The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1875-04-03
Revival Of Trade.

Every dav increases the indications
Of a revival Of business with the ad-
vance. Of spring. As we pointed out a
week a ay1,. the protracted starlation
that followed the panic has had the
effect Of clearing the ground for new
enterprises and q healthier confidence.
| 1t co,npelled hundreds of weak firms
to s,,snend. and those which were
able to stand its prolonged strain are
| in a stronger condition to-day than
| in September, 1873. The panic was
substantially q paralysis of credit,
| whicl, is the most sensitive of finan-
cial barometers and Which requires i.
long time for complete recovery. 1t
was full year and half after the
| crash Of 1857 before the business of
the country rallied and affairs began
to assume their normal condition.
The best indication of Il return Of
prosperity is the increased confidence
and more buoyant and hopeful tone
Of our business men. Everybody
feels encouraged and talks cheerfully.
Predictions Of prosperity are in every
! body's mouth Hope is not q market
able commodity, but it makes a vast
difference in the transactions of
week whether people talk discourage
ment and radate depressions or slim
ulate each other with cheering prog
nostications. And this is the differ
ence between this season aud last,
with the hope in our favor. And the
cheer has a solid foundation in the
condition of the country. The whole
agricultural class was never in a more
prosperous and really healthy eondi-
ton than to-day, and while the de-
mand for our produce in foreign mar.
kets is firm and rising. the purchasing
power of the country is on the in
crease. And the significance of agri-
cultural prosperity in a nation like
this may be estimated by the fact
that in 1870 some six millions of our
people were directly engaged in it,
and the value Of their products
amounted to nearly two thousand
million dollars. This is the solid
ground work for our material advance.
The manufacturing interest, which
has been nearly paralyzed for a year
and a half, begins work on firm de-
mand, with q low market and wages
unusually depressed, while the pres
ent tariff is in it's favor and is not
likely to be changed for two wears
and a half. The profitable employ
ment of two millions and a half of
people in the annual production of
two billion dollars worth of goods
means prosperity for the whole
country. The mercantile class shares
in the activity of the other interests
Of the country, and finds its profits
in their advancement.
It has been said by one of our
croaking papers within few DAYS
that there are no signs of a rise in
real estate. But the first effect of n
revival in business is not visible in
transactions involving permanent in
vestmepts, but in those lighter oper-
ations which are most sensitive to the
changing financial conditions. The
stock market is barometer that feels
the first culver Of new life. the anick-
ened sales and upward tendency Of
stocks foreshadow an inpro, en.ent.
Labor is the first thing to suff., from
business depression, and one OF the
last to recover from its effects. Money
must be made before it can be locked
up in houses and unprodnctive lots
waiting for rise. And while stocks