The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-03-03
Commercial independence.

up anew and set on its legs again,
but it has been supplemented by one
far more practical in its teachings
one which relates to our commercial
independence. To this idea the PEG.
pie of the South are now more dis
posed to take than they have ever
been before. The sectional line
which was drawn by the Republican
party has forced the people of these
States to see that they are never to
be trusted and considered as equals
in the Union until they accept con-
ditions too humiliating to be con-
templated, and it naturally occurs
to them to enquire if their selfre-
spect does not demand that they
cease paying tribute to the people
who sneer at the idea of equality and
tolerate them only for the sake of
policy. This question raised and
repeated has touched a chord which
has never been struck with such
force before, and the great body of
the people eagerly catch at the idea.
Southern acknowledgements
cially! There is something capti-
waiting in the sentence. 1t speaks of
equality and prosperity. 1t means
manufacture our cotton as we do our
tobacco, and ship direct to Europe
what we do not need for home man
ufacture; it means withdrawal Of
Southern money from banks and
bonds, and its investment in facto.
ries which shall make our nails, our
glass, our hats, our clothes, our wag.
oDs, buggies, hoes and plows; in
short our everything. 1t means the
keeping of our money instead of
sending it to those who contribute
of it at each election to buy votes to
beat US. It means the height of
wisdom In politics and business and
it means, in one word, the making
Of the South the greatest country
that the sun ever shone upon.
II may be said that there must be
an infusion of "Northern capital and
energy" to enable these things to be
done. Northern men are cordially
welcomed, bat it will be time to call
upon Hercules after We have put our
own shoulders to the wheel. 1t has,
indeed, been objected that we have
not in the South the money necessa-
~ to forward such enterprises as
above suggested. There was never
a greater mistake. There is an abun-
dance of money here if it could be
concentrated. Remembering the
Southern custom Of sending it away
it is quite surprising that there is so
much, but Providence is kinder to
US than we are to ourselves, and we
are not so poor as we have been or
as we may be again unless We
change our policy. All that is nee.
essary is concert of action-co-ope-
ration among cur people for the ad-
vaucement Of our interests, and with
bat one-third of our advantages util-
lied We would presently see wealth
where there is now but comfort, and
comfort where there is now poverty.
With factories for the manufacture of
our products there would come an
influx Of foreign population-more
people to be clothed and fed. There
would be home markets for every.
thing; cotton would supplant the
broom sedge and corn and peas the
sassafras; thrift would succeed idle
ness and squalor, and cities would
grow up where villages now stand.
The present seems the most aaspi.
cious time for the new Departure
Every wosd said or written about il
Is the nearer 10 instituting it. We
hope to SEQ the realization Of these
dreams-we hope to see the despised
and reviled South make manifest TIA
faet that it has within itself all the
elements Of prosperity, and then all
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