Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-12-06
ERNoR' AGE.
Gentlemen Of the SenGic

and House Of Representatives.:
Under the uniform action of our system of
government, without strife or confusion, new
members TO The General Assembly have been
chosen, 10 represent the latest views Ut the peO-
ple of this Commonwealth, and otherwise to
provide for their happiness and welfare. Al
though this event is Of rcgnlar recurrence, ii is.
nevertheless one full of ialrrcst both to You aud
your constituents.
In 4 country like ls. so rapidly growing. and
developing each day new events and ircs! re-
sources, the Legislative mind uiar well he alIN!uu>.
lest, hy The omission ui soii;r act-ihc neglect
of some dulv-lhe progressive strides Of The
: State towards wealth. and power may, for =
space, be retarded. A strong inclination I"
progress is i characteristic OF The race which
you in part represent, and is, perhaps, the secret
ofAunlo- American success and aSceudancy. Its
spirit prevails over the continent, and is cunin-
uaiIy hurying us into new positions Of theory
and of governucnt. 1t prrr:drs, to Il greater
. or less extent, every Stale in the American
Union, and is Incorporated into lis laws, religion,
industry, and politics Bat, on The other hand.
all well-rcgulalcd understandings will regard,
with something like anxiety, thai restless desire
for change in fundamental pr;uciples OF guvera-
MELT. and strong inclination 10 specific irgiela-
lion, as encouraging, 10 al undue extent, the
Tendencies of popular Institutions to run into
extremes of opinion and action, the cnd pf which
is License without liberty, and law without The
assurance Of order.
Whilst the State for which you lcgislate can
scarcely be said to have kept pace with others
in this rapid march of Improvement. it maybe
claimed for it that it has more surely attained
those qualities of government which are mos!
likely 10 insure The greatest amount ct real hap
prcsS to the citizen. maintained higher degree
Of social order, preserved m"rr even baancr
ot power among the cu-ordlnaie branchcs OF
government, ana been less controlled by cnpdI
" and ambitiUn-ihUsc certain tUrrrnnnerS OF
national degeneracy. We'll, then. may you take
pride in your State. The feeling is always add
ns>ible, but especially so when you ike under
Constitution and laws conceived in justice and
administered with purity; under Il Legislature
independent, in iis views, and capable and rapid
in the discharge of its functions under EXccu-
lives content with their limited prcrngiivcs: |:
under = religion without the heeruioXrS Of
Z these present DAYS; and under Il sound, just
aud himI.loned public sentiment. ] cannot
therefore, recommend to you, gentlemen, too
strongly to watch over, with suciiude, this
noble political organization, and to preserve it
To weaken. and eventually to destroy, the happy
equilibrium which exists; aud fcrvcnily hope
thai. far down in tile vista of time, whcn ii:
memorials of Us are lost except those which may
remain among its archives, q gracious PrOvi !cncc
WI lprescrve this Safe Government. in all iy>
usefulness and beauty; TO remote post.rity.
fresh and glorious in lis immortal youth.
The year, which Is now nearly past, has been
one of great calamity throughout the world.
War and pcSlence, disasters on the occarr,
commercial anyieiirs and distress, with gales
. and drought materially shortening the grain and
other crops, are some of the melancholy incl
dents which have marked it. Nor have the pco-
pie Of this State escaped the common mlStur-
tunes. The metropolis, and some Of the lesser
towns and portions of the country, have been
visited by a fatal fever, and other diseases al.
most rs destructive to life, which for Il time have
arrested all business, destroyed u number Of
valuable lives. and invested their communities
with profound gloom. But few families are
without some sorrowfu event to call to their
recollection the past summer rs period "i
severe trial and mourning Sill we have abun.
Lant cause for gratitude 10 God, for arrts;ing
,le rarages of disease, and for restoring both
The city end country 10 their usual health.
The aggregate income tf the State from agri,
cultural sources for the present velr is likely 10
s be materially diminished. The yield Of sli"r;
cotton to the planters, notwithstanding 4 most
favorable season for gathering and preparing
q ~ for market, will scarcely be equal 10 the crop
nf last year, whilst the long cotton and rice on
the scaboard have been very much injured gr;l-
orally, and in some Instances entirely DESTROYED
by The cquinoctial stormS These numc; uus
circumstances, taken in connection with the
stilngency !a the money market, aud the couSc-
4ucnt check given 10 couiiirrce and trade. in.
duce strong necessity for economy both in
disbursement of money from the Treasury and
in private expenditures. Fortunately owing to
the previous comparative freedom from debt in
the State, The losses both in business and agr.
culture will only work Il temporary injury, which
ordinary prudence cannot fail s""n TO remedy
For an abstract Of the condition of the !inan.
= ces Of thc'Salte beg to refer you TO MY last
: Annual Message
= 'Fhe neit profits of the Bank of the State fpI
the present fiscal year amount 10 the SUN ot
lWo hundred and ninety-tiye thousand dollars
(S293.UoO) against three hundred ana thirty
thousand dollars, CS330,0OO) the nett profits
OF 1853, thus showing dim;nuiion in iAe in.
come OF Inc State from that source TO the extent
OF t4rty-iive thousand dollars, (S35,o00)
'r II was 10 have been anticipated that the prof
its Of The Bank for the present year would fail
short of that of the year previous. The great
striugancy in the money market, which has px.
tended over the whole country, necessarily cur.
tailed its operations. herewith have tile hon.