The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1860-03-29
ots Of tho South and the on a guomledge AMONG all dlas
GREENVE CAROLINA THURSDAY MORNING. MARCH % 1sao

\ IL will not be denied other thjpos being
equal that freight viii take the shortest line to
the sea. The road propo ed by this charter will
inevitably result not only ns have before shown,
In connected line from Charleston TO Chattanoo-
ga through the iRabun Gap. but q ahortsr lin
fbnn the route over the Western and, Atlantic
railroad. Ihave before me the latest edition of
| Disturne'Ps Railway and Steamship Gnide pub.
iished for Mnreh, 1856 1t is doubtless M relia-
bic as any work Of the kind can be, and certain.
ly sufficiently accurate for tho purpose in hand.
According TO this work, the distances nre as fol.
low: From Charleston TO Columbia Il ia i2s
miles From Columbia to Anderson it Is l27
miles. In a right line from Anderson, by CLAY.
ton and Cleveland to Chattanooga, it is 100 miles.
30 that from Chattanooga 10 Charleston, sby this
South Carolina route it is 4I5 miles. From
Charleston To Augusta Il Is 1877 milcs From
| Augusta to Atlanta IL Il Ill miles and from
Atlanta TO Chattanooga IL Is l3s miles, making
from Chattanooga to Charleston 44e miles by the
Georgia line, showing difference in distance Of
81 miles in favor of the Charleston route by way
Of Clayton and Cleveland.
This comparison is based upon the supposi.
| tion that the South Carolina route will run from
Charleston by Columbia, Anderson, Rabun Gan.
and Cleveland, to Chattanooga It will how
ever. be shortened by the proposed road from
Aiken to Anderson, thus making the competition
still more ruinous to the Western and Atlantic
Railroad. / do feel that there is nothing to
warrant us to putiD jeopardy this great road,
built st such an immense cost by the common
treasury Of tae people As the guardians of the
peoples welfare, we are bound to protect this
valuable State property from destruction. II
the South Carolina line were equal to, or even a
little longer. than the Georgia line, we should be
compelled TO reduce the rates Of freight to n
point which would leave but a small margin for
net profits. How, then, can we bear the CONNIE
iition of shorter line 2 Shall we invite IL bv
our legislation, when we have it in our power To
prevent it foreverf
!" From the direction which public opinion Is
taking in Georgia, in reference to the Western
aud Atlantic Railroad, it is probable that At ro
distant day our successors will offer IL for sale
Six millions Of dollars is now the lowest sum for
which any man proposes TO sell it; in few years
u Will be worth aud will bring S. O00, ,Ooo IL YOU
VIII not fettsr It with embarrassing Legislation.
or build UP great rival for the benefit of other
States. But what will it command in market, II
yon allow shorter line to Charleston by the
way Of Cleveland and Rnban Gap2
20. IL the construction Of the Hiwasse Road
shoul5 not defeat all our contemplated roads in
Northeastern Georgia, it will certainly give
wrong direction to the development of the re-
sources OF that section. In my judgment it
must inevitably do the one or the other. You
have chartered road from Athens to CLAYTON.
but where would be the inducement to complete
the Northeastern Railroadi It's stock would be
valneless. 1t would command no freight from
Fast Tennessee and North Carolina il would be
diverted to Charleston. You have chartered a
railroad from the copper mines to Marietta, or
some point between Marietta and Calhoun But
what would be the inducement to build the Ell.
l1ay Roadi The same remark is applicable to
the road which you have chartered from Clarks
Vile, through the Hightower Gap. to the copper
mines, and indeed every road contemplated in
that whole division Of the State.
But suppose it should not have this effect
upon those enterprises; suppose that some Of
them shonld be completed, and that. through
their instrumentalby. Northeastern Georgia
should be developed--what. then, might we ex-
Peetf Inevitably that region of the State, in.
stend of being tributary to Georgia, would trans
port the great bulk Of its productions by the
South Carolina route. The interest and welfare
OF Northeastern Georgia does not require legsla.
tion which viii lead to such results. 1t may be.
to say the least. as well protected by a policy in
harmony with the system and design of our
scheme Of internal impfov ements.
"3. The construction Of the proposed ffiwas
zee Road would ihfiict serious detri,nent, not on
ly upon the immense amount Of capital invested
la the Western'and Atlantic Railroad, but also
upch our great lines that either directly or in:
directly connect with 1t. The State Road has
cost about s6OOoOoo. Il is great feeder to the
Georgia Railroad, which has coat g. 900 .000t to
the Waynesboro' Road. which has cost about sl,-
100000; to the Macon and Western Road.
which has cost about 81 100, 600, and 10 the Cen.
trail Road which has coat about $4,000 900; so
that we have invested in these works. ia round
nuH,serS sis.2O0.Ooo Oar people have laid
down their money in good faith for the eonstfac.
tion Of these roads. They have operated most
bene6cialy upon the wealth and prosperity of
the State, and placed her in advance Of all her
sister Southern States: Now, if the contemplated
Hiwassee Road would tend still to advance the
great interests of Georgia, it would be some
compensation for the injury it would do to these
great enterprises, and would furnish some iusti-
fcation for the sanction Of this charter. But,
instead Of this, it would divert to the South Car.
olina route much the larger portion Of the
freigh;s on which these heavy investments are
dependent, and lamentably depreciate their value