The North-Carolinian., 1855-03-03
it for a third less than is asked for the other


of this liue Of road, you invite that rich and
very desirable trade which is now locked within
the mountains of the west to three markets in
stead of one-Fayetteville, Wilmington and
Beaufort. You deposit coal in three places in
stead of one, and satisfy section of country
and class of people whose wants are paramount
to those Of any other portion of the State. You
furnish relief to those towns which are aud ever
have been destined to be your commercial de-
pots, whose past histories point to their present
greatness and show with what forttude they
have wlthstood the encroachments of time and
the throes of pecuniary deprivations Fayette-
vile, l presume, WHOLESALERS more than every
other town in North Carolina. Besides, sir, it
is the most extensive manufacturing town III
the State. We have a Lowell in North Caro-
lina shut up as it were in Cimmerian Darkness
of whose operations we are ignorant for want
of means to communicate with each other. Fay
ctteville, paradoXical as it may seem, is dali
ly spinning and weaving for Northern markets;
and all we ask for now is to give us an outlet
to the west so we may be able to spin and
weave for North Carolina. We ask our worthy
and enterprising friends of the west to shake
hands with us, to sacrifice upon the altar of
concord our chickering's and heart-burnings and
make grand rally for the internal condi-
tion of the State. We have in Fayetteville
and vicinity cotton factories, paper
factory, an iron foundry, and the largest car
riage manufacturing establishment in the South,
in all of which is invested amount of capital
little short of $780, 900. The cotton factories
alone consume about five thousand bales annl-
ally at cost of sl5O,000 We ship about
5000 bales Of cotton and about 5000 bales of
cotton fabrics, at cost of about 5000, 900 per
annum. We have in the county of CumLer-
land 104 mills which will yield an average
of $50 feet per day, making annual yield of
tuentyJfour mtali"n three hundred and Mirfysir
thousand feet, which at ordinary rates is worth
$243,36O Besides, we have 6:s turpeutine dis
tilleries, which bring in the county about $780,,
600 per annum, and nearly equal amount
is afforded by extensive operations in ton tim
bcr slaves and other naval stores. The freights
on the Cape Fear river were in 1922, $26, $50,
in 1850, 500, ,65O,S4. With this immensity of
capital invested, our banking facilities, instead
of being one million and fifty thousand dollars,
which they were twenty-five years ago, are now
only eight hundred and thirty thousand. And
were it not for the occasional aid, which our
sister town Wilmington affords us, onr opera
tous would measurably cease for want of bank
ing accommodations This matter of statistics
which l have here set forth, is made without
reference to the valuation of our land, town
slave population, agricultural pro-
ducts bank stocks, or mercantile capital neces
sary to carry the trade OF the place.
This, Mr. Speaker, is the section of country
which implores YOU to consider her claims and
relieve her necessities. Turn to your record,
sir, and you will find that the representatives
of this people have never refused to sustain
rtfruragant schemes of internal improvement for
other parts of the State; but on the other hand
have advocated them with zeal and manliness
which hope may ever characterize them. They
have, i'll fact, circumscribed themselves, and
that too by their own lbcrality, that if it were
not for individual enterprise in constructing
plank roads the town of Fayetteville would al
most be inaccessible The city Of Raleigh, Hills
boro', Grecnsborough, Lexington, Salisbury,
and Charlotte, towns which never become
great commercial marts have received their
millions from the public treasury; but Fayette-
Vile, with all its advantages interior
market has never been able to obtain but
$l2O, 900, which is invested in her plank road
extending to Salem, the best paying stock in
the State, all of the benefits of which will soon
be lost forever by the intersection of the North
Carolina Railroad. Where now, ! would ask,
shall we look for relief? If we look for the
rich trade of the Northwestern Counties, which
formerly flooded our streets, we find that it is
diverted to some Virginia market If we look
to the eastern counties--Sampson, Duplin aud
Wayne-that too is gone to Wilmington or
some other market. And soon, yes, too soon,
l am sorry to say, that valuable trade, which
we now get from Robson, Richmond and Bia-
den-that, and that alone, l may say, which
liIC anu 'ildhty Ill ouI quasi
sickly existcncc-will be intercepted and carried
from by the Wilmington and Charlotte
This road, though eminenty State
and calculated to benefit
class of Counties long denied the advantages of
internal improvements, will nevertheless infict
an injury upon Fayetteville and its interests,
which time cannot repair unless you give
outlet to the west
The Cape Fear and Deep River Improvements
is also work ofno small Importance, and in
which the State is already deeply involved, and
should doubtless give additional aid in order to
complete it. But, Sir, that work has damaged
the citizens of Cumberland more, | imagine,
than it will be possible for it to repay. Per
sons, who have not formerly had the advantages
of the river will not be able to realise it, but
their timber and other naval stores to Whining
ton, can readily appreciate the idea / wish to
convey. Ever since the commencement of that
work so great have been the obstacles to trans
portation from its unfinished condition, that
few have been able to avail themselves of their
former privileges. Neither this improve
ment be of any advantage to Fayetteville, mas
much as the naval stores which it would afford
must necessarily find their outlet at Wilmington
it would be inexpedient to stop them in
transitu, in order to reshp at Fayetteville So,
sir, when gentlemen set this work down to our
account and point to it as something they have
done for our section of country, wish to re-
bnke them-to tell them that they have done
this for Wilmington, for Moore aud Chatham
Counties, for North Carolama Even the trade