Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-01-25
THE VIEWS OF
JOSEPH MEV, ESQ.,
SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY RAIL ROAD.
OK THE PRAcTIcADuLTy AND THE rrGLIc.
PRIVATE BENEFITS OF THE

SAVANNAH RlVER Vhllct nnll NVhp'
Me. EpTroR ~ am the devoted friend, as
well as the umGnching advocated of wc!i-reg-
uIated press; aud | rejoice III the Edit"ra! pro-
fcssion, feeling some degree Of pride, that my
self, once belonged 10 the Editorial corps |
must admit, though. with dccpn'or,iliGat that
it appears well for NE, that my good genius, or
nv pursuits in another profession. have hitherto
restrained ME from speaking much before lie
public OF the little. have hHd The misfortune
70 utter, scarcely 4 single notion has been cor
rcrtv and faithfully transferred TO the columns
of a Newspaper or public Gazette. Seldom.
indeed, do i enjoy the felicity of reading the re-
mort of meeting, how unimporant soevcr, In
which bore an humble part, or of an unprc-
tending speech attempted to make, in which |
do not find asrribed TO me-. language ard opin-
ions. that suffuse my checks with shame. My
greatest and most earnest cyeriiuns for the bene-
ft of my race are damned with faint praise,
and my most Indifferent and nnambitionS efforts
are rendered dolby odious by being mlsunder-
stood, misprintpd and msquo;cd by the power
full medium, which should promulgate them to
the world, if with impartitlity, yet without
setting down aughtin malice. IL verify seems
tiniss, thrt some Of my fG1!o~-citizens
shave an especial aud peculiar facility in diStor-
ing. misin,erpretng or fou'y nl>rcpreseniing,
whatever views or sentiments ] cndeavOr TO
deliver to them on anv subject Of discussion.
whether of great moment. of little moment, or
of no interest at ALL Perhaps, lam too impa-
tient in my disposition and lack that furiindc of
spirit, which di<prls The melancholy forcbodlngS
of dstempered mind The fault, more likely,
is in the times We are a fast people. Every
man acts from impulse. No one takes second
thought. The present moment decides every
thing LIE. the best character in the land be
tradnccd, and no one calls for the proof of guilt,
but for the statement of il, that he may commit
it to memory, transcrhc it, or rcpea, it, and give
it swifler wing. Thus i: is with the Press, as
it is in society What Editor ever asks it most
damning impuiaiion against his political oppo-
nent come sustained by irretragaDIe testimony
The evidence is the last part of the charge he
desires to see This is criminal negligence
and it is corrupting and debasing to The whole
public Press of the country. That noble en-
CINE of civil liberty should be as reliable MS
Holy Writ, and its columns as sacred to truth
as the pages of the Gospel itself. But in many
places most unImppily for the interests aud en-
lightenment of the people the Press has been
suborncd bv powerful and INSCRIPTIONS dcma'
gonues and political par;izans, and in others
Inefficient, idle men have been employed to con-
troll il, until it has become proverbal, in many
narts, neither for wisdom truth, nor indepcn.
dence. An Editor should be an oracle of truth
and paragon of virtue, and his robe should be
as unstained as the surpice of Gods minister
officiating ut the holy altar On the purify o
the Press, on its watchfuncss, on its upright
ness depend the hopes of our Government, tho
civilization of mankind, and the freedom of all
nations.
Pardon me the DEPRESSION. MIR. EDITOR. The
subject is of such vital interest, that my per
pursues it invountarily, and with the ardor OF a
first love. The immediate object Of my writing
is more of 4 personal character
MY attention was directed, only 4 day or i've
ago, to various passages, communicated and edt
torial, in different papers, and Of frequent allu
sions in conversation, which had always, unit
very recently, innocenty supposed, were aimee
at Others touching some Speeches made, II
the Summer, OH The Savannah River Valley kai
Road, and particularly to a paragraph III one
the Editorial articles of the A5bcviIle Banncl
in which, to my utter as.oni>hmcni, am maG
to give expression to language that never oc
cured to my mind, and to principles, that ever
friend of mine would feel disappointed, if no
humiliatcd. to see proceed either from! my PEI
or from my tongue, in the most heated contro
uersy Such arguments were fit only for
schoul-bov, who was debating. whether love o
money had the most influence over mankind,
orawhethcr e pumpkin belonged TO the MAJ
in whose field the seed sprouted, or to hm
whose field the fruit grew"
A certain orator. among other things, Is rep
resented as advocating the Importance of eslat
:. 1ishing Rail Road alnng the Savannah River
and instead Of assuming positions tranghi wit
dignity and reason, he dvcrgrs from his theme
.descends to scurrility, quiLhng and nonsense
snakes false assertions and faIIacions rcprese'
tations. hazards light and random statements
and withal. .iscEargcd, Gus the greatest oilenc
of themalDwith bitter hostility and actual OF
position to the august Grcenyle and ColuH
bia Rail Road Company, and TO the interest
and reputation of that very respectable Ra
Road itself. And know find, that the matte
by no means, had mend with the very earnes
but.not unkind comments of the Abbcyille BGr
ner, to whiclI have just alluded, ina few words
i have seen and heard, (bcing now satisfied tn;
reference was had to ME aiouc,) the same sui
;ect, several times since, sharply adveried TO
other quarters, and the unohcnding "Orator {
the Dark Corner and Rocky Ponds" is, thu
made the innocent cause of Il very wordy an
unrelentng paper-warIare, between two riv
Rail Roads, which expect to compete with. or
another for carrying that abundance of trac
anticipated to flow into our State from the TIC