The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-09-19
MENTAL AND MORAL PARALYSIS OF
TIE COUNTRY.


that stage of universal paralysis which
usually precedes dissolution. There is
the mental apathy which is unable to
see the remedy for the increasing evils
around us, and a moral coma which is
either unconscious or Indifferent to their
| inevitable results.
When a people or an individual say
sit is useless to strive longer, the waters
| are rising over our heads" you may
safely mark them downas lost. There
is no more effort to aid themselves
| The will Chat motive power of ife) is
entirely conquered, and it needs no
prophet to foresee the end.
We thought this as we read the wall
which resounded throughout the eoun-
try at the failure of the cotton crop.
In our opinion if Louisiana soil would
entirely refuse to grow the cotton plant,
and Louisiana sun refuse to open the
hollis, it would bea mercy of Providence
to a poor benighted. people, who are
perishing under an evil spell. Out
side of cotton fields they refuse to re-
cognize n other. element Of possible
4 prosperity. They cannot even see the
4 advantage of small, cheap factories IN
their midst to turn the raw staple into
o saleable product, increasing its value
thrLyeefold, and furnishing employment
to thousands whom a. short crop send
adrift without work until the next sea-
son. No, the cotton must pass through
their hands pressed and baled. No 9th
er way is admissible. y No money in
any other form of the product. When
) the supply is great, they rejoice, when
it falls short, they seat themselves IN
dust and ashes and cry "despair"
The New York Economist Of last
week doesn't exactly take the same
q view of matters and things. 1t regards
the failure of the crops this year in the
/, light Of a positive benefit. Had the
, promise Of the season been fulfilled the
total Weld of Gotten through the world
would have been about 1850, 100000
j, pounds against a demand for 2,500,OOO-
600. Last year the supply of cotton
from the United States was in excess
i Of the demand. Whilst the cotton con,
suming population Of the world only
increases at the rate of one per cent
{ per annum, the cotton product in
s creases at the rate of five per cent. 1tZ
Thus, according to the statistics q
q ethe Economist,n the limited supply O
this years short crop will inreality com
mand a higher price in the market thai
: a full one. But we repeat again AMI
: again cotton is the curse of Louisiana
4 Little Georgia has cast aside the oil
q ruinous traditions of cotton royalty, es
Il tablished manufactures, developed new
e industries, ploughed and plante'
and worked up her little area into
prosperous, self-supporting State, willis
! we are still on the downward plane.
: In what lies the superiority of Geor
!, iaq Climate? no! soil? no! people
L Before the wal we would have sal
there was little or no difference be
tween a Georgian and a LouisianiaI
1r but now wefbegin to think there is
t, self-relying spirit in the little Stat
r which the broad acres Of Louisian
o. do not foster.
N To be sure, Georgia repudiated he
Or State debt. She threw off a heavy il
ct cubus which was paralyzing her effort
t. and fast destroying her. W. do NJ
i'd noint to- this az an example for limits
= ton, though fatal cases require sever
remedies. But we do point to her enc
or gy and spirit to the clear judgmel
which saw that diversified industri
as were a necessity to the country, al
Dn that every farm should, as far IS pc
"a sible, beself supporting.
s. Every day Georgia is growing
wealth and Importance. Every d;
On sees us plunging deeper and deeper
3 apathy. How long is this to continut
-
HEALTH OF New ORLEANs.-Whi
u yellow fever is raging in shreVepo1
q and is reported in Galveston and HoU
e ton, and some kind of plaque is pr
IN vailing in Memphis, and they have be,
afflicted with smallpox and cholera
some of the large cities of the Mort
Si the city Of New Orleans seems to
comparatively healthy. We havease
dit a private letter to gentleman in q
to- place, from an old RESIDENT in New G
9 leans, In which he states that up to t
date5of his letter, September the 10
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