The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-09-25
THE LOSSES OF THE SOUTH.


A correspondent ofthe New York Tribune,
who has taken some pains to investigate the
actual condition of the Southern States, con-
tributes to that journal the result of his Ia
bors, which is comprised in nearly three
columns of closely printed matter His .ex-
bibit is of the most interesting! character,
and shows conclusivly the evil effects which
have followed the so-called reconstruction
of the Southern States undder Radical rule
In 1860 the value of property in thirteen
Southern States, JnotPincluding Delaware'
MARYLAND and Missouri, was So, ,993, ,9O9, ,629.
Iu 1870, deducting FIVE hundred dollars 10
each slave reported in 1860, and reducing
the valuation to the gold basis OF the pre-
vious decade. the valuation was S2,763 ,z63,-
429, loss of 80 per cent-The States OF
MARYLAND, Delaware and Missouri, however,
Jared very differently. During the ten years
Missouri gained nearly 5000, 900, 900; Mary
land, S1S9, 600, 900, and Delaware So, ,OOO,-
O0O. The loss of property in the thirteen
Southern States was, therefore, twelve hum
dred and thirty millions in gold, sum two
thirds as large as the bonded debt OF ene
United States. Their entire Property IN
1860. exclusive of slaves, vas S2,993.'09,-
626 and their loss u cfirty per cent. of that
snm The loxssof slaves, added to that al
ready mepdoned, makes total of three bill
lions tSo hundred and thirty millions! over
one-half of the entire property of the thlr-
teen States. Missouri and Maryland were
afflicted by:.the.waste and losses Of war quite
as much as the majority of the thirteen
Stats, but Missouri has gained 134 per cent.
s;pce 1860, and Alabama and Georgia have
och lost respectively Al and AZ per cent.
Arkansas and Missouri had about the same
number of slaves, and yet Arkansas has lost
27 per cent. of its wealth, The causes,
therefore, that have led to this decay in the
Southern States have cost the country not
only the twelve hundred millions absolutely
lost, but the four thousand millions which
they have not gained sum more than twice
as great as the whole national debt. The In
crease in the value of Southern farms from
1850 to 1860 was one Thousand millions OF
dollars, but the decrease from 1860 to 1870
has been still''greater, so that the entire va
ue of farms in the thirteen States is less than
it was in 1850, twenty-three years ago. And
emancipation has not caused this startling
decay. Missouri had slaves and was the
seat of as fierce a war rs any Of the other
States, and yet in Missouri the value OF
farms has increased one hundred apd sixty
millions
Ascertaining from census reports the value
r. G. Ia 10 ,ho.o ~ ha
age value per acre, improved and unimprov-
ed, and reducing the values Of 1870 to gold
for comparison with those of 1860, we may
form some estimate of the loss other than the
number of acres occupied. The loss in the
average value per acre was in Virginia and
West Virginia 81 80, or 20 per cent; in
Kentucky, 81 II, or IL per cent, in Texas,
SO cents, or % per cent; in Tennessee, 81
10, or 30 per cent; in Florida, SO 60, or
40 per cent; in North Carolina, 80 "a, or AZ
per cent; in Georgia, SO sc, or 46 per cent;
in Arkansas, 5 32, or So per cent in Ala
bama, S. 49, or 60 per cent; in Mississippi,
81 Of, or 5S per cent; Louisiana, Sl329, or
60 per cent, and in South Carolina, $5 63,
or &C per cent Such averages per acre, i'm
proved and unimproved, indicate an enor-
nous depreciation in the actual value per
acre of improved lands. Meanwhile, accord
ing to the same test, the average in Missouri
has risen So 04 per acre, or nearly 30 per
cent. in gold value.
1t may be supposed that the decline in ag-
Iiculture in these States is due only to the
diminished production ofthe few great crops
formerly raised mainly by slave labor But
statistics show general decrease in products.
We find, comparing the crops of 1860 and
1870 not only loss of 100000 bales of
cotton, but Of 000, 900 pounds Of wool not
only loss of l70, 900, 900 pounds oftobacco,
but Of 100 1000, 600 pounds of butter-one
fourth of the production in 1S6O-570, 900
pounds of cheese, not only loss of l67 ,000,-
900 pounds Of sugar and 100000 gallons
molhsses, but Of 81 OO0, 900 bushels of pota-
toes, nearly one-half the crop of 1860 in
those States; not only loss Of $4,000, 900
pounds Of rice, but of 5000 900 bushels of
wheat, 500, 900 Of rye, 900 tons of hay,
$4,000 tons Of hemp, and 1O9, 600, 600 bush
els of corn In view of a decrease in pro-
duction 80 general and so startling, Is it
strange that Southern farms depreciate in
value, that half the wealth of these great ag-
ricultural States has vanished, and that one.
thirteenth of the entire population has already
fled from region so blessed by nature and
cursed by man?
Say what you will man will always re-