The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-11-11
FOR THE BANNER.)
* THE RAIL ROAD.

the apathy that is now %pervadIng all
ranks ofthe citizen Of this and adjoining
Districts upon the vital question, "whe-
ther or not the Mountain regions of this
State shall have Rail Road communi-
cation with one of the best markets in
the Southern States, to wit: Charleston"
Cast your eye for moment upon the
maps of New York, Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania, and you cannot but at
once perceive the vast difference, that
appears between the public spirited citi-
zen OF those States, and those Of this
State. Every man there, who has fifty
acres of land, within twenty-five miles
of the route of a rail road or canal, at
once, and that too,promptly contributes all
his energy to the enterprise. He sees
at glance, that his lands will increase
from one hundred to five hundred per
cent, per acre. That where he had no
market, except little inland village;
he has now quick and cheap transport
of all his surplus produce to the best
markets in the world. Mountains are
made to bow their lofty heads, to make
way for the civlizer of mankind, "the
steam engine" Cities, Towns and Vii
lagos, are brought in daily contact with
each other, so that one looks upon the
other as his next door neighbor-Towns
and villages as by magic, spring up in
every direction-A new stimulous is
given to industry and agriculture-dor-
mant capital brought into active circula-
ton, and every river and stream is Stu
died with manufactures and mills,
giving employment to thousands of her
citizens, who otherwise would be COM
PEELED to seek better land in the distant
west.
Look upon your own State, and see
the sad picture that this presents in CON-
parison with those of the North; our
State is as rich, if not richer, in lands and
minerals, as any other State in the
Union: we have unlimited wafer power,
and the application of this to manufac-
turing purposes, would be greatly bene-
ficlal to the agricultural interest; but
we are sadly deficient in energy and en-
terprise: Our lands, if properly mana
ged, are not only capable of supplying
the wants Of our population; but Of sem
ding off large surplus abroad We
would then ask in the name of patri.
otism, if we posses these great natural
advantages, why is it that so many Of
our best citizens, are removing them
selves and their capital to other countries
for better investments? Why is it that
we are contented to wallow in our own
supineness and lethargy? Do we not
see what great strides our sister States
are making in rail roads and manufac-
torles2 Do we not see that the North,
by industry and energy, are enabled to
administer to the every want of the
sloshyM Southerner. They have so far
outstripped us in skill and energy, they
have now the boldness to make our own
negro garments, and send them to us !!
They even make our axe handles, and
if we do not arouse ourselves, and make
use of the means that God and nature
has laid out before us, we will have our
houses made by them. Have we then
no means Of stopping this system of mi
grating, and of recalling the hundreds
and thousands of dollars that have been
sent out Of the State, in quest of more
lucrative investments we answer yes.
And the means proposed, is quick and