The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-14
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. =
ANNIVERSARY DINNER,

The 44th Anniversary of the Chamber Of Com
merce Of Charleston was celebrated yesterday eve
| ming, by magnificent Inner at the Mills House
At 81 o'clock, the members and invited guests as
| sembled, and, as friend remarked to us ut th'
time, the President apprehended no difficult!
| about getting quorum.
The dinner came of in the ladies' ordinary of tht
Mills House, and was all that fine dinner coult
be expected to be. We do not like to transcribt
bills of fare, for, however welcome their contents
to the true taste in it's prmtime sense, they have
long since been voted not in taste lin the meta
phorical acceptation of that term), and We shall
therefore only state that the bill of fare was print
Led in elegant style by our cunning friend, MIR. A
J. BURKE, and bristled with m enumeration of al
that was choice on earth, sea and sky. Mine host
Of the Mills House, MIR. PURCELL, has often before
accomplished wonderful feats Of symposial prepa'
ration, and we therefore naturally expected much
but we must confess in oil candor, that yesterday
he surpassed all our preconceptions, nay, he sur
passed himself; for q better dinner-better and
choice viands-better cooked and better served
VIC have never tasted, never seen and never known.
Same as to wines, &c.
But enough of this, the grosser and mere mate
rial part Of the entertainment The dinner was
very well, but after all WAS merely means to an
eni !: the end reunion Of congenial Spirits and
not in long time have We seen gathering as
large, and where all came go fully determined to
enjoy themselves, as was the case here yesterday.
This was the first dinner the Chamber has had in
several years, and all parties present seemed ia
feel thr litigation to contribute all in their power
to make it one of material pleasure and enjoy
ment.
So we'll had the President of the Society and
the Stewards made their arrangements, that there
was no drag. Everything went off smoothly and
happily.
There were number Of distinguished guests
present; among them We would name His Excel
lency Governor JAMES L. ORE, Hon. WIN. PoRcHEl,
MILES, Judge GEORGE 8. BRYAN, Judge FRANKLIN
J. MOSES, His Honor Mayor.P. C. GA1ILARD STAN
LEY G. TRorT, Esq, Postmaster Of Charleston;
FRE1ER1oK A. SAWYER, Collector of Internal Reve.
nue.; Senior MoNoADo, Her Spanish Majestys Con-
sui, and NJ. LANn, the French Consul in this city;
Captain HuDaNs, Of the Carol, and Captain Dur-
TON, OF the Sea G,lR, and W. 8. HASTE, Esq,
President Charleston Board of Trade.
Rev. E. j. MEyNARDIE being called upon by the
President, pronounced blessing upon the boun-
teous feast set before the Chamber; and, there
upon, the assembled company set to work in fair
earnest to do justice to the many good things pro-
vided for their consideration. After which (about
9 o'clock, P. M.,) the President, A. o. ANDREWS,
ESQ.,, arose and addressed the Chamber as follows !:
Geaaerasn of the Chamber of Commerce The
privilege is highly priced by me Of rendering to
you the solicitations which belong to your festal
day, and Of rendering my acknowledgements for
that continued kindness which still makes me
your honored exponent. I bid you welcome once
again to that social communion in which each may,
for little while, cast the harness from big back,
forget, for short interval, the cankering cares
and hard anxiehes which make our lot, and amid
the appliances which cheer the heart, feel more
closely the brotherhood which binds US as one,
and take fresh courage, and goodly cheer, for
the campaign Of the morrow.
What tho storm and cloud lower thick and
heavy-steadfast in the path Of duty, we possess
our souls in patience and commit results to Him
whose benedfetive providence is continually, from
Ill, educing good.
What tho our money chests shew not such am
pie treasure, we can still rejoice that not dirty
shilling soils the pile, and realize, like the ancient
S bill, that our losses only give added appresia-
ton to the remnant But while gladly bid you
welcome to the indulgence of al that festive COM
munion, so ftly in harmony with the occasion,
cannot refrain nom invoking your consideration
to that grave and vital solution which strides
right before us like Colonus-demsnding earnest,
instant attention.
Hitherto, our province as Chamber has been
rather to deal with commerce already existing
to turn with our own channels, and appropriate
the abounding results OF system Of labor ad
mirably applied in developing the riches Of our
soil.
Now, it has become our duty almost to create
anew that commerce. And in order to keep
alive and preserve it from Perishinlg, we must
inaugurate new system Of labor adapted to the
changed condition Of things.
land without laborers, why it is body with
out blood! This is not a vain thing, it is your
life!
"Thespring the head, the fountain Of your blood
Il lsstopped-the very source oft is stopped"
Every industrial pursuit -every vocation in
which skill plies its cunning fngers-every invest
ment Of accumulated gain-feels the death-stooke
as efectually as when in the bodily organism:
Some unlucky blow let's loose from its appointed
courses the crimson tide We must wilt, and
waste, and perish, unless this life giving current
is restored. You must arapple with this difficulty
manfully, earnestly, suecessfully ly-and what is
done, must be done quickty
I therefore regard it as,a happy contingency
that we are favored tonight with the presence Of
an honored Executive, not only because know
you viii delight to tender to him the manifesto
tions of your good will, but because it will afford
an opportunity Of profting by that large field Of
elevated patriotism which SO eminently distinguish
him.
Join with me. then, in rich, corlial and joyous
ibation, while propose to you:
perceive, and heart to feel the needs of our dear
old mother, his counsels will come to us with q
weight emitting them to confidence.
Mr.. ANDREws Was repeatedly interrupted BY loud
and prolonged applause. He will pardon us for
saying that We consider him one Of the happiest
post prandial speakers we have ever had the plea
sure Of listening to- easy, clear, fecitous, and to
the point.
Governor JAMES L. ORR, thus introduced, rose,
amid the long and prolonged plaudits Of the COM
pany, and said that he congratulated himself on
his good fortune in having been permitted to be
present on this propitious occasion. A native OF
South Caroline hmsek, and from his earliest child
hood taught to look up to Charleston as the me-
tropos the chief seat OF the civilization, intelli-
gence, refinement and progress Of South Carolina.
He said that twenty years ago, when he was first
member Of the Legislature, Che delegation from
Charleston and the members from the mountains
nearly always voted together. This city, during
the last six years. has been devastated and severe
y visited in various ways; but thi, is no time for
elimination or recrminaton. He stated that he
was present during the disastrous fire of 1861 and
in going recently over the burnt district, he was
sorry that the desert waste was much the same as
the devouring element had left it five years ago.
He had recently been in Richmond, which suffered
by heavy conhagration in the spring Of 1865,
and was gratifed to see nearly all Of it rebuilt al
re.dy. What though tho capital for this pur-
pose was procured from the North. he cared not
where the capital came from that would fill the
unsightly gap. he said that his father had been q
country merchant, who made his first purchases in
Charleston; he himself (Gov. ORR had grown up.
in great measure, in country store, and he was,
therefore, able to appreciate the weight Of inHu-
ence welded by merchants. The Governor con-