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

ought and must terminate. Georgia and
South Carolina are one people in religion
and patriotism We have one common
destiny! Our fate is inseparably linked
together, and why then, in the name of
that good feeling which ought to exist be-
tween sister States, do we keep up those
petty Jealousies 2 Rather let us be mag
unanimous to our sisters. Let lis show to
the people of Georgia we arc advocates for
free trade and arc in favor of that comfy
which ought to exist between sister States.
By giving this connection with the Blue
Ridge road in Augusta, we prevent the
tapping Of that road by the building of a
road from Athens to Clayton. There is a
bill now lending before the Georgia lcgs-
lature, 10 incorporate road from Athens
to Clayton but am assured from high
authority. that if we give this connection
III Augusta, the people of Georgia will be
satisfied, and the project of tapping the
road at Clayton will fall to the ground.
The last objection, Mr.. President, to the
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amended charter comes from the people of
Hamburg. 1 admit that the voice of the
people of Hamburg should be heard and
respected on this floor, and permit me to
say. sir, that the people of that town have
no better friend nowhere than myself. My
earliest trading associations are connected
with them, and take pleasure in saving
that believe that Hamburg is one of the
best cotton and grocery markets in the
Southern States. 1t has been the market
for the people Of my district for the last
quarter of century, until here recently
The building of this road will in a great
measure restore much of that lost trade
from this District. Hamburg is entitled
to great credit for starting the road, AMI
from the organization Of the Savannah
Valley Railroad company down to the
meeting at Doru's, have been anxious for
the road to have been built from that town.
The people of my District in all the railroad
meetings have been the friends of IIam-
burg. We rejected tie first propositions
OF Augusta, when she wanted to become a
stockholder, because Hamburg was opposed
to it. Hamburg said she would raise
100000 herself for the road, rather than
let Augusta come in. We believed in
Hamburg, and have clung to her until we
found we were putting in imminent peril
our own interests. This matter of leaving
Hamburg has been considered time and
again. We have held convention after
convention to devise ways and means to
build the road from Hamburg. In all
these meetings Hamburg has been the
starting point fer the road; but we never
could get her to redeem her word about the
all she was to give. Her subscription
never exceeded $50, 1000; but she wanted
the people Of E'lgefeId, Abbeville and An
lerson, along the valley to build the road.
They subscribed their thousands and tens
of thousands but with all their zeal they
could not raise sufficient amount to carry
the road to Hamburg. The question then
presented itself to the people who had en-
barked in this enterprise: shall we abandon
the road or seek material aid from other
quarters than Hamburga The fact stared
our people in the face, that Hamburg could
not or aoould not do anything more. What
was to be done9 Augusta, whose PROPOSE
tions had been rejected time after time,
made to the company certain propositions,
which if acceded to on the part of this
Legislature, will be the means of building
the road to Anderson Court House. These
propositions, l am informed, are that she is
willing to subscribe to the capital stock of
the company s5oO,oOo, and grade the
road to Bull Sluice; and in addition to
this, to secure connection by common
track and depot between the South Caro-
lima and Georgia Railroads. All Augusta
asks in return for these privileges, is that
this Legislature so amend our charter as to
allow the company to cross the river at
Bull Sluce and make the connection with
the South Carolina Railroad in Augusta
A large majority of the stockholders in
convention at Anderson, have determined
to accept the proposals Of Augusta, pro-
vided this Legislature is willing for the peo-
pie Of the Savannah valley to carry their
road to Augusta. For this privilege we
are willing to rclinquish the State aid and
the Hamburg subscription.
The question then presents itself to this
honorable body: are you willing to grant
to the people of other sections of this
State facilities for getting their produce to
market, and deny this right and privilege
to the people of the Savannah valley p
We claim to be part of South Carolina {;
but from our isolated position on the valley
Of the Savannah river, we have been cut
off from all connections with the railroads