The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-23
WHAT SHALL WE no TO SAVE NEW
ORLEANS.
New York He.ald.l

| WHAT SHALL We HV ~ SAtE NEW
ORLEANS.
i New York He-aldl
Senator Morton is reported az saying to the
reporter of o Western newspaper that New
OH ans is dead city: that It has lost its op
portunity; that St. Louis, Galveston and even
Chicago have reached out ana robbed it of its
former trade privileges, and that no amount
of good government can restore it. We have
had mary stories OF this kind from the Cres-
cent City, and we confess that nothing since
the var has distressed us more than the blight
that seems to have fallen upo1 New Orleans.
1t is ONE OF the most interesting of our cities.
1t has Continental quality that none OF the
others possess. It roots extends into other
soils than the Cavalier or the Puritan.
Nav Orleans, French in its origin, and at
one time under the control OF the Spaniards.
has always shown the Influence OF France and
Spain. There is something Of Paris in the
spri ghtliness aad taste of the people; in the
chivalry, which. does not even now dislain
the duellO; in the melrimeEt, which makes
Sunday feast 9av and not 6, day Of fasting;
in the Carnival and Mardi Gras. Every street
in tie old city recalls the glory OF the Bour-
bon or the ambition of the Eonaparte. Be-
fore the war it was prodigsl, luxurious me-
tropolis. The planters looked upon winter
visit to New Orleans as e recompense for
hard seasons work in the cotton field and
sugar house. The Mississippi poured its
treasures into its lap. It was The entrepot of
Mexico Cuba and Texas. There was no city
to challenge its dominion but Mobile, for Gal.
weston was a little seacoast town that was
scarcely known in the family of cities
Alo2e, therefore, far distant from tho other
ruling cities. mistress of the Gulf OF Mexico
and the Mississippi New Orleans rapidly
strobe along. and b, fore the war had perhaps
as much wealth for her population as any city
in the republic
Even now New Orleans is ninth in the list
Of cities, if we may take the figures of the
census of 1870. 1t then reported 1871 900 pop
ulation and 49, 656 VI llings -something more
than San Francisco and less than Cincinnati.
The latest authority as to its commerce, ca
ward King, in his valuable and Interesting
work on "The Great South" shows still
many signs Of prosperity. The last reported
cotton crop, 1872 %, Was hundred thousand
bales larger than tie year before the war;
The total value Of the Imports in New Csleans
Tor the same year was more than one hundred
millions and the exports over six hundred
millions. More than ons-third of the, cotton
passed through New Orleans. This is q source
Of enormous wealth alone. It is hard to think
that a city should be dead, or in any appre-
tensions of death. that sehds out from it's
port more than six hundred millions of dol
lars year.
There are, Of course, many reasons that
affect the growth of a seaboard town. The
railroads have diverted much of the Missis. !
'ippi trade. The sugar crop in louisiana las |
falien away. The Western produce. that in !
past times was aoated down to New Orleans |
n rude hatboats, now seeks New York and |
Baltimore. Texas has been growing since
he war into imperial prominence. and rasur.
lily seeks port at Galveston. The railroad
las shown its supremacy over the river. In
he olden times the river was the line of mill
airy Defense the channel Of trade; but now
he railroad has usurped that function. We
defend our railroads in war, and depend upon
hem as the arteries OF commercial life in
,eace. Therefore the growth of the great
ailway systems Of the West and partly of the
'outh have injured New Orleans The
federal Government, by the subsidies which
I granted to the Pacific railways and other
ines in the Northwest, kas thrown its in
luence against the South, and largely against
lew Orls ans. SO far the acccun. of the
ieneral Government with the South is con-
erned, it has not only taken millions from
he Sau,hern Stafes in the process Of war,
nut given millions to the Western States in
he way of railroad eadowments. Is it anv
Wonder, then, that with all these causes il !.
peration, an indu'g ut Government strength
ming tho West and n-glecting, nay, tramp
ing the South, there should Do s;gus Of pa..
iysis in the great metropolis OF the South
Fest?
Senator Morton is an eminent statesman of
he Republican party. He has been the
postle of repression and revenge. He has
hampioned every infamy or usurpation in
he South that called itself government
Therefore, when he pronounces New Orleans
dead city he speaks his own condemnation
nd that of the party. Dying New Orleans
epresents thu Ignorance. the cupidity, the
oily and the crimes of Mr.. Motions party.
;ut We are confident that he has passed. too
arsh q judgment. New Orleans may suffer
temporary depression. syncope from war
nd reconstruction, but there are elements
f strength and glory about the old town
'hich even the war and Republicanism can
lot destroy.