The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-09
CHI A EST ON.
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 9, 1869.
southern Industrial Convention.

It is stated by the New York Commercial
Advertiser that arrangements are in pre-
gress for holding convention in Memphis
at an early date, for the purpose of deve)'
oping the river, railroad and canal i'm
provements of the South, and also to pro-
mote direct trade with Europe. The means
for the construction of railroad from the
Mississippi River to the Pacific coast, over
route that will not be liable to be obstruc-
ted at any season Of the year, will be cen
sidered, and as the plan of Southern i'm
provement and development is Of national
interest and Importance, it is expected that
every locality and industry will be repre-
sented. No day, as far as our information
goes, has been appointed for the assembling
Of the convention, and we speak Of it now
mainly for. the purpose Of bringing the
subject to public attention, 80 that Charles
ton and South Carolina may not be dumb
when Louisiana, Georgia and Virginia
speak.
The West has been the objective point Of
the merchants and capitalists of this State
for more than quarter of century. Our
first canal was projected cs step towards
cheap communication with Louisville and
Cincinnati. Our first railroad was built
with On eye to the trade of Ohio and Ten
nessee. The famous Blue Ridge Railroad,
upon which millions have been expended,
was aimed at the heart of the West. And
to every undertaking which promised to
make South Carolina the great highway of
interstatsl commerce, the money of the
State and city was lavishly subscribed.
This money was spent wisely, perhaps, but
not too well; and we only mention it now
to remind our people that the goal is not
yet reached and that we must now expect
stronger and more active opposition at
every point than we should have encoun
tered ten years ago. Then we were rich
and had host of friends. Now we are for
the moment poor, and must make energy
and perseverance take the place Of capital.
This we must do if we determine merely to
prevent total loss of what has already
been spent.
... The West is as deeply interested in get
ting cheaply and expeditiously to the sea
as we are in opening channel of commu-
nioation with the West; with the difference
that while there is more than ono seaport
to which may be shipped the varied pro-
ducts of the Western States, there is but
one West to which Charleston may look for
any startling increase in the volume of her
trade. And the prospective building of
the Southern Pacific Railroad makes greater
the necessity of action; for to the business
of the States along the Mississippi will be
added, in time, the commerce Of the Pacific
and the vast Chinese Empire. This is the
prize, and it is worth the fight
As is well known, our sister States are
urging their claims to consideration, and
press upon public consideration the ad-
vantsges of their respective seaports. 1t
is natural that each city should believe
itself the most highly favored on the At
lantic coast, and that no one of its neigh
bors can equal it in the elements which
make a seaport valuable. This is we'll
enough; and in the end there will be trade
enough for us all; but if Charleston, with
her natural position and acquired reputa-
ton, and with so much already accomplish
cd, does not speak up as bravely as the best
of them, she will deserve to fail and to have
the grass grow in her streets as it did FIVE
years ago. In the matter Of direct trade
with Europe, we have done more than any
other city south of Baltimore. This is an
earnest of what we eau do.
We hope, then, that strong delegation
strong in experience, strong in information,
and strong in intelligence-will be sent
from this city to the Memphis Convention,
so that when pmsns of Savannah and Nor
folk are sung, it may not be forgotten that
there is still in existence the city which
subscribed 100000 to the Blue Ridge
Railroad, $5OO,OOO to the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad, $500, 900 to the Mem
phis and Charleston Railroad, and which
was the first city in the South to project
and begin to construct system of Western
railroad connections.