The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-13
A BRISK TRADE PREDICTED.
From the N. Y. Financial Record.

a BKlSA TRADE fhEDACAADs
From the N. Y. Financial Record.
A more hopeful feeling pervades the com
mercial atmosphere. This is seen already. az
reported by our merchants dealing particular
ly with the South. Many Southern buyers
who had been in the city for weeks MAKING
their purchases sparingly and douotfuHy' ID
view Of the uncertainty which surrounded all
the enterprises of that section, nave SHOWN
their confidence by being free purchasers, ana
thus giving activity to the dry ,ods market.
One of the chief causes OF the desponoency
which has prevailed among our merchants mas
been the fact that q population numbering ten
or fifteen millions of people, who were the
chief producers of our exports and large con-
sumers of our products, our manuiactures
and imported merchandise indeed our most
profitable customers, were lAboring under the
hallucination perhaps, that the North was en-
deavoring to blast their prosperity by military
rule and carpet-bag government. -.
Last evening the reporter, still pursuing his
investigations, met a Southern gentleman who
was for many years the travelling agent and
general attorney for Ober, Atwater Co. (now
Ober, Edwards 4 Coz the great cotton firm
of New Orleans. The nature of his business
made him thoroughly familiar with the mer-
camille classes Of the South, and the causes
which impaired business confidence. He
said:
HOPE FOR THE COTTON STATES.
"These changes will materially affect all
the carpet-bap and negro-ridden States. Take
Alabama and Louisiana for instance, the great
colt on and sugar producing States. At the
close of the war these unfortunate States fell
under the domination Of horde of unscrupu-
lous and corrupt carpet-baggers and multi
tude of negroes whose sole idea OF their newly
Alo~kA ,Iovn nvnt 10
ness.
Even the county, town and parish govern
ments were run by negroes, or worse still,
carpet-bag scalawags. The Supreme Court
and Probate Judges were chosen from these
classes. The legislative bodies represented,
not the people, but the carpet-baggers. and
when President Grant appointed United
States District Judge, his choice almost inva-
riably fell upon corrupt and wicked men, such
for instance as Durell. There was little or no
protection for trade. Taxes were exorbitant
and daily increasing. BY the influence OF the
carpet-baggers over the negroes, the condi-
tons of cotton production OF the States were
such as to deprive planters Of any hope OF
profit. Thus, as cotton is the pivotal point OF
all Southern trade, business languished, and
necessarily the merchants had to restrict their
dealings with the North. Georgia, Virginia
and Kentucky, which threw off the negro yoke
soon after the war, will feel this great change
less than the other States, for with them trade
has been comparatively good, and production
has never been materially reduced But Ten
nessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Ala
bama and Florida. the hope held out by this
change of sentiment in the North will be
hailed as light from heaven.
R9 UNDER REORGANIZED GOvERNMENTs
trade will revive because production will be
profitable and because credit may be more
easily had. Look at Texas. A year ago the
Conservatives (you call them Democrats here
gained possession Of the Government. What
was the result Why, sir, Texas became the
great rendezvous for emigrants from other
States. Alabama, Louisiana, North Caroline
nearly ell of them in fact-sent quotas OF their
white population to cultivate its teeming soil,
and to enjoy the delights of q long unknown
self-government. Trade revived, production
increased, and to-day Texas, especially the
northern part of the State, is in Q most -four
ishing condition. Such will be the result in
the other States as soon as the change in
augurated last Tuesday shall have been COM
pleted.
Reporter-But as to the Southern dry goods
trade with New York?
"Well, you can see for yourself When the
Southern merchants see q chance of protec-
ton to their trade, of the reduction Of the
taxes which now overwhelm them-in word,
of the abolition OF carpet-bag tyranny in all
it's forms-they will be ready to resume their
old commercial relations with your city. That
time has come, and you will see within q very
few days that your hotels will be filed with
Southern buyers, not in dry goods alone, but
in all other branches of trade.