Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-07-12

business and give them all the benefits of
the trade. We are fast 1earning. the truth
that Commerce is necessary to the civiliza-
ton and refinement of people, anil that
the solid interests Of our State will he .pro
ihoted by its encouragement. The mer-
chants Convention which sat at Augusta
has shed flood upon This subject. and we
will draw from the able Report of MIR.
McDut1ie a ewleadng and impor'an, facts
In 1886 the whole Import of the U. States
amounted TO about 1910 millions Of dollars.
Those of New York alone amounted to llS
mlllions, whilst those 'of all the Atlantic
States South Of the Potomac and the States
on the gulf Of Mexico amounted to 20 mil
lions and those of S. Carolina and Georgia
to only 3,lO0 600. The Domestic Exports
OF the United States amounted to 1U7 mill
lions, of which New York exported only
l9,SOO,OO0 against an import of llS,OOO.-
0OO, whilst the States South and South
West exported 7S,0OO,uOO against an I'm
port of. 2O,UU0OOO. and South Carolina
and Georgia exported 2I,00U,O0O against
an importof 3,4OO,OOO. 1t is believed that
in that year, the South aud West sustained
by the circuitous course Of their trade Il loss
of about t1,O0O,u0O and Sonlh Carolina
and Georgia not less than 3 millions. up
wards of 10000. 900 of merchandise being
imported by our more en,rrprising neigh
hors in exchange for'o staples.
we are not disposed to wage war against
Others because they have been ,ruer TO their
interests than we have been to ours; but in
the name of patriotism and of interest we
would ask, how hong are we to continue the
slaves of our more enterprizing country
men! Every man among us is largely in
tcrcSicd in the business of Il drcct trahe.-
Here is common ground on which al! may
stand. Are we in pause in the matter be-
cause of Il calamity which has deprived us
ot portion of capital which would have
been directed to this end. when il is fully
and completely in our power to go on with
it! 1t cannot be disguised that upon Charles
Ton more than any oIher pninr depends
The accomplishments. Without tie active,
efficient aid of her citizens, we can do moth
ing. We had The assurance Of her au,hori-
ties that she was paraysch hy the rrccn,
conflagration, and that without The assis-
tance asked Of the Legislature, our schemes
Tor the eXtensioL oi trade and commerce
were PROSTATE. And could it he urhcrwiscl
One third of The CRY in ashes, desrruc-
ton so deep and widespread, as TO effect
to some extent every person in il the most
| calamirous fire under the circumstances,
which ever occurred in this country: when
we consider this in connection with the de-
ranged monetary condition. Of the country,
the importance of the entcrprizc aml the
amount ofcapital necessary for lis comple-
| tion is t a matter for. aStonishncni that
Charleston should call for aid. She has
called and i'll so doing has thrown the re-
sponsbiltv upon the State.
1t is no figure, we think to saw, that n
crisis is brough! about by the fire AT Charles
ton, and shall we ionobIy fall before the
force Of the blow, or shall we, in the true
spirit of men and patriots, rcdouhle our cx-
er,ions! Does it become lis 10 falter, to
hesitate! The time has come when the
people Of South Carolina should no longer
continue blind TO their own interests. Our
| attention has been exclusively dircci"d 10
the business Of Agriculture. and with our
exhausted aoils, our resources arc bccorn-
ing crippled. Regions where nncc -four
ished in greatest luxuriancc our valuable
productions, are now cursed with Slcriity,
and We are old enough to remember when
some of the desolatc fields around IFS We'd
i'll productivcncss with the fertile lands
of The West. The time is fast approaching
when. unless we get wisdom soon, we will
become as some Of the once fertile regions nf
the Eastern world; when like parts of SYRIA
and Palestine. portions Of Asia Minor and
| other countries we will sink down into 81
condition Of hopeless harrrnneSs I, has
been said by travellers that large tracts of
( country. which some thousand wears ago
supported dense and thriving pnrulation.
afford nor now sufficient vegetation ,o Snn-
ply the easily satisfied wants of the SOLITARY
Camel. IL is too much the character of our
People 10 'Vork their land to denth. and
| hen flee III pursuit of n virgin soil With
one of the most favored countries upon
earth, they avail themselves of but few
Of its advantages. What is TO he done
to give activity to our energies; to STAY the
rapid deterioration Of our lands, and to hold
oni The strong Inducements of successful