The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-02-24
MATTERS TN WASHINGTON

| 1T s said that the CAss Yrissarri Treaty has
been ratified by Nicaragua. Oregon has been
| "u'hi'tcd INTO the Union. Dacotuk and Arizona
| ore applying for Territorial government.
IL Is stated that the Committee of Ways md
bleans Will have two or three minority rcports
upon the Tariff question. They have agreed
to disagree, and will probably suggest in their re-.
ports at least half dozen different remedies to
supply the deficiency Of the Treasury. The
Southern members of the Committee are said to
be generally opposed to all these schemes for ro;s
ing the Tariff and hold that the re.ssue OF Tre,..
ury notes should supply tho deficiency, and that
All increase Of the Tariff should no, be resort ed
10.
For lew weeks past q great deal has been
saiu III Washington upon the subject of ccono-
m'z'ng-reducing the expenses of the Govern
ment, dc. The members, to use a Western
phrase, seem to have been seized with the re-
trenchment gripes." Though so much is suid, we
have seen no practical measure proposed looking
to this object.
Congress has passed the Bill granting Six Mil
lions of Acres of the Public Land to endow Ap.
ricuItural Colleges, which are to be under the
supervision of the Smithsonian Institute We
have no hope that any good will result from tins
measure. II is tampering with the matter of
education. We would much prefer the business
of education should be left to the States them
selves 1t will have tho effect of creating great
central Agricultural Bureau in Washington
city, with offices to Le filled with political buck
s'ers vampires that feed upon the substance of
the people--thus cntailing nordnate expenses,
without directly benciitting the country. 1t be.
longs to that class of Federal centrnizinp m.os-
ures upon which the people should be ever pre-
pared to stamp the impress of DEATH
MORE ABOUT RAILROADS.
a correspondent Of the Laurensvle IIcruH
IN abiding to the proposition to build Railroad
from Abbcviic, S. c., to Washington, Ga, dis
courses rs follows We fully agree with the
Heroffs correspondent. by building 90 miles
Of Railway, filling the gops between the Stone
Mountain, Ga, and Charlotte, N. G., we should
have the most direct line leading from tho South
and Southwest TO the commercial cities of ti,.,
North-a line which would inevitably bccomo
one of the grent arterys Of travel between the
North aud South:
"fhis is an age Of progress Time md space
oS il
not the best policy Of the present ,lay, for Rail
ways to DIP down into every valley and rich Sec
ton OF country in search Of trade Trade ,nust
seek them; and will seek the sl,Drtcst route.-
lhe air limo IS the true object. Now, sir, if Won
VIII trace the route from Shreveport, Louisiana
to Cli"rIote, n. c., by straight edge, YOU will
perceive that line of Rail way is now in usr.
or III process of erection, from the former poiut
to The latter, with the exception Of one or two
snort gaps; and Is one of the straiphtcst aud
would hecone ono of the most important rout.s
i'll the United States. By diverpiu., from ,,,o
ieorgn road nt the Stone Mountain, md pass;nc
by Abbevi!le, Laurens, Union and York Court
Houses, you will find it to he n "bee line" and
perhaps this is the only gap that is not in process
of building in the whole distance between
Shreveport and Charlotte. Suppose now that
this gap was filed up, sny from Wsshin gton. Ga.
to Charlotte, which would be little off the track
and distance OF about 100 miles, what, think
you, would be the RESULT Why, sir, it would
surPass III Importance any road from the cotton
region to the great commercial cities Of the
North. This line would intercept all the travel
and freight from the Gulf and Atlantic slnpc
cutting off the Same from the Enst Tennessee
aud Virginia valley road and establish Il high
way through healthy and interesting region of
country that would be thronged from "morn to
eve 1t requires but mere cursory reference
to give you an idea OF the immense field of in
tercst that would attach to this line 1t would
run parallel with the East Tennessee aud Vir-
gnia valley road, but being much shorter would
therefore be more heavily frcightci Cannot
those interested in the filling up Of this eap be
aroused to their true INTEREST," If we he correct
in our views II is hoped that some abler pen
will be welded III it's behalf and strive To give to
the surplus capital of our up country, a profila.
BILE direction.