The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-28

Gold, silver, iron, coal auu copper mines
abound, and only wait to De tapped by the
the wealth OF the nation. Employment may
thus be furnished to thousands Of sturdy
laborers from every portion OF Christendom;
emigr, r. IN will be encouraged; hitherto un-
settled country will be opened to enterprise
our water courses will be peopled; manufacto-
ries will rear their pleasant shapes; villages
will expand into towns and towns into cities;
business viii thrive and its pursuits becom Q
more diversified, and, in short, the whole State
will feel the pulses of q new life throbbing
through this great artery of trade
4th. The Blue Ridge Railroad will be the
feeder OF every other railroad in South Caro-
lima, and q large and remunerative local busi-
ness ness must supercede the present stagnatlon.
Charleston and Columbia, as commercial CEN
tres OF the State, are not only to be benefited,
but Port Royal with its best harbor on the
Atlantic coast between Pensacola and the
chesapeake, must become railroad centre
from which imports will be distributed to the
North, West and South, harbor wherei ships
will likewise be gathered from every quarter OF
the world. to receive at that terminus Of this
great hi .hway the freight which the West and
South would exchange for the products Of the
old world, and the East and West Indies. It is
we'll known to commercial men that during the
winter season, the price Of transportation TO
points north Of Cape Hatteras is nearly double
that paid on shipments to Southern ports.
5th. The building OF the Blue Rldge Railroad
the Union. Aside from the sympathy natu-
rally existing between agricultural sections like
the West and the South, and strengthened as
il must be by all the ties OF trade, the neces-
sity Of great air line across the Continent IN
this direction, with Charleston and Port Royal
for its objective points, ls too great to be ig..
nored by the General Government, and feel
confident that Congress will give its earnest
consideration to an enterprise which may add
80 much to the military and postal facilities of
the country. Such western connection across
the mountains has always been regarded as
political and military necessity, scarcely less
important than the commercial wealth and
prosperity that would result from the construc-
ton OF the road.
ministration OF MIR. Monroe, when his Secre-
tary OF War had survey made through the
identical gap in the mountains through which
the Blue Ridge Railroad will pass, with the
intention of cutting canal between the head
waters Of the SavaDnah and Tennessee Rivers,
before the day Of railroads.
In the event Of foreign war it would be OF
vital Importance to the government to have Q
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 air line, and the short
est route to the great heart Of the nation.
Such are some Of the benefits which must
accrue to the State and country from the con-
struction Of this great thoroughfare. Upon
you, as legislators, depend the completion OF
the work. You may render aid which, in sixty
or ninety days, win permit operations upon the me
road to be resumed, and once resumed, we
may confidently look for encouragement to the
capitalists Of the country, If not to the public
treasury itself. But whatever ts done by you
should be done promptly. Georgia and North
Carolina are surrounding Us with network OF
railroads, the object OF which is to divert both
trade and travel from our midst. They are our
competitors for Western commerce, and II we
are idle they will succeed. Virginia has loaned
her credit to encourage railroad enterprises TO
the extent Of s12. 600. 900; Georgia has expend--
ed more than 5000 900 upon her State road
alone; North Carolina So, 600, 900. and Tennes-
see, to conce ltrate trade within her Der
ders, has granted near $50 .0OO, goo in guaran-
tee Of the bonds Of various railroads. South
past: and vet with all her iberality her
credit has been 30 sacredly guarded that her
bonoed debt at this time exclusive OF the war
debit amounts to only $500, ,2l5.- The In
terest in arrears and due on this sum on the
1st OF January, 1869, will be only s564, ,136.
This is exclusive OF the Bills Receivable, au-
thorized. by the act Of 1865, not more than
$500. 900 Of which are likely to go into general
circulation. To meet these liabilities OF the
State. namely, the accumulated interest and
to redeem the Bills Receivable, the Legislature
has authorized loan OF 81 500 600. 1t will
thus be seen that the total bonded debt of tbs
State on the 1st of January next, after the
payment Of interest due, and the redemption
Of the Bills Receivable that the
loan Of 81 500, 900 recently authorized is all put
upon the market which is not likely to be the
case-win be the comparatively small sum OF
With basis of $500, 600, 600 in real and person
al property, subject to taxation, 1T is evident
that with an assessment OF only three mills up
on the dollar, the interest annually accruing up
on the above debt, together with the current ex-
penses of the State may be promptly met.
When it is remembered that new and valuable
enterprises are being developed-that capital
lets from the North and West are seeking
profitable investments in South Carolina; that
our lands are being cultivated under an i'm
proved system Of agriculture, which promises
to yield more abundant results than hereto
fore; that the recent discovery OF phosphate
beds along the coast has opened q new NINE OF
wealth, which has already enhanced the value
OF surrounding property; that an industrious
and. laborng population are preparing to come
hither from various portions OF the country,
bringing new strength and energy; that manu-
facturers from the North are turning their at
tention to the magnificent water power which
abounds in almost every portion OF the state;
and to the extraordinary facilities whereby
cotton is manufactured fifteen per cent. cheap
er than at the North; that new railroads are
being projected, and there is promise OF in
creased facilities for trade; that the completion
Of this Blue Ridge Railroad will Of itself open q
channel Of wealth, the grand results Of which
no human being can fully estimate. When all
these facts aie brought into review, we cannot
but look with hopeful eyes up N the future,
and realize that South Carolina sets forth in
her race of progress with advantages superior
to those OF any OF her sister Southern States.
Having thus described the character OF the
road, its importance to every interest IN the
State and country, and made an exhibit OF the
financial condition OF the State and it's re-
sources, which demonstrate your ability to
grant further aid to the undertaking, now in
9ite your attention to the plan which have to
suggest as the most feasible, as the one which
promises the speediest results, and which will
secure the sympathy and practical co-opera-
tion of those capitalists Of the West, who are
as deeply Interested in the construction of the
road as the people OF South Carolina. am con-
fdeut that to effect this latter result it is only
necessary to show that We are in earnest our
selves. and determined To complete the road
in the shortest Tins that energy and skill can
perform The work.
list. It is essential that the Legislature shall
remove the restriction impo sed upon the COM
pauy BY the act Of 1854, which required the
production Of proof to the Governor Of such
subscriptions or aid granted in The States OF
North Carolina and Tennessee, as to give
reasonable assurance Of the completion Of tn,
road. these promises OF aid were based upon
q contract by contractors, but as the latter
,fo;Iod 10 oonnnlv vu,th the terms OF their con-