Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-16
The New South.
NetC York Herald.

Netg York Herald
The era of political quiet and industrial
prosperity that has dawned brightly upon
the Southern States is one Of the most en-
couraging signs of these bright times
Twenty years ago the South was in the be
ginning of destructive war, which it might
easily have averted. Ten years ago it was
still PROSTATE from the disastrous results of
that deadly conflict To-day the signs are
unmistakable that it has entered upon a
high road of material progress, which has
Only to be followed to lead to measure of
prosperity and happiness that would have
seemed Utopisn In the days of slavery.
The new census returns show that within
the past ten years there has been in the
Southern States g social and economic
awakening which promises to be general
and lasting. The marked increase Of popu
lation that has taken place has been at
tended with most encouraging improve
ment in the condition of the people. New
towns have sprung up and old ones have
grown in size and prosperity. Schools,
braries and newspap rs have multiplied d,
and illiteracv has diminished. Factories
have increased in capacity and mum
ber, railroads have been built in every
direction, and seaports and other CONNER
cial centres have become buster than ever
before. During the past three or four years
Western grain has been seeking foreign
markets by way of the Mississippi river in
such rapidly Increasing quantities TO cause
no little alarm in certain Northern quar-.
ters The tide of Southern prosperity that
has already set in must find new tributary
when the completion of the railroad and
telegraph systems now in progress r con-
temptation shall open Mexico to American
enterprise.
With this promising advance In the COM
mercial and industrial welfare of the South
is now seen a change in its political condi-
tion that is hardly less encouraging. As
long as partisan dominated all other inter-
ests politics was the bane of the South.
| This was cOnspicuously the case In the
years Immediately following the war. To-
day economical are made greater than par
tisan considerations. Political quiet has
taken the place OF political turmoil, and in
dustrial activity has followed industrial
stagnation Men are coming into public
life VINO were boys when the rebellion
ragged, and were unborn when the
fierce political battles preceding it
were fought. They are not anxious
to fight out the party feuds OF
their fathers. They nave no desire to be
eternally warning over the dead issues of
the past. They have had enough State
rights controversy, enough war, enough re-
/ construction, and enough of the "bloody
shirt" business. They see more money,
more success, and more prosperity in trade
| aud industry than in politics. The youngI r
members who come to Washington are
more interested in the industrial and COM
mercial welfare of their country and the
social and educational advancement of the
people, than in partisan strife, which can
| only defeat these good ends. Such, at least,
| is the plain tendency, II not yet the realiZa-
| ton, of Southern political life.
In the general progress that the South
I - 4 - IL
| cotton industry appears as the most striking,
promising and significant. The greatest
| cotton crop known in the days of slavery
was that of lS59-60, which footed up more
than four million eight hundred and twenty
thousand bales and exceeded any preceding
crop by a hundred thousand bales. But
since the war the yearly production has
steadily and rapidly increased until
the crop of last year reached the un-
precedented figure of 5,757, ,397 bales,
| each of which was twenty pounds
heavier than the bales of the greatest
ante-war crop. The aggregate yield of this
great staple during the fifteen years follow
ing the war was larger By ten million bales
and more valuable by nearly seven hun
dTed million dollars than during the fifteen
wears preceding the war. The crop of the
present year will be the largest yet raised,
and fs expected to amount to more than six
million bales. There are yet no signs Of
any arrest of this onward movement, aud
there is every Indication that the future
will bring forth crops that now would seem
marvellous.
But more significant than this extraordi-
nary progress In the culture OF cotton Is the
advance made by the South In its manufae
ture Since 1870 the capacity of Southern
mills has increased from eleven thousand to
more than fifteen thousand looms, and from
four hundred thousand to seven hundred
thousand spindles. Within the same period
the consumption of cotton has more than
doubled IL was tOrtY-hye million pounds
in 1870. and in 1880 it had increased to more
than one hundred million. The cen
sus returns show that during the
past decade the South has made more
rapid strides in cotton manufactures
than either the country at large or
New England, the great centre of the in
dustry in America. The progress that 1t has
made. and promises to make, suggests the
very important inquiry whether the South
has not at last set out upon that course
which in time must lead to the achievement
of one of the great possibilities that nature
has put within its reach. That the
American cotton crop should be sent raw
TO Erglish mills and returned manu-
featured to cisatlantic markets is as
abnormal and unnatural as that water
should run ND hill. The supremacy which
England now holds in the manufacture OF
cotton must sooner or later-so far at least
as American cotton is eoncerned-be trans
ferred to this country, where 1t properly
belongs The time may be distant, but its
coming Il inevitable. The consumption of
cotton by American mills is steadily and
rapidly increasing, and will continue so to
increase until the entire crop is manufac-
tured In the United States
While this supremacy may first pass from
old England to New England 1t is a Ques-
tfon whether it will not then shift from the
latter to the Southern States. To this as
cendancy New England has no peculiar
right or claim. The South has natural ad-
vantages which New England has not, and
it can acquire all the advantages WHICH
New England has. It's climate is favorable
to the Manufacture of cotton, and 1t has
abundance of water power and fuel. Ma
chinery and skilled labor can be im-
ported. while capital and enterprise
must be forthcoming when the ad-
vautsges that undoubtedly exist are
seen and appreciated. In addition TO these
consideratiops. the great coming develop
ment of the West and Southwest will be
attended with a growing demsnd for Hapn-
faetured cotton. while the anticipated es-
tsblishment of commercial intercourse
between the United States and Mexico will
open q new and extensive field for the sale
of cotton goods. In these great marKetS,
as well as those of Central and south
America, its geographical position will give
10 the South decided advantages.
We are aware that SO high sp authority
in this matter as Mr.. Edward Atkinson,
who, however, Is New England man and
identified with the cotton interests OF that
mart of the country, maintains that the
South cannot become 3 great centre of the
cotton manufacturing industry. But we
have not seen any reasons put forth in sup
mort of his opinion which cannot be salts
tsctoriIv met or any obstacles pointed out
Wbich cannot be overcome in time. OF
conrse il VIII take time to build up cotton
manufactures in the Sputnl y mas ~ u
Tncland and in New England. Hut the
sa.s,h ;,.s rare natural advantages for the
5sEeIopment OF this industry, which, II
properly turned to account cannot IAN OF