The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-02-14

we can sell it for the most, and buy tho
cheapest. Free trade was the motto of ou,
revolutionary ancestors. Free trade and
sailors right was the cause of the war o
1872, and free trade was the motto of ou,
State in her struggle against the General
Government in 1882, and free trade is the
motto of the people of the Savannah Val
ley. Not that VIC love our State less
but we love interest more" In loving our
interest we promote the prosperity of ou,
State.
But, says the opposition, by this Road
| you divert trade out of our State into Geor-
g'a. This assertion l deny fatly, and I
think can show to any unprejuliced mind
that VIC gain for the Stale treble what she
will lose, and we effect for the South Car.
olina Railroad what neither money nor in-
flucnce could accomplish, to wit: a connec-
ton between the South Carolina Railroad
and Georgia Road by common track and
| depot. Let lis see what the amended char
ter says: "'This act shall be of no effect,
until a direct communication by steam or
other locomotive power and common
track and depot between the Georgia Rail
road and South Carolina Railroad Lc estab-
lIshed or secured" Can we have ANYTHING
plainer than this! We have to secure to
the South Carolina Railroad connection
10y steam with the Georgia Railroad, or our
amended charter falls to the ground. II
We can secure this connection, it will he
more than money or influence could do be-
fore. The people Of Augusta have been
Jealous Of the rival interest Of Charleston.
and have always refused a Connection
The South Carolina Railroad has paid
100000 to the city Of Augusta for the
privilege of crossing the River and making
depot on the banks of the River. But
by our amended charter we secure that
which men and money can never accom-
p'isl. If We can do this by carrying the
Savannah Valley Road through Augusta,
we ought to deserve the thanks of the peo-
pie of this State and particularly that of
Charleston, and the South Carolina Rail-
road. But this connection is not all the ad
vantages VIC gain. The city of Charleston
will bc put Oh an equal footing with the
city of Savannah, in competing for the
Western trade over the Georgia Railroads.
There will he no orcakage of bulk at Au.
gusa, and when there is great want of
freight cars, the South Carolina Road can
despatch any quantity to Chattanooga and
bring the produce to Charleston. Charles
ton need not have any fears about competi.
ton with Savannah or any other seaport
town South of the Chcsapeak. From her
natural position, she is obliged to he the
seaport town on the Atlantic for this Wes-
tern trade. Nature has given her that po.
s'tlon, and with the advantages. that will
be conferred on her through, the Savannah
Valley Road and other railroads that are
now extending through, the mountains, she
necl fear no rivals. But instead of diver.
ting trade from this State into Georgia. the
contrary can he shown to be true. If Au-
gusta should in the first instance receive the
produce of the Savannah Valley, it will f.
nally find its way 10 Charleston, and her
receiving it is nothing more than what she
has been doing for the last fifty years.
Therefore, on that score, there can be no
objections. But maintain that our road
will divert the trade from the Tennessee
Valley tha. is now going over the Central
Road to Savannah, to the Charleston mar
ket. and for this obvious reason, that by the
Blue Ridge and Savannah Valley Roads
they can reach the Atlantic one hundred
miles nearer, than by going over the Cen
trail Road to Savannah, or some sixty miles
nearer than by going by way of Augusta :;
and to confirm what I have said that we
will gain trade instead of loosing it, will
mention few facts. Within the last
month thirty-three thousand bales of cotton
came down the Georgia Road to Augusta i.
out of that number twenty-three thousand
went to Charleston. That there was ship.
ped last year down the Georgia Road one
hundred and fifty thousand bales to Angus
ia, and one hundred and ten thousand went
to Charleston. These are facts that can be
relied on, and what then becomes of this
jealousy, and dead of Georgiaa 1t is a
shadow without foundation.
From the peculiar position of our State,
being surrounded on the North, West and
South, by State. that are anxious to gain
this great trade of the West, we must and
ought to extend to our sister States that
good comfy which we expect to receive
from them. If we expect to get this trade
from the great West we must necessarily
bring it through. other States which are as
anxious to secure this trade as we are. If
we expect for them to be liberal to us, we