Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-09-11
wALHALLA, s. C, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER Ii, 1868.

postal facilities of tho country. Such q Wes-
tern connection across the mountains has al
ways been regarded as o political and militia
ry necessity, scarcely less important than the
commercial wealth and prosperity that would
result from The construction Of the road.
This was the view taken, even during tho
administration of Mr.. Monroe, when bis SEQ
retary of War had survey made through the
Identical gap in tho mountains through which
the Blue Ridge Railroad will pass, with tho
intention of cutting canal between the head
wators of the Savannah aud Tennessee Rivors,
before the day of railroads.
In tho evont Of foreign war, it would be
OF vital Importance to tho Government to
have naval station at Port Royal, where
there is depth Of water and room abundant to
float the largest fleets of the world. From
this point to Cincinnati is almost an mir line,
and the shortest route to tho great heart Of
the nation.
Such aro somo of tho benefits which must
accrue to tho State and country from the
construction of this great thoroughfare Upon
you, as legislators, depends the completion of
tho work. You may rcndcr aid Which, in
sixty or ninety days, will pcrmis operations
upon tho road to be resumed, and, once re-
Bumcd, We may confidently look for enoour-
agemcnt to the capitalists of the country, if
not to tho public treasury itself But what
ever is dono by you, should be dono promptly
Georgia and North Carolina arc surrounding
us withaaa network of railroads, the object of
which is to divert both trade and travel from
our midst. They are our competitors for
Western commerce, ond, if we are idle thoy
will suoceed. Virginia has loaned her credit
to encourage railroad enterprises, to tho OK
tent of Sl2,O00,OO0; Georgia has expended
moro than S5,000,000 upon her State road
alono; North Carolina, s9,O0O,OOO; and
Tennessee, to concentrate trade within hor
borders, has granted near $50 "oo,OO0 in
snaranty OF tho bonds n'~sho various Iaif-
roads. South r-.olina has also been liberal
in the past: and yet, with all her liborality,
her crcHc has been SO Hacrsdly guarded, that
hor bonded debt at this time exclusive of
the war dcbt) amounts to only IS ,4O7 ais
The interest in arrears and due on this sum,
on the lst of January, 1869, will be only
s564,136. This is exclusive of the bills re-
ccivable authorized by tho Act of 1865, not
moro than $500, 900 Of which arc likely to go
into general circulation. TO moct these lia-
bilitics of tho Statc-namcly, the acoumula-
ted interest," and to redeem the bills recciya-
ble--tho Legislature has authorized loan of
Sl,500,000. 1t will thus be seen that the
total bonded debt Of the State on tho 1st Of
January next, aftcr the payment Of interest
due and the redemption of The bills rcceiva-
ble-assumng that tho loan Of &1,b09,O0O
recently authorized is all put upon tfo mar
kot, which is not likely to be the casc---will
bo tho comparatively small sum of S6,9O7,-
215.
With basis OF $sO0,oO0,ooo III real and
personal property, subjcot to taxation, it is
evident that, With an assessment Of orly three
mills upon the dollar, the interest annually
accruing upon tho above debt, together with
the current expenses Of tho State, may be
promptly met. When it is remembered that
now and valuable enterprises are being devol-
oped--that capitalists from tho North and
West arc seeking profitable investments in
South Carolina; that our lands arc being oul-
tivated under an improved system of agrioul.
ture, which promises to yield moro abundant
results than heretofore; that tho recent dis.
covery Of phosphate beds along tho coast has
opened now mine of wealth, which has al.
ready enhanced the value Of surrounding
property; that an industrious and laboring
population arc preparing to como hithor from
various portions of the country, bringing new
strength and energy; that manufacturers
from the North arc turning their attention to
tho magnificent water-power whioh abounds
in almost every portion Of tho State, and to
tho extraordinary facilities whereby cotton is
manufactured ffteon por cent cheaper than
at tho North that new railroads are bcing
projected, and thoro is promise Of increased
facilities for trade; that the completion Of the
B,uo Ridge Railroad will, Of itself, opon a
channel of wealth, tho grand results Of which
no human boing can fully estimato-when all
these facts are brought into rovicw, we cannot
but look with hopeful eyes upon tho future,
and roalizo that South Carolina sets forth in