Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-05-10


soil, and earned for s. Carolina, in his de-
fence Of Charleston, ono ofthe proudest lau-
rels III our revolutionary history, what true
son Of tho State has not rcjoiced in her grow
ing greatness aud Importance! Whose heart
does not beat with gladness at the rccollec-
ton Of Laurens, a Rutledge, Gadsden,
Pinckney and others! How large chap
ter she fills in the history Of our State!
There are associations numerous and varied,
which come to all with power which can-
not be resisted; which make erery citizen
claim Charleston as his o,pn, Ills cherished
city. Advancing in her career of prosperity
with n rapidity hitherto unknown in her
history, with the energies Of her citizens
concentrated upon tho important enterprise
ola direct trade with Europe and the whole
world, thus freeing the South from the com
mercial thraldom under which she had SO
long laborcd, she is suddenly arrested by
the caamitous visitation which we have
recorded. In this point of view, the blow
falls heavily upon every citizen of the State.
10 open new channel of trade, aud to
produce great commercial diversion, is at
all times work Of herculean labor and diff
6culty, requiring large capital and uncom-
mon energy and enterprize. This is par
ticuiarly the case in regard to the great
scheme Of which we now speak. Most of
the Southern States are moving in the mat
ter, but il is fact that upon Charleston,
from her position, depends more than upon
any other point. In Il work SO essentially
Southern, we would not take The position
that if accomplished, TO Charleston alone
must be accorded the glory. No-alonc
she could do nothing; but ,Uithout her CO.
operation. the enterprise ,ciH fail. She is
now i'll ashes large portion of that ca
pital which would have been directed to
this object is now lost, and the people-ihe
Statc-must take the matter in hand.-
What can be done, is the question. 1t has
its credit; that it borrow the required u
mount, and loan To every person desirous to
rebuild, one half the value of the lot, OH a
mortgage Of the property and insurance.
with interest; and TO secure the State a.
galnst any chance of loss, the City corpo-
ration should bind itself to indemnify. 1t
is also suggested, as further security, that
the ediices should be of brick or stone, rs
then they would be placed beyond the reach
oil fire. For ourselves, we see no reasona-
BILE objection to this mode Of relief. That
II is wrong principle for individuals to look
to Legislatures for u relief from their pecu-
mary distresses is true we admit, but VIC see
nothing dangerous and nothing wrong in
extending it in The present instance. |, is,
we saw again, paLlic calamity, and in all
similar cases it is the part of wisdom and
policy i'll Legislatures to do it. The State
would be gamer by it, and does it become
1t to sacrifice its dearest intcres, and that of
her whole citizens, upon mere abstraction?
There is no possible danger of loss, and IN
restoring the broken fortunes of her chief
city, she contributes to The solid prosperity
nj her entire people. Assured as wo have
been that this is the only plau which promi
ses relief, we arc sincerely anxious if none
better can be devised, shat it succeed We
have given it in our paper that it may re-
ceive the sober reflection Of our readers,
and we believe that it will commend itself
TO all.
Since writing the above, we have receiv-
CD, through the Mercury, the proceedings or
very large meeting Of the citizens of
Charleston and the Neck, containing the
report and resolutions of the committee of
thirty, appointed at previous meeting, and
all Address to the Governor of South Caro-
lima. We regret that We cannot give these
proceedings TO our readers in our present
No, but will do so in our next. Our time
will only allow us now to say, that the re-
solutions and address were drawn up by Gen
tayne; that an ertrd session of the Lcpisla-
t"re Is asked, and that an appeal. will be
made in some such mode as Is have alrca
dy designated. The great Importance of
these matters demands from every citizen
The gravest reflection; and if any there be
among us, who are not awakened to a full
appreciation, we hazard nothing in saying
that the able and eloquent appeal of Gen
10y no WIZ h'ost ciedIiy demonstrate, 'that
the recent calamity has brought affairs TO a
crisis, which according TO the spirit in which
1t may be met, will, either for good or for
evil, be decisive Of the fate of Charleston
for The next half century. and perhaps for all
time 10 come"
MIR. Davenport is prosecuting with great
industry his experiments with Gairanic