Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-06-29
For the Advertiser.
Blue Ridge Rail Road,

Blue Ridge Rail Road.
Mr.. EnlroR: You say that you propose, from
tiuie to time to give publication to your views
touching the Blue Ridge Rail Road, whereby you
are induced to advocate that great work. Allow:
me to suggest the propriety uf your going back,
and wherever you can obtain the opinion of the
great men Of tho day wherein the idea Of our
uniting ourselves by Railroad with the West was
first broached, publish them for the consideration
of the people. have given sample Of this in
my notice Of Mr.. CALHouNs interest in the work.i
and it has struck me that the opinion Of another
great man Of the South should be adduced;-ln
opinion which must carry weight with every re-
Elective mind, for. It stands upon foundation so
strkingy by indicative Of greatness that every ons
can perceive it at glance. alude to Gov. Troup;
Of Georgia. It must have struck all who have
considered the subject before us, that the powerful
State of Gcorgia entered with blind zeal upon her
career of publicimprovement; thatt have launch
ed three millions of dollars upon her first venture,
and to have followed this up with three millions
moro before she completed her portion Of tho on.
torprise, viz: the passage of tho Blue Ridge, bot
dered on madness;-but not so. Every step was
taken with the utmost discretion. Every great
mind undertook tho consideration of the subject,
and the combined solution was submitted to the
people. 1t is q false idea, Mr.. Editor, that the
Engineer is mechanical tool in the hands of q
President and Directors, for the construction Of
Railroad. In strict professional parlauoe he IN on
agent for developing tho resources Of q country.
He estimates trade, he estimates the cost Of con.
struction, and then he examines the disposablss
means of the community involed in the underts-
king. At least wo practiced that system in Geor-
gia at the time in question. That State had three
millions of money employed in Banking. 1t was
fund that the people cherished, and had intrust-
cd to the keeping Of ono Of tho most distinguished
mon that any age or country hos ever produced.
eyes were turned to this Washington in probity
and comprshensiveness Of view; and when it Is
remembered that for years he led the Democracy
as ono man, it can easily bo conceived the e1ulta-
tion with which the Engineer department found
him prepared to take the lead in the development
of Southern resources and of Western inter-cdh-
munication as On essential branch; and more, de-
termnsd to advocate with the people the applica-.
ton of their "pet Bank" money to the great pur-
pose. It was the arm Of Hercules applied to
the enterprise. For years had the leading Wings
been engaged in inofectual attacks upon the Gen.
tral Bank. They regarded 1t as the demoraliEsr
of the people, and US centralizing power at the
seat of Government. With DR.. FORT committed
on the subject, we commanded the Wing leaders;
the threo million in hand could be reached. But
we did not stop here The Sssboard Of Georgia
was asleep. Savannah, with all her interests
aroused, Brunswick with all her mud speculation,
could not excite tho seaboard, I hud almost said
the Parishes.) What should VIC do? There was
one means left US, and Q sure one. Governor
Troup, although settled in the ccnter of the Sate,
was seaboard man, and while the whole Of
Georgia exulted in him, the sesboard worshiped
him. It was his chief enjoyment in his retire.
ment to spend weeks and months With his kinfolk
on their magnificent Estates upon the Atlantic.
Could We but get Gov. TRoUp to express IN opinion
upon tho REORGANIZATION of the Atlantic
with the Mississippi, the Engineer couMie
on to lay ont his work; A favorable opPortanlst
presented itself. Surrounded by some half dozen
leading spirits ut tho hospitable board Of friend,
within biscuit throw Of the waters Of Goods
roaring Ocean," the question was suggested Of
"iutemarrying them" with the great finland Sea"
With ell those personally acquainted With "the
champion of States Rights" it will he easily i'm
agincd that this transcenduntalsm effected little
in itself; but the great minds that were united
with these expressions; tho interests which these
minds had taken in the subject before him, ut once
aroused the attention Of the sleeping giant Seiz.
lug the map which was near him, he passed his
hand rapidly over the diStunce to be overcome by
the operation, and exclaiming, I" you say, MIR. En-
gineer that il is shorter by tgohandrcd miles than
the distance from the North Atlantic to the same
point, from New York for example? II this be
the case Sir, this one element i'll the calculation
settles my mind-two hundred miles nearer to
the Mississippi Valley! if Railroads are to do my
thing, two hundred miles, at many cents per
ton per mile must settle the question in our ia
vour." It was enough. Gov. TRoUr had spoken;
the scabunrd had heard him, nn,l ala prepared
to say that not single vote ir"m that section Of
the State ever impc,lcd the prosecution of the
1" Western and Atlantic Ruilruad." 1t is needless
to point out to your readers the parity Of opera
tions performed iu eScarnting the Blue Ridge at
the At"una pass nnI the same Ridge 1T that OF the
Rnbuu (iap. To recur to Mr.. Calhouu's idea, tn
one is the frnnsrerse section, the other the dngo-
nni-the one intersects the Mississippi ut right
angles, the other ut nm angle Of forty five degrees;
the ono sweeps the clothing growing South West,
the other the meat und grain growing North East.
The two works are essential to euch after. 1t
forms the system upon which We arc to rely for
vur intercourse with the West. Georgia took
upon herself the opening uT the one, Carolina
that Of the other. My paper shows how the one
State conducted her operation, and only submit
It rs proper method TO be used by tho other.
Respectfully, Your ohcdient scr'vt.
A. II. BRISBANE.
For the Advertiser.
a.