The Bossier banner., 1881-02-24
Louisiana's Opportunity.

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heavily on the energies of our peo
pie since the war, we have, through
persistent and heroic effort, strug.
gled up to that position from which
we may look hopefully to the future.
We have good government, peacea'
bly, and satisfactorily administered.
The delicate relations between the
races are growing more satisfactory
as they are better understood, and
there are unmistakable evidences OF
improvement in all our material in.
terests. New railroads are being
constructed; others are being pro-
jected. Our farmers are becoming
prosperous and independent, and al
together the outlook is hopeful and
encouraging. Gratifying as is this
condition of things, we know full
well what it has cost US, and should
we wisely accept the lessons found
in the trying ordeal of the past fif:
teen years, they will assuredly lead
us to independence, power and
triumph.
1t is no longer with us struggle
for mere existence, and with a con-
sciousness of returning strenghth,
it is a part of wisdom to survey the
surroundings to learn in what di.
rection it may be best and most
profitably utilized.
With our wonderful natural re-
sources, our climate, our soil, our
navigable rivers and bayous, our
minerals, our forests and geographic
cal position, why should we not
justly aspire to rival even those
States whose remarkable progress
and development we witness with
amazement? Why should not ou,
educational advancement and ma
terial development be paramount in
our State policy? Why should we
not bend our energies to the devel-
opment of the internal elements of
strength possessed by our State to
such a remarkable degree? Why
should we not recognize the fact that
in this age of business and enter
prise, material prosperity gives not
only commercial dignity to people,
but political power as we'll
That these questions are deeply
agitating the public mind is attested
by the constantly increasing atten
tion devoted to them by the press of
our State. 1t is difficult to find
newspaper, now published in our
State, that does not devote a liberal
portion of its columns to the promo
ton OF the material prosperity of
our people. And especially has this
been conspicuous since the recent
elections. New ideas are being
evoked, new channels and new
methods are being sought, and our
surroundings warrant the belief that
Louisiana is about to enter a new
era, a new life. We have reached
that point in the race of progress
where we can afford to waste no
time in idle and fruitless repinings
over the past. Treasuring the valu.
BILE lessons we have learned BY it's
bitter and terrible experiences, we
should look forward and grid our
selves for the work that lies before
US. We should give no heed to the
carping and gloomy forebodings of
the irresolute and the timid, but
with that determined energy that
acknowledges no such thing as fail.
ure, we should grasp the opportuni.
ty and place our State in such posi-.
tion that she may enter the race free
and unshackled. We say we are
encouraged to believe that the time
has come when this can and will be
done. And we share the opinion
entertained by a great majority of
our intelligent people, that one of
the first and most important steps
in this great work is TO mt onr snr.