New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-17
A WESTERN REPUBLICAN, FOB PREs1-

A WESTERN REPUBLICAN, FOB PREs1
DENT.
| Commercial logic has proved that New
Orleans is Western city. Her business
connection with the South, except as to
| a couple of Gulf States, has terminated.
There is not ono of those Southern Atlan-
tic States With which she was allied in the
maintenance Of q common title to slavery
and commerce on slaves that is not now
her commercial rival. seeking, and seek.
ing successfully: to wrest from her the
river trade which was once exclusively
her own. Each Of these Southern States
has its own port, its own railroads, and
each draws its rill from the mighty chan
mel of trade which once sought its outlet
at the Balize. New York, Philadelphia
aud Baltimore have il like manner turned
away the exports and imports of the upper
West, Of the river and the lakes. There
are seven great highways over which our
merchants travel in taking their semi.
annual tribute to the Northern merchant
| and manufacturer. The slightest inquiry
| would show them that there are estab-
ished thoroughfares never to be super
seeded by the Mississippi. The most su-
perfcial observation must satisfy any
| one that New Orleans does rot
handle one ton in twenty-five, or one
dollar in sixty of foreign imports, and no
one can see without conviction of danger
that each Of these Atlantic cities has
more population and more wealth than
New Orleans, and that each is determined
to have its share of her commercial
spoils. The completion of these seven
rival highways is common competition
against New Orleans, for instead of dread
ing her. the conflict is among these
great cities themselves. Under this ire
mendous rivalry they will make the rail-
roads as free as our river. Each Of these
cities would rather work their railroads
for nothing, and charge it 10 expense ac-
count, than that they should stop They
will always pay running expenses rather
than those roads shoali stop, Those
roads never will stop aaless superseded |
by some mode Of transportation ssiil naere
rapid than steam and ralf the insclvent |
railroad is as cheap as ; river. II need |
only lay ! taris for running expenses and /
Of way. Il pays Io diyi-
lends on stock. The Erie railroad and
several others belong TO this class. and
AN put fseishts ana tares as low IS COM
petition may demand What 10 our
merchants say To the A.c5 that for four
months past wheat has been carried by al
ali from Chicago to New York at eight,
nd corn az seven cents bushel3
When We see. therefore. that this inter
al trade IS taken from Us, that our for
ign imports have declined in value from
Tenty millions before the war to four
zen millions now-when tie vessels COM
,g into this port for cotton are chiefly in
allast and sit upon the waters as lightly
5 a sea gull-when We see our merchants
ut the agents of Northern i'm porters and
le drummers of Northern manufactur-
We see this fact conclusively
lown by the evidence in the REPUBLICAN
lat the merchandise received by rail
mounted last year to some sixty millions
dollars, while that brought coastwise
as nearly as much, we see that New
rleans does not import more than one
:venth of her foreign goods. but jobs
le remainder of her European goods in
le Eastern cities. If we added that the
rger part of our banking and insurance
Ipital comes from Boston, New York and
we conceive our heading
ade out-Nelc Orleans is suburb Of
eu York. Shall We continue so? The
EPrs1cAN has always contended that it
as through her Western advance alone I
at New Orleans could prosper.
It is only when the West shall open
rect trade with the continental States
nth Of US; it is only when the nation
lall give US q railroad to the Pacific,
it'll steamships to every Southern port
syond US; it is only when the nation
all give US a protection levee, within
hich We may accommodate all the labor
the South, white and colored, and pro-
ice an annual crop of eight million ,
lies of cotton, with million hogsheads
sugar and as many herces of rice.
bis will rebuild New Orleans, and nothing
se will. Which, then, is the party
hich will carry out this destiny? Will
be the Democratic party, with its reso- 7
ton of the last Democratic House of
representatives., that sin the present con-
ton Of the financial affairs of the GOV =
nment no subsidies in money, bonds, 1
bile lands, Endorsement or by pledge II
the public credit should be granted by
ngress to associations or corporations a
gagged or proposing to engage in public II
private enterprises. y
It is from the Democratic party, which "
der that resolution refused Louisiana =
lroads, levees, and subventions to mail g
amships to Brazil or Mexico? No mer- IL
ant Of New Orleans can expect it. The p'
asUry is fastened against New Orleans. e
e stone Of that resolution has been ot
led against it. Every other city, East re
4 West, every other State East and ds
'st, has been provided for by the nation el
ring and since the war The Repub- ia