Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-08-29
The D,Rarenoe.

To be State Rights Democrat is to be
an advocate Of tho Union, as long rs the
South is safe within it, aud to hold in re-
serve secession, as the remedy, when State
sovereignty and the Constitution are made
quatc to the maintenance Of Southern in
forests and the defence of Southern honor.
10 be Dsunion Democrat is to deny the
efficacy Of the Confedcracy, to abandon all
hope peace and desire for fraternal friend
ship with the North, and TO contend that
a separation of the slave and anti.slavc
States is TO be wished and worked forearm
esiIy and industrously by The people of the
South. The one only asks that the Gov
ernment shall be administered impartially,
rs 1t was originated and designed for the
benefit of all parts aud portions, of each
State and section Of our common country
demonstrating against every indication of
aggression upon the States, but unwilling
to cry out for disunion on account Of evory
imaginary grievance. The other looks with
40 eye of prejudice upon each act of the
Federal Government, regards with distrust
the protcstallons, aye, manly acts of our
allies and friends at tho North, and is ever
arguing, or rather rauting, to prove that
the South is sacrificing herself for the sake
of The Union, that the Constitution is alto
gether annulIed, and that there is no secur-
ity for slavery except in separation. The
State Rights Democrat is he who would
raise the war cry of Southern secession, in
such an event as tho election of a Black
Republican President, or the restoration of
the Missouri Compromise. but who sees as
yet nothing to justify disruption of the
confederacy, and hopes for tho perpetuity
ofthe Union, by an uuprejudiced and i'm.
partial enforcement Of the Constitution
The Disunion Democrat is he, who, reckless
OF consequences, and regardless of tho fact
that the government is still in tho hands of
able, honest and patriotic men, that aboli-
tionism has been beaten again 10 its efforts
to seize upon the reins Of power, and that
the South is still secure ia her rights, would
dissever the North and South tomorrow,
and find no regret in the thought that in
the burial ground of nations, the resting
place of this Union would be marked by n
broken column. The State Rights Demo.
cracy are unwilling to abandon the Union
yet. But while they hope to perpetuate
ii, should the rights of the South become
insecure in its keeping, they viii not hest
tate TO uufurl'a flag of independence with
only fifteen stars upon it.
Y THEFmsT LocoMorIvE.-The Charles
ton 1IcrcWry lives an interesting account
of the first locomotive built in this country
Itsays that the South Carolina Railroad
was the first one commenced in the United
States, to be worked by steam power, and
when finished and ready for use, which
was on the I'd of October, 1888, it was the
longest railroad in the world it being 1856
miles from Charleston to Hamburg. 1t was
the first railroad in the United States that
carried the mails, and The first locomotive
built in this country was constructed for
ana used on that road
This engine would be curiosity if plac-
cd alongside of one of Norris or Baldwin's
last improvements. 1t was named the
"Best Friend" and was built under the
direction of Mr. b.. IL. Miller, of Walter
boro, at the West Point foundry of Messrs
Kemblc, N. Y. The engine had no ten
der, but carried its own wood and water
The wheels were of wood, with spokcs like
a wagon, and the wheel armed with a
wrought iron tire. The engineer who run
the first locomotive that was used on this,
or any other road in the United States, was
N. * Darrell an apprentice brought up in
Dotterer's machine shop.
After a few, trips, the wooden wheels of
the "Bcst Friend" gave way, and were re-
placed by cast iron ones, the patterns. for
which was made, and the wheels cast, by
anothcr,of Dotterer's apprentice boys, j,
ID. Pctsch, then the foreman of that well
known establishments. These, it is bclicv-
ed, were the first cast iron wheels used on
railroads in this country. The "Bcst
Friend blew up after n brief career, and
from its wreck another engine was built by
by Mr., Pctsch, at the Company's work.
shop, qfwhich he was then in charge 1t
was called the Phoenix. Previously to-
this the crank axle had been used, but in.
the reconstruction of this enginc, Mr.. j..
D. Petsch introduced the strait axle with
outside connexions, and also wrought. iron
tires on the castiron driving wheols, Meth.
cr Of which, it is believed, had before been
tried in this country.
MoUNT YERNoN.-1zOne or more of the,
Masonic Lodges Of Richmond, have organ
lied a plan to purchase ltSount WernonA 1t
issto get tue subordinate lodges 20 eoutrib.
ute 81 per each member, The price asked
for the. Mount Vernon estate, is $500 900;
and tho Masonic statistics show that the.
order numbers three hundred thousand so
that if all the lodges in the Union 2ccede to
the pyopositiop and the probabilityis that
they willthe PURCHASE of Mount Vernon
may be looked upon as fixed fact The
suggestion, as given out, does not stop here
Whom the land spossessed by the Mosons,