The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-12


at large and to this city-a benefit in which
our whole colored population will undoubt-
edly share. We now propose to show what
it will do for the especial advantage Of
large and important class of the colored
people of the State.
In 1860, one-fourth of the whole slave
population of South Carolina was found IN
the three districts-now countics-ot
Charleston, Beaufort and Colleton. Beau
fort and Colle.on alone have to-day acolored
population Of about sixty thousand, and
these two counties, with part of Charles
ton County, depend for the greater part OF
their prosperity upon the completion of the
Savannah and Charleston Railroad. With
out that road, the planters have no such
cheap aud speedy communication with the
best markets as will enable them to Work
their plantations economically, and turn
their produce to the best account. This
works against the freedman; for the laborer
cannot have paying employment if the land
owner cannot make profit. Without
railroad, also, the freedman is cut OF from
many branches of industry which would be
adapted to those who are too weak or too
in6rm for ordinary field work, and is denied
that steady and remunerative employment
without which he cannot hope to become
one day small farmer himself. =
Let us now see what the Savannah and
Charleston Railroad will do for the sixty
or seventy thousand colored people of whom
we have spoken.
1t will cost, in round numbers, four hun
dred thousand dollars TO complete the road.
Well nigh one hundred thousand dollars Will
be spent for ties and wood work, without
including the wood work in the Savannah
river bridge. This money will be spent
upon and among the oolored people, giving
hundreds of them work in cutting the trees,
and making the lumber ready for use
Hundreds of colored men will be employed
during the construction of the road, IN
hauling material, preparing the road-bed'
lsyinp the ties and timber, and putting down
the rails. And when the road is completed, a
large force of celored men will be neces-
sary to keep it in order, as we'll as for sta
tion and train purposes. These ore the
direct advantages of finishing up the road
and the indirect advantages are far greater.
When the road is in operation through
out, the lumber trade will spring up and
assume gigantic proportions. The colored
laborers-thc only laborers that we have
will be among the first to feel the effects OF this
new trade. Supplies, fertilizers, and I'm
plements of oil kinds, will be sent to the
plantation OF less cost than at present,
and the produ:e will be brought more
cheaply to market. All this will be of sub
stantial benefit to the freedman, whether be
works for himself or for another. Then,
as already mentioned, the growth of fruits
and vegetables of all kinds will be stim-
ulated and encouraged. New phosphate
beds. as the demand for the South Caro-
lima fertilizers increases, will be explored
and excavated, forming another tributary
to the stream of trade which will flow from
the sslow country" upon the opening OF the
Savannah and Charleston Railroad.
In each and every one of these benefits
the freedman will largely share; in many Of
them he will be the principle person to re-
ceive the profit. They will enable the col
ored population of the slow country" to
prosper and grow rich; and no measure
short of the establishment of national
Garden of Eden, in which they might live
forever without work or want, con do the
freed people as much good as this simple
completion of the road, in whose ncighber-
hood they live. Christmas is near at hand;
and if the members of the Legislature de-
sire to stand we'll with their colored COR
stituents they will pass, before they adjourn
for the holidays, that bill for the relief OF
the Savannah and Charleston Railroad,
which will be of advantage to the whole
State, and the certain salvation OF the
twelve thousand colored voters-the sixty
thousand colored men, women and children,
who live in Colletou and Beaufort.