The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-10-20
TIrE NEW "sOLID soUTJI."
solid for Increase ;of Population, Bualn css
Prosperity ana Commercial Growth.

There Is another than political sensJ in
which the south may be said to be solid.
She is prosperous and likely to become more
so year by year. The rapid increase OF
! population within her borders during the
last decade has occasioned genuine surprise
in the north, but that is only one indica-
ton of the progressive march on which she
has by no means reached the end, or even
| the middle.
What the most sagacious of the an ii
slavery leaders predicted as sure to follow
the abolition of the peculiar institution has
come to pass. The south is becoming popu-
lous; it is growing rich. Commerce is tax
ing new start; manufactures are
springing up everywhere, and the
planter sees his fields better titled
than ever before. Railroads are being built
in all directions new steamship lines are
being started even the mineral ,wealt OF
the south is beginning to be developed.
New Orleans, her principal seaport, is win
times over, and will, in few years, be the
rival of New York and Baltimore, not only
in its old staple of cotton, but also in the
new ones of grain and live stock.
All this is perfect by legitimate growth in
prosperity, too, and therefore more certain
OF lasting. lhere Is no reason why Wy
great southern staple should be sent north
to be shipped for Europe The natural
thing to do is to put it on board steamer
at New Orleans, Mobile or Savannah or
Charleston, and carry it across the
Atlantic without break of bulk. This
would be a saving of labor and time,
which means a saving OF money. 1t has
also been found that it is cheaper to trans.
port corn and wheat down the Mississippi
from the great grain fields on its upper
course than to the Atlantic sea-board, while
to bring the cattle of Texas to point at the
very doors of the grazing fields must inev..
itably have its advantages over the plan OF
sending them 1000 miles or more by train.
Texas is rich in many things, and her
products, added to those of Louisiana, Ar
kansas and Mississippi, find their natural
outlet toward Europe at New Orleans, ana
the system of railroads which is either built
or in process of building, connecting that
city with these sections OF country VIII
soon supply the one thing needful-trans-
portation facilities; The recent improve
ments at the mouth of the big river have
made it possible for the largest sea-going
steamers to anchor off the Crescent
City's wharves, and it only remains
to perfect the internal system OF
communication to give an impetus to com
merce there such as any southern city never
before experienced. Last year the imports
ana exports jumped from 9I,VUo'oVcc W
$104, 100000, and her bank clearances from
S422,OOOOOOto $500, 100000. The wheat re-
ceipts more than doubled, being over
100000 bushels, as against 6,75O,O0O
bushels in 1879. There was also increase n
the cotton receipts amounting to 100000
bales, or one fifth of the whole.
We in this city might be expected to feel
some jealousy at finding such formidable
rivals Spring up to dispute the foreign trade
of the country with us and if we looked at
the matter in an old-time, narrow and
bigoted light we undoubtedly would. For
tunately, we are aware that the south,
healthy and prosperous, will be our best
possible customer once more, and that even
if our European commerce should decrease
in one or two articles, it will be more than
made up in score of other directions. The
" solid SOUTH" in this sense, may rest as
sured that she has no better well-wisher
than the solid north. New York Graphic.