the "Republican writer
in the Tribnne ard affords the Times a
chance to croak to the damage of its State
and section arises from slaves. Will these
profound political economists inform US
how these slaves came to be lost; who lost
them, if lost they were, and if not totally
lost, who owns and controls their labor
now? That they have been lost to certain
parties as slaves we will concede. About
twenty thousand white people in
Louisiana, who set up for nabobs
on an extremely frail and uncertain
tenure are out Of pocket to the
value they put on their ''niggers'
ten or fifteen years ago. But not dollar
of all this wealth has been lost to the
country by Republican laws or regula-
tons. The South" really sustained a
serious loss of wealth in labor at Fort
Pillow, and a considerable one at the
Mechanics Institute in July, 1856. Again
at Colfax last April, there occurred dead
loss of nearly three hundred. But the
Republicans are not responsible for these
losses, since the outrages in every instance
were committed by rebels. But they were
losses, and if all the slaves so teelingly
mourned by the renegade Tribune and its
echo, the Times, had actually been dis
posed of in the same fashion instead Of
being converted into men and citizens,
then this fool among figures would have
real case of desolation to point out and
the Times to copy.
Neither the State, the South nor the
United States has lost this valuable body
of organized labor. The same inestimable
population still exists, and has produced
since the war more cotton than was ever
before raised in the same number Of
years, while the prices have averaged
more than double those ruling heretofore.
The difficulty is the title to this property,
this immense heri ,ge, has been trans
ferred from the twenty thousand slave
holders and given to the natural owners.
Each negro now owns himself. He is
now, in common with his old master,
political integer. a part of the State, and
, very useful citizen. He lives here. with
MS labor. as valuable to the State, to COM
nerce and to his employer as ever before.
The only difference is that he himself
spends the proceeds Of his own labor here
It home. instead of having it carried off
o Saratoga. Paris or New York city every
rear and spent in riotous living.
Our State is no longer subjected to this
nnual drain, and is that much richer. It
S true many millions were lost by neglect
ng cultivation during the rebellion, and
ONE few old sugar mills and half decayed
plantations went to ruin: but there is to-
lay more money, more wealth, more free.
nen. and greater stability in Louisiana
han ever before since creation.
)ur so-caAed privileged classes
re poor. bu. they are corre-
pondingly idle and shittless. and |
re rapidly filing insolvent's graves. while
be colored people are buying real estate.
uilding themselves homes, educating
heir children. and rising rapidly into i'm
ortance. It will not be many years be-
ore an average politician would as soon
mink of resigning an Office as to speak i'll
an industrious colored fellow-citizen."
S he will then be called. The current APP
citation among those who think the
outh has lost wealth by emancipation, is
nasty. dirty niggers." Both the Times
nd Tribune will see their errors by the
me their bread is buttered on the other
ide. but hardly before.
The WISDOM OF VIRGINIA.
Virginia believed in the right of revolu-
ion; it had, indeed, been her birthright.
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