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

Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday are
usually devoted to the Editorial aud Ad-
vertisfng columns, and 40 Communications
ject. are published, unless sooner received.
We have been asked by many friends to
euter into defence Of those measures Of
the Legislature, which have been so We
hemen,ly assailcd by the Red Hill Meet
ing. a sense of duty leaves US no alterna-
+. tive; and relying more upon the strength
of our cause than our own powers. VIC 20
into the matter with a perfect confidence of
success.
We must ask the patient attention of the
reader, as we cannot within reasonable
limit. give our views fully in the present No.
As the late act for the relief of Charles
ton. has produced. the opposition which we
have seen in part of our District, we will
commence with consideration of that mea-
sure.
Th" recent fire at Charleston is a great
public calamity. This is the true ground
upon which the measure of relief should be
defended, and We feel assured that it can
be maintained. The very assembling IF
the Legislature is proof that some mighty
event involving. the dearest and highest in
terests of the State had transpired since the
regular Session, and tl,a, His Excellency
under IL solen" sense Of duty had convened d
ii, that by their united counsels and lahors
they might adopt that course which would
. conduce most to the honor aud Interests of
the country. "The Fire in Charleston laid
waste las acres Of the most populous part
of the City, destroyed buildings and their
contents To the amount of three or four mil
li,ns of dollars. deprived numbers of in
dustrious men'of the means Of restoring
their broken fortunes, greatly injured all
the Insurance Offices Of the State and
bankrupted some. deprived Bank debtors
: of the means not only OF paying their pre-
sent debts but Of procuring future loans and
facilities, put to hazard The ultimate success
of our great national plans Of improvement,
the Western Rail Road and Domestic I'm
porting Company, and hrca,rns TO ieopar-
tZe the future prosperity and character and
Standing of the State" This was the view
taken ofthe calamity by His Excelency in
the Proc lamation which assembled the Le-
gisiai,ire, and who can maintain that mass
Of facts was not presented which demanded
the interposiifon of thai Body with the
view OF mitigating as far as it could, The
blow which produced such widespread
mischief 1t is IL mistake to suppose that
the State was called upon to extend its arm
in aid Of individuals. 1t is an-important TO
preserve the distinction. A man who has
lost his all in Charleston is no more entitled
to the protection of the State than citizen
OF Red Hill. No one believes more firmly
than we do in The force and wisdom of The
principle, that individuals should be left
to their own industry & enterprise to relieve
themselves from pecIiniary misfortune :;
and however much there might have been
TO. excite our sympa'hies and prompt to
benevolence' in contemplating the ruin of
thousands Of our fellow citizens in our
"chief City," 81 i'll, if this was the ONLY light
in which it could be viewed, the question
would assume different aspect. But this
is. not the case The .Stnte is the sufferer
Is it not public calamity that our chief
City is in ashes. that our Insurance Offices
are exhausted Of their capital. that pecunia-
ry facilities are no longer afforded and that
thousands of GU, enterprzing citizens are
interiicted the means Of making honorable
exertions and that the grand schemes 0f
Improvement in which every man of the
State has so large an interest must he sus-
pended indefinitely. and perhaps never re-
sumed Are. we prepared to abandon he
glorious work in " hich the South is now
engaged; work which when compIc-
ted, consummates our commercial indcpcn-
dence, and scatters abroad upon oLr citizens
millions and millions which in our foHv we
, have heretofore poured in,o the overflow
ing laps of others! Where is the Caro-;
nian who is not ready, not only to sov
God speed. hui to PM his own shoulders to
the wheel, and aid in its accomplishment!
1t tis.not.a mere chimera, that Charles,on
is capable of being made the grand Com
lnercial Emporium uf the South and South
West. The attention Of Tho people has
been directed for some time to this object.