The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-03-23

liSntcd WIFI MN, anu particularly one South
Carolinian, who declares he is the greatest
man your State has produced since CAL
noUS. I am not far from agreeing with
him. Tie is still young, is already com
manding man in Texas, and his star is in
the ascendant.
Since his return to Texas, he said in a
speech that the Charter of the Company
was forfeited, and the Company dissolved
lie advised the formation of a new Compa-
ny. This is the history of the affair, rs
understand it.
The road is to run a thousand miles, Sd
of the whole distance through Texas. The
last Legislature of Texas granted the Com
pany $4,000 acres of land for every mile of
road. 1t is to run through very fertile
soil, and the land will easily sell for SIS per
acre, as soon as the road is built This will
give 100000 per mile, and would build the
road and leavca large surplus, besides the
road, as clear gain to the stockholders.
Thus it looms up as gigantic speculation,
Which would make millions for the spec
ulators. have no doubt but that it would.
But the pressure in money, and the want
OF confidence in the scheme has killed it
Oft. 1t was condition Of the charter that
the Company should deposit before Ist No
vcmher, 1854, 100000 as an earnest of
their sincerity. They made the deposit in
the bonds Of an Iron Manufacturing Com
pany in New Jersey. The constitution of
Texas disallows the State to hold the bonds
of any corporation" and in consequence
the Governor declared the deposit not made,
and the charter forfeited. But there arc
vast difficulties attending the project. The
road will run through IN uninhabitcd re,
glon. The laborcrs must be imported there
and they must be white or black. White
laborcrs will not work well under a South,
crn sun, and they would be frequently mn,
king strikes for higher wages. And nothing
is more certain than that they would open
gold diggings in building the road, and thc,
OF course white lahorers would quit instant
CT. This is one horn of the dilemma. Th,
other is slave labor. One hundred thousand
! lahorcrs Is the smallest number that could
do the work. They must be bought. A,
| 81 900 IL head they would cost one hun.
drcd millions of dollars. This must be
raised merely to start on. Then the expense
OF transporting, cquipping, and feeding
them i'll wild region, paying thousands OF
employees, engineers, overseers, medical
stuff, DC, &c, would require the resources Of
the RorHscHILDs. 1t is an undertaking for
which the East India Company might
well shrink. All this must be paid out in
, actual cash, and not cent could be real
lied from the land or the road in five or ten
years. This view Of tho case, and it can
not be controvercd, sllcws the stupcndous
obstacles to the accomplishment of the prof
Get. Mr.. KING i'll his address ignored this
part of the subject.
Yesterday WAS, | believe, the l25th ami
vesary of the birthday Of WAsnISGroN.
II was celebrated by the military companies,
10y cannonading, parade, and a military
''l. a rather curious incident followed
tn" cannonadiug which is perhaps wortl,
the mention. A horse attached to the can.
non was seized with lockjaw, and died, after
several hours Of painful struggle. We have
two fine military companies, the Blues and
the Rifles. The former was recently COIN
manded by Captain, now General, CLASroN,
who WAS 4 member of the Palmetto Regi-
incnt. The Rifles are still commanded by
Captain TnoRS, an officer in Mexico. lie
fell in love with Mexican girl, married her,
and brought her home with him.
Gen. QrIrMAS arrived here last night on
his way to Washington. Col. WATSON,
one of his staff in Mexico, waited upon him,
and took him to the military ball. Gen.
CLANToN introduced him to gctleman, as
Gov. QU11MAs. He objected to the title,
and said, he preferred to be called Gen.
QurMAN. He is prouder of his military
than his civic honow. He turned up on
us here very unexpectedly, as Gen. Con-
CHA is daily expecting him in Cuba.
If he goes to Cuba, you will hear of some
desperate fighting No man can fight any
harder, or longer, or faster, or fercer, than
hin, fo,,It x,,,. L...I.. iI.