, 1873-08-08

orouH, M vol as official manncr, that Mra Loon.
owens can hardly afford to Ignore it.
--.=..--
POVERTY Or THE SOUTHERN STATES.
a correspondent OF tho New York Tribune has
collected from tito co,,Bus reports Of 1870 IN
exhibit of tho valuo OF property In tho southor1
statos Tic comparison with tho ynl.loB OF 1860,
as shown by tho consus Of TINT year, 1aakos
startling showing Of tho impovcriahmont OF tho
South Within tho past decade. Reducing tho
values for both periods to gold basis, nnd do
ducting 100000 600 for tho s1avoa Of 1860 not
represented aB property in 1870 (which Ia ut tho
valuation Of $500 oaoh), tho value Of property In
thirteen sopthorn statca excluding Delaware,
Maryland, and Missouri, was 80, 09s, ,0o9. .e29 In
1860, md Ia 1870 92,7G2, ,2g3, ,420, Or M actual
loaa In ton years OF 80 ror cont Of tho
valuo OF all property. In tho tllroo gtatos,
the valuation for 1870 was X per cont
creator for Delaware, 20 por cont grcntor for
Maryland, md 1o4 per cont grentar for Missouri,
than that Of 1860. Counting Tho gaiu In theHo
stasos, tho actual loss foral the Southern statoB
dnring ton yoara was a]11 por cont Of the entire
valuation Of 1860. Estimating tho value Of
greenbacks for 1870 at 81 cents, the depreciation
Of tho property In tho forn1or slavo-ho1ding
statos, excluding tho loss OF tho slaves, waa
e41a, 100000, or about $50 In gold for ovory man,
woman, and child, white and black, nov living in
those statos. Excluding tho threo States which
show lnrge gains, tho loss OF the other thirteen
states in ton ycnrs WIS 81, 100000 in gold,
or 800 In gold for ovory man, woman, and child.
II wo ntld to this tho estimated val
uo Of tho slave property, which was
tho largest and most profitable tho
people possessed, tho depreciation amounts to
ss,2so, 100000, or s2s7 in gold for each person.
In othor words, tic valuo Of property in tho
Southern States ia not to-day moro than ono
halt what 1t was thirtoon years ago,
Examining tho property in detail has led to
tho sauao result. Tho valuo Of tho farms In tlo
Southern statos, as shown by tho consus rcports,
was loss in currency in 1870 than it was in gold
In 1860 by moro than $3.50, 900, 600. Tho 1oBs On
farm lunds In thirteen Of tho BtateB, on u gold
basis, was a1,002, 779, 101, or creator than tho
ontiro ralno that remains During tho ton
yoara Intervening 1880 miles Of railroad nero
constructed ut cost Of s1o0, 1000,
which should have added proportionatoly
TO tic valuo Of farm-lands. But in spite
Of this Investment, tho faEm-lanls OF tho
South aro not north to-day ona-half Of What
thoy woro worth In 1860, though tho building Of
railroads IN the country at 1areo during tho
aan1e tiino has increased tho vatuo Of farms
throo-fold. The slrinkago in tho value OF farms
por aero conflr1na this estimate. In Woas Viz
gnia and Virginia it was $3.50. or 20 per cont;
In Tennessee, s4.lo, or 80 per cont in Floridn,
s223, OF 90 por cont; Ia North Carolina, S2.B4,
or a per cent; in Arkansas, 5000, or sc per
cont; in Louisiana $13,20, or 60 por cont; in
South Carolina, $500. or GO por cont; and 30 on.
Tho depreciation III tho valuation of farm implo-
ments In Tho aamo time was from sa9, SAX, ,o09 in
gold III 1860 to s55, ,821 ,28o in currency in 1870
Or loss Of moro than ono-half. The decrease
III tho value Of stocks md crops that wore raised
in 1860 aud 1870 was in tho some proportion.
Tho figures, though sufficiently startling in
vontion of natural increaso, which it ia proper
to consider. The gain in woalth in Now York
Vas 1856 por cent In gold valuog; in Iowa, 1856;
in Missouri, 1a4; in Pennsylvania, 1T; in Mich
igan. 1876; in California, 148. Tho average rain
In all the statos. except tho thirteen Southern
statoa under consideration, waa III per cent in
tho ton years. At this ratio, the
wealth Of these Southern statos would
have boon Increased by $4,000 600, iu-
ssoau Of being diminished by s1,2o0, 900 900.
The difference to tho country, therefore, By the
lmpoVoriahmont OF the Southern States, is rop-
resented by moro than $4,000 100000, or consid~
orab}y moro than our National dobt.
There aro fow mon ut tho present day who viii
care to diBpoao Of the whole question by decid-
ing the impogerishn,ont to bo just visitation
upon tho South for tho Bins Of tho Rebellion.
Practical mon will rather stop to consider that
the burden Of this loss fa1lH upon the ontiro
country, aud Inquire into tho oar1ao Of 1t. IT.
cannot ba traced to tho emancipation Of tho
slaves. Tho slaves were cmancipatcd in De1a-
waro, Maryland, and Missouri, but tho inoreaso
Of wenlth In thoso statea WAS soYosally "a, &c.
aid 1aa per cont in ton years, Tho ravagos OF
war will not account for 1t, for no State suffered
moro Hovoroly than Missouri, u.less it WAS Viz
ginin, from tho hrunt OF battle and neighbor-
hood turmoil. Delaware, Maryland, and Mig
souri, wero all Southern States, but, whilo thoy
gained all average OF LOO per cent in wealth, tho
thirteen other Southern statce lost On ayor-
agc Of 90 por cont in wealth. Iloro
is only ono other cause tllat can nccouut
for thls Wholesale impoveri shmont, and TINT
Is to he found in tho abusoa incident to recon-
strnction. Maryland, Delaware, mud Missouri
did not sui1es these abuHes, and therefore nd
vancea steadily In material prosperity n,opg
with tho Northern States. All tho other South
orn States did suffer from thom, aud rotro-
graded accordingly. TAoso nbnsos mny bo
summed up undor two general boals (1) Tho
diversion Of largo proportion Of tho colorcd