The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-03-31
SERENADE sPEECHEs---BLUE RIDGE RAIL.
pnan

A respectable number of our citizens. saws tho
Anderson Gazctte, assembled in front of tho
Benson House on Tuesday night of Court week,
for the purpose OF complimerting distinguished
gentlemen then in town, and stopping at that
Hotel, with a serenade. Maj. Is. +. PERRY was
first called out, and made Il very appropriate
| speech, i'll response to the compliment rendered
by the serenaders for hls efforts in the Legislature
| in behalf of the Blue Ridge Rail Road; after
which Gen. S. McGowAN was called out We
give the following report Of his remarks, copied
from the Gazette:
lie said that he felt very grateful for the uu.
| expected honor which they had conferred upon
him; he happened to be out of the house when
they had first called for hi m and had not henrd
the remarks OF his distinguished friend who pre-
ceded him but he understood that the conpli-
| ment had reference to the Blue Ridge Railroad.
| III which they, i'll common with large portion
OF the people Of the State, felt so deep al in.
| terest. In reference to this enterprise, he was
sorry to say that for the present the prospects
were not very bright. II was somewhat under
| a cloud, which he hoped would soon pass away
The last Legislature by very close vote, and
after hard struggle, had refused TO extend sncl,
further aid az was necessary to complete this
| magnificent undertaking. lie regretted much
that such had been the action Of the Legislature.
Abbeville had always been found among the
faithful upon this subject. lie, together with
others III the Legislature, thought that this Road
| was as much or indeed more needed now than il
had been when it was approved aud urged for.
ward BY the great leaders Of the State-Calhoun.
llayne, Blandng, Gadstien and others, who had
now unfortunately departed from amongst u.s.
lie thought that snch connection with tho
great valley of the West was III wise and ueces
sary for u.s. The little State of South Carolina. as
Tor any OF the adjoining States, each of which
hn.ly ,J,
forts 10 accomplish for themselves such n con.
| nection. We need something TO rrgcneratc us,
| and change the face Df the country now deep
| Scared 10y gaping gullies and covered with old
| fields and br"omsedgc. Besides, he was unwilling
that the State. whose greatest jewel was her
character shonld seem to s,uiy herself. lie
thought the Blue Ridge Railroad could never be
buill by individual excrtions; it WAS simply
| absurd and preposterous to expect it, such nm
undertaking Is III its nature State enterprise.-
To cross the mountains was worthy Of the am
bItion and spirit of a Stale. In this view, the
State had commenced the work-had put her
hands to the plough, and as one Of her citizens
he was unwilling that ahe should now abandon
| 1t, and leave i'll the mountains half.boreu lun-
mel for the hahtation Of bats and owls, aud ns
an eternal monument Of her vncillation and
folly. We have been heatcn--thc field has been
lost, but he hoped that all WAS not lost W..
must rally to the Sole; we must never give it
up So We must, iii iavur OF great IL work
| aud III such patriotic cause, exhibit the un.|y
ing spirit of that brave statesman whn. when
| overwhelmed by defeat. rallied his party us with
clarion note. by calling upon them 10 pick
| their flints and try it again"
Ito said that he had seen with pleasure the in
| terest Anderson felt in this matter; it would
have been strange if it had been otherwise
This is not only rising, patriotic town, but e,n
Phnltcailyn railrond town. ii is the cross ruads
not exactly Of creation, but certainly of the State
oil South Carolina. Here you have the good old
Greenvile and Columbia Railroad, stretching
| away towards the beautiful capitol and the grand
Old commercial metropolis, the Queen Civ OF the
South-cerainly the best abused, and he some.
times thought the brstused railroad in the Stale
This Road was our first -lovc-
% Let others revile her as thew will.
With all her faults we love her still"
Then you have at least in prospective the
Savannah Valley Railroad. which like the Hud
son River Road dcsccnds along the bank of its
| twin -slsier stream, aud is To connect you with
Augusta and Savannah. Here is also to be tn.
South Carolina terminus of the Air Line Rail.
! r"ah straight from thr romantic region of the
ia's OF Toccoa and Taulail and from ths
spot where We stand can be seen tho very r;jls
of the magnificent Blue Edge Rai.roat the
grandrst Of them ai which we hore era lang
VIII scale the mountains and bind us with IRON
bnnds to the tcenling valley of the Wes,l
When all these enterprises shall have been ac.
| complished. Anderson Will be indeed what lie,
/ ANT