Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-12-06

AL Slltci plISC ~ SlSiilliC Ill It's licitul aHo
extent, and SO magnificent in lis promised
results to the prosperity Of South Carolina,
pre-eminently deserves, and will doubtless
receive your favourable consideration. If
successfully conducted to its final accom-
plishment, it wilt a monument worthy Of
the age, and of which the creates: empire
might Justly be proud.
1t will produce the greatest revolution in
commerce ever effected by an artificial
channel of communication, and not less i'm
portant than that which was produced by
the discovery ofthe passage round the Cape
Of Good Hope. With other causes, now
fortunately ly cooperating, it will enable Char.
lesion to reclaim her lost advantages. and
to become the Emporium of the vast and
increasing foreign commerce which is
founded upon the agricultural productions
of the South Atlantic and Western States.
Nor will the advantages of this change bs
confined to Charleston. Every part Of the
State will enjoy its due proportion Of them.
A flourshing commercial emporium, like
the heart in the animal economy, diffnses
life, energy, and health, through the whole
system. lis the City of New York, COM
municating with the world by the ocean,
and with the interior by her numerous chan.
ncls, natural and artificial, that imparts
wealth and prosperity to the remote>t ex.
tremities of that great State. Make Clar.
lesion the New York Of the South, and cor.
responding advantages will result, not only
to the interior of this State, but 10 the entire
region connected with the city by the ties
of commercial intercourse.
Wihin cerEain sphere, according to
well known principle of political economy,
the benefits Of Commerce cannot be local.
lied. lis bcnefccnt effects are essentially
diffilsiye.
If these views are just, and were properly
impressed upon the minds of our Fellow
Citizens, they would tend greatly TO do away
that local spirit, which, by seeking to &C.
complish mere local purposes, might embar.
rass the progress, and mar the symmetry
Of the noble structure we are about erecting.
| have too firm arcliance upon the patriotic
spirit Of our citizens, TO believe that these
narrow and mistaken views will be permit.
ted to sway the councils bv which it is TO be
planned I'd erected. Ii is too mighty an
undertaking, will involve 100 great an OK.
penditure, and is destined to encounter too
close competition, TO allow any sacrifice
to be made to such views, without exposing
the whole enterprise to imminent hazard.
That route which is decidedly the best, with.
in the limits of the Charter, if there be
such route, should undoubtedly be ADOPT
cd. AS Citizen of the Safe, without ref.
ercnce to any local position, sincerely
hope that the central rou:e may be found to
have that unequivocal claim 10 preference.
| even think il should be adopted, unless
some other route shall appear 10 have a
decided superiority over it. But | am sure
that no public spirited citizen, anxious for
the success ofthe work; no stockholder, rea-
sonaby regardlul Of his own interest, will
be disposed to 90 farther. To insure sue.
ccssin scaling those mountain barriers which
have so long made strangers of kindred
communties-an achievement surprising
in sublimity all that Xerxes and Hannibal
and Bonapare ever accompished-uniied
councils are indispensably necessary. The
only mode of effecting this desirable result
will be to have all the proposed routes and
mountain passes accurately surveyed by
scientific engineers. before any comparison
is attempted. When this is done, it is ex.
tremelv probable that the preferable route
will be so clearly indicated, as TO supercede
all doubt on the subject.
How far it may be cxpedient for the State
to aid in the prosecution and completion of
this work, in subscribing to the Stock of
the Company which has been incorporated,
think the time has not yet come for deci.
ding. The Char:er has already been saved
by our public spirited fellow citizen Col.
Wade Hampton, who beng one Of the Gen.
tral Commissioners at Knoxville, subscribed
the whole sum which appeared from the
returns there received to be wanting TO
make up the four millions. Until the route
shall be definitely selected, and active ope-
rations commenced, the emergency does
not seem to call upon The States interested,
TO embark in the work as stockholders.
Moreover, there are some considerations
growing out of the mode of constituting the
Board of Directors, prescribedby the Char
fer. as amended by kentucky, and the rela-
tive sums subscribed in the different States,
which render it a measure of obvious pru-
dencc on the part of South Carolina. either
to procure a modification Of the Charter
before she subscrbes, or to make condi-
tional subscription.
The act of incorporation passed by this
State, provided that three ofthe twenty -four
directors should be CHOSEN from qualified
stockholders residing in each ofthe States OF
North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Kentucky and Ohio, and that nine should
be chosen indiferently from all the stock.