Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-08-27

The seleetion nf Col. CALHOUN to preside
was especially gratifying. and altogether APP
rropinte. The noble Father had devoted
bis time and energies to the great enterprise,
in it's inception, aud now the gallant son
stood there to urge it forward, bid welcome
to our guests, and counsel with his fellow
citizens. After order had been restored,
Col. CALHOUN said
Fellow Citizens: 1t is incumbent upon me
rs presiding officer, to state the objects of this
meeting. Before proceeding briefly to do so.
| cannot refrain from saying feel it an cs-
rccinl honor to bc called upon to preside over
this large assembly, embracing so much in
tclligcnce from abroad. aud cmbodying the
unanimous public opinion Of the people of
this district. The people of PckcnS District
are proud of the cognOmcn of the mountain
district. feel and take deep interest in the
progress and completion of the Blue Ridge
Railroad. Within their precincts, and almost
! at the threshold 0t the enterprise, II difficulty
presented itself, deemed 10y some almost in
| surmountublc, upon the spot now occupied
| How it has vanished before the skill indum-
table energy and perseverance of those who
head this enterprise, we wish to give occular
demonstration. AS this difficulty has been
| conquered, so all the rest will yield relative
ly, with less labor and expense. The means
to do so must rest with the Legislature of
South Carolina Should the friendly hand
of aid and assistance be withdrawn, then this
great enterprise. the only prudent and prac-
ticabc one to connect South Carolina with
the West. must fail Should such be the de-
termination, much Of the future greatness
and glory of South Carolina will depart from
her forever. do not wish to anticipate the
orator you have selected for this occasion.
In will IL, ,,l, ,,,c, IL,
road with dcmOnStrative precision
Permit me to say that II grca. aud magnih-
cent valley lies to the Wcst, from the banks
of the wonderful river that sweeps through
it, and its vast tributaries and alluval plains
stretch from the Gulf of Mexico tn the lakes,
in one direction, and to the base of the Rocky
Mountains, in the other Within sight, II
few miles from where wo arc now standing,
the dividing ridge between the waters that
i.apw into this valley, ON the one side, and to
the Atlantic, on the uthcr, is separated by
only few feet But this mountain barrier,
before invention had devised II way, scpara.
ted the industrial slope Of tile Atlantic from
all the region drained by the waters of the
Mississippi. The railroad has broken down
this barrier, and now the products that float
to New Orleans are DETECTED from Mobile to
Boston; and wherever the valley of the Missis.
sippi can be tapped, every State but ourselves
isrenching for the trade Even New Orleans,
not contcnted or satisfied with the inland sea,
stretching back thousands of miles and cov-
cred with steamers, bringing to her lcvecs
the most gigantic trade upon tic continent,
is running II road almost parallel with the
| river, to compete more successfully by rail
road than by water. Alabama is building
her road from Mublo to the mouth of the
Ohio, and from thence the Cairo and Chicago
Road connects her with the lakes She is
also stretching her Selma and Tennessee
Road into the region of competition and
wealth--Gcorga from Savannah and Nash
viiic, and Memphis hus already reached the
coveted valley.
! North Carliua is ready to pierce it, and
would not inject to the French Broad Roud
helping her on. Virginia. by her system of
roads, is already connected with Knoxville.
MARYLAND has long sine, had her Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, that has made Baltimore
her great commercial emporium. the third
in population in the Union. Here then VIC
have every State, except South Carolina,
connected. or about to bc so, by thcir own
system of roads, leading to their own sea-
! ports, and the change already elected is
marvellous. South Carolina alone s cut of,
except the trade she can divert from passing
between Atlanta AMI Savannah, and even
then II broken link at Augusta, and navi-
gable river and railroad, leading from that
point to Savannah. and not only so, but she
is mt all times ut the mercy of Georgia who
can discriminate many ways, directly or in
| directly, in favor of her own seaport Is
South Carolina satisfied to remain inactive
| in the great race of competition to reach the
wealth of the richest valley upon earth,
| whose products now nre nre but trhing in
comparison to whatthcy will be when, instead
ot ten millions she will have two hundred
millions of population
| South CAROLINA has now soon to make
solemn decision, on that j firmly bcIeve
will make her prosperous to n degree. or
one that will leave her far in the rear of
her sister States in the elements of pros
perty.
In behalf, then. of her cherished State,
and the Blue Ridge Railroad coupled in des-
| tiny. we meet here to-day. We wish to show
| you what has been done, with the restricted
means and much to contend against. in con
sequence Of the refusal of the last I.cgsla-
ture to make further appropriation. we
stand, in the hope that the living current of
trade, abundance and prosperity will guSh
forth and fall down upon our State. We
! commemorate by this immense work the
! f0rethought and energy of onr people. IL is
no vain or egotistical display, like that pro-
posed to Alexander the Grca by the arch-
tect, to cut Mount Athos, in Thrace, into u
| human figure, to convert it into statue
that would hold ten thousand inhabitants in
one hand. and II river with strong current
! would flow from the other. But we go and
open the rock. to smooth the way that dis
tant interior products should glide in few
moments from the mountains to tho sea-
board. to build up commercial centre for