The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-09-11

l would sleep swceLly if you buried ME there
Beneath CarOlinas sky,
o carry ne home, y carry III, home,
y carry me home to die.
The Merchant-Senator Hunters Grafton.
Senator Hunter, in his mastery Grafton,
has the following fine passage on the in
t1uence which the merchant has cxcrted
OIL the civilization and moral progress Of the
race:
The occupation Of commerce, and that
corporation Of the "guild," as it has been
called, consisting Of those who arc engaged
in transferring from hand to hand the pro-
ductions of human labor and the accumu-
lated commodities which constitute capi-
tai, have had scaut justice done them in a
moral point. of view. The vast services
which the merchant has rendered to man
kind in relation to his material comforts
have been sufficiently acknowledged but
his agency in the civilization and moral
improvement Of his race has hardly been
properly considered. 1t was the merchant
who carried Joseph away from the murder
GUS hands Of his brothers, and established
him in Egypt, to become the stay and sup
port of his family, and to save his race
when it was threatened with extinction from
famine. 1t was the Phocnician merchant
who bore the germs of civilization aud the
gift of letters around the shores of the Med
itcrrancan it was llc who sowcd in the
sensitive and susceptible soul Of the Greek
that seed from which sprany under his lovely
sky. the flowers and the fruits that have
made his genius immortal, and constituted
the ideals which have been the cxcnplars
Tor all succeeding ages. lie pcnetratcs in
to every known region which is accessible
to the camel, the ship, or even the human
footstep, and may say, will, the ancient mar
iner, that he passes like "niyht from land to
land" to exchange not merely the products
Of the lands of different and distant peo-
pie, lut in some sort, the productions Of
their minds also, their modes of thought
and moral culture.
"If the wild hordcs which roam, each in
its respective circuit, over the plateau Of
Central Asia, know anything beyond the
narrow boundaries of their own horizon, it
is probably due TO the Hndoo, Hebrew, and
Armenian merchants, who scale its sleeps
to satisfy something more than the physical
necessities ofthose people. That the educa-
ted, intelli&en&. Anglo-Saxon| merchant,
whether ofthe senior or junior branches the
family, is prime agent i'll the work oflu-
man civilization, no one would he disposed to
deny. If the obligations Of the world TO
commerce have been SO great in past times,
what arc we to except from it with all its
increased powers for the future ? If IT,
periplus of uanno the Carthagcnian or that
Of Nearchus the Great were so important
in their days, what shall we say to the voy-
ages of public exploration, or even Of pri-
vate adventures, by which we now 30 Of
ten circle the globe itself? Iftbe CONNER
cial marine uf antiquity, which so slowly
and cautiously felt its way along the shores
Of the Mediterranean, did great good, what
are we TO except from those lines of ocean
steamers which find apath everywhere up
on the boundless deep, and reduce to days
and weeks the time OF circuits of human in
tercourse Which formerly would have been
either impossible or else require months and
years for their accomplishment Indeed
there are. note ofthe agencies of human
society which have increased more in favor
and efficiency than this.
Il believe it was Frederick the Great Of
Prussia, who said if he was King Of France
not gun should DO fired in Europe with
out his leave. The day seems to have now
come when the union of but few capital
lists would he sufficient to realize SO proud
boast for they hold in their hands the
sinews ofpeace an Of war, and it is almost hy
their leave that either is made. That the
commercial community over the world is
daily tending to unity of interest and
feeling is obvious enough, and. that this
must operate to bring men more and more
into one common brotherhood is also mani
fest. Yet If the prospect has this bright
side, there may be another and dark one
in the threatened dominion of the many
over the few, in regard to the local feelings
and rights, which deserve respect and pro-
lection.
ARTEsIAN WELL IN lLL1Nois.-The fol-
lowing very interesting statement relates to
lroquois county, Illinois, whens some thir-
ty Artesian wells are now in successful op-
Grafton
~The water is cool, aud like the high
land water of Pennsylvania, is considered
by a distinguished chemist in Chiago to be
very healtbyly. In one instacce, in. conse-
qaence Of imperfect tubing, q well owned
by Mr.. Harper was rendered ontirely use.
less. It discharged. with the watef a great
quantity ofsaud and stones, some OF tue
stanes about the size ofa hens egg. IL
could nat be remedied, and in few weeks
several tons Of sand, stones ,sad gravel
were yomited from the bottom Of this was
ter volcano. sTl,6 hfot,r,d xUaa not;ood 70