The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-04-14
ABBEVIILE c. H, S. c., APRIL H. l847

breath that fairies and demons peopled tina
country, and he listened with the most child
like credulity, and wondement. Neither i.
this prejudice, cannot say ignorance, con
fined to the mere fashionable and unthinEx
ing class, it pervades the minds of some o
the best business men in Columbia,-men
who have been conversant with the results
and effects of rail roads for years. The
scene however, is already beginning to shift
truth must triumph, as sure as murder will
out it is to be lamcnted, nevertheless, that
its " fails in its first overturcs,-in its
appe our reason-good sense, virtue
and .Alnanity. 1t is not until it touches
our interest-our pockets-that a shaking
among the dry bones becomes perccptible.
This was the case with the people of Co.
lumbia; as soon as they saw that the back
aooodsmen were about to accomplish their
enterprise, without their money or their
smiles, and above all without consulting
their interest, and would quickly thunder by,
leaving them far to the left, en- passant, to
Charleston. They began to reflect, or in
other words, to count the cotton bags, about
ten thousand of which, they had already
lost, by the trifling mistake. perpetrated in
not complying with the proposition made
from Camden to aid them in a comparative
ly Insignificant project. A meeting was
called, in which a committee of twenty-one
was appointed to consider the matter and re-
port at subsequent meeting, that took
place yesterday evening. Capt. 1. BLACK,
chairman of the committee. introduced the
resolutions they had drafted, with speech
of considerable length; to some of the
views of which, as an advocate of free trade,
| could not subs cribc. 1t proved, however,
that the truth of the matter was rapidly
dawning: the best motto of this speech
was: "Necessitas non habit legem. Not
that the subject, as intimately connected
with the great doctrine of free trade, COM
manded the attention, and support of an in
telligent, free people; but that the people of
the up country had set their hearts and hands
to this rail road, and would have it. He
knew their enterprise and intelligence too
well, to believe for moment, that they
would falter now in the work, although they
should stand alone. The question was no
longer as to the policy of rail roads in gen.
Iof1 I I
be accomplished or not, but whether it was to
touch at Columbia, or pass on around her in
noisy contempt; for the road will be con-
structcd, and they had no alternative but to
Join the enterprise, or to stand aloof and
abide the consequences. Capt. Black, was
followed by Mr.. CARROLL, Editor of the
South C0rotimiaa, in most sensible and
enlightened address. He considered it in
all its important connections with social life
religion, virtue, and the intercourse of
trade,--showed them that their contracted
views had been entertained in the beginning
of all similar enterprises, and had vanished
before the the test of experiment as the ear
ly dew before the sun-dcmonstratedt the ex:
pediency of the road, and dissipated the
miserable fallacy, that only the termini of
rail roads are benefited by anticipa-
ted the vast advantages it would give Colum-
bia, until piles of cotton bags and goods
rose mountain highin the unfettered imagina.
tions of the burghers,-they chuckled-
rubbed their hands with delight, and voted
unanimously for the resolutions, enlisting in
the great army of free trade.
Yours respectfully, III.
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