New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-03-20
COMMERCIAL, STRIFE,

The REPUBLICAN has never yet failed 10
defend New Orleans against its enemies,
no matter in what shape they appear; and
it is not going to neglect that duty, though
ia guarding the interests of the chief city
of the South and Southwest it may have
to combat the ideas, arguments and assef-
tons Of journals whose political record Is
in accord with its own, but whose COM
interest is located in cities tha'
are the rivals of New Orleans. we are
too sensibly impressed with the eotie
naes of tho old busine IS maxim that "com-
netition is the life of trade" to have any
fear of bad consequences resulting TO our
h;oblv favored city from commercial
strife. With skillful. INDUSTRIOUS hoerai'
honorable and enterprisinS business men
n conduct the trade Of this great cen
FRO If the worlds commerce-men
who will not step aside from their hlgh
and important duties as merchants 10 Ell.
oaoe in partisan warfare for political
o. !, should court rather than fear
an homes. rivalry. 1t is not commercial
tiff, that New Orleans has reason to
dread but that political strife among her
own people which divides them and drives
from our city both capital and trade to
verv large amount. We have already
taken occasion to refer to the unfair artl-
cles that have recently appeared in the
New York Tribune. World. and we might
have added the Herald. all intended to
damage the business prospects OF New Or-
leans, and benefit its chief rival. New
York. If they can create the impress
sion abroad that New Orleans is an I'M
safe port to ship to. it is more apt to
result in benefting New York than any
other Of our cities bordering on the At
1antic ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. The
chief commercial places of the old world
have LONG known New Orleans as one OF
the great centres of trade in this heml-
sphere-second in fact to none but New
York, and with fair prospect OF ecllpslng
that great city whenever the Mississippi
Valley shall, as it assuredly will, become
the seat and centre of the wealth and CIV
ilization of the American Union. The
settlement of this rich valley and the navi-
cation of the Father of Waters and its
tributaries, extending thousands Of miles
into an interior country that is rapidly set
ting and OVERLOOKING with products that
are needed in the Old World is bound to
make New Orleans in the course of time
the chief city of the New World. There
is nothing more certain than this, and this
certainty has long been foreshadowed to
the sharp-sighted and keen-witted business
men of New York and the large Western
cities. And they have endeavored to de-
lay by every plausible device the arrival OF
the time when New Orleans shall be hailed
and known as the chief city Of the New
World. For long time yellow fever, or
in the sensational language Of New York
journalists, "Bronze John and "Iel-
low Jack" was made the great bugbear-
the imaginary terror-that drove people
and business from New Orleans, and pre-
vented its rapid growth. But since the
necessity for General Buffers presence
here. much Of the terror Cccasioned by
the thought of an impending evil has
disappeared. "Bronze John" no longer
rides through the air with drawn sabre.
spreading death and desolation among
our people. Yellow fever has lost its fic-
titious character, and people have learned
tina. it can be treated as successfully as
any other disease that human flesh is
heir to. And now that New Orleans
can he no longer injured by re-
ports of the sad havoc that yellow
fever is working in our midst, her enemies
would work up something else ito fright
the souls Of fearful adversaries." Some
thing must be done to divert the worlds
commerce that naturally flows this way,
because its best interest lies here, and
direct it to New York. This is the all
absorbing thought Of the merchant princes
OF that great centre Of trade. and their
energies are all bent on the one great
purpose of preserving the commercial
supremacy Of their city; and to this end
they continue to substitute the efforts Of
their leading public journals. When vel
low fever no longer renders it unsafe for
trade TO concentrate in New Orleans there
must be some other way invented to pre-
vent our city from gaining the mastery
over New York in commercial point Of
view; and that way has evidently been hit
upon. Riot and bloodsLel are to render
it unsafe in the future for trade and cap
itai TO come here, and this is to be brought
about by continual political strife among
our people, encouraged by men whose
selfshness impels them to this unchris-
tan course for the sake of gain. While
New Orleans has nothing to fear from an
honorable commercial rivalry. her people,
one and all, should feel that they have
much 10 fear from continued political
strife.
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THE TAX Law.