Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-03-20
An Eloquent Appeal.

Hon. w. P. Price, formerly Of
Greenville, S. G., but now of Georgia,
recently made speech in the House
of Representatives, at Washington, in
behalf of the proposed Western and
Atlantic Canal, which he closed with
the following beautiful and eloquent
review Of the monuments of antiq-
uity:s /; u
"In conclusion, Mr.. Speaker, per-
nit me to say that there is involved
IN this whole question! another matter
which has furnished a great deal OF
pleasure to those who, like myself,
have reflected upon it. Tie contem-
piation Of a work like this affords the
Thought that through this medium.
perhaps, will come to the South that
prosperity which she in particular 80
much needs; that it will make her
sons and daughters happy and con-
tented, rejoicing in the prospect Of
comfort andspeaces Indeed, we can
see in the completion Of this great
work what the President Of the Uni
ted States said OH one occasion, when
q committee Of gentlemen from Geor
gia addressed him in relation to this
enterprise, 'apractice.lr reconstruction.
When completed, as | earnestly
hope and believe it will, it will be a
monument of honor to those who have
through many difficulties, and no lit,
tie obloquy, and even against the fer
mer policy Of the South in such mat
tiers, pressed it successfully upon the
attention of the country. 1t will be
a great commercial artery through
which the hfe- blood of the country
will flow, and which will join together
people who have been separated in
feeling, because they know so little
Of each other. If such ends are &C.
complished by means like this, then
can it truly be said that
Peace hath herSyicsories no less re.
nowned than war"
"Seldom has it ever occurred in
the history of any people that work
like this. when once finished, has ever
been allowed to crunbls and decay
It will stand when works dedicated to
the merely beautiful have passed from
the face Of men. Il has been said
that the tomb Of Moses is unknown
but the traveller in the Holy Land
may yet slake his thirst at the we'll Of
Jacob. The gorgeous palaces of the
wisest and wealthiest Of monarchs
with cedar, and gold. and ivory, and
even the great Temple Of Jerusalem
hallowed by the visible glory Of the
Deity himself, are gone, but Solomon ;
reservoirs are us perfect as ever. o.
the ancient architecture of the IIo.v
City not one stone is left upon anoth-
er, but the pool Of B tics la com
mands the pilgrims reverence, even
at the present day. The columns of
Persepolis are mouldering into dust,
but its cistern and aqueducts remain
to challenge our admiration. The
golden house Of Nero is mass OK
runs, bat the Aqua Claudia still
pours its limpid streams into the city
of Rome The Temple of the Sun at
Tadmor, in the wilderness, has fallen,
but Its fountains still sparkle in it's
rays as when thousands of worship
pers thronged its lofty colonades. Il
may be that this beautiful and mag
nifcent Capitol may share the fate Of
Babylon, (which Heaven f re;tnd,)
and nothing be left to mark it save
mouldering mounds Of crumbling
marble anu brickwork, but the beau
tiful Potomac will still flow quietly
ON to the Atlantic. bearing upon its
bosem the fruits Of toiling thousands.
And if any work Of art should rise
over the deep ocean, Time. we may
we'll believe that it will be neither a
palace nor temple, but shne vast
aqueduct, canal or reservoir; and If
any name should fash through the
mist Of antiquity, it would probably
be that Of the man who in his dav
sought the happiness of his fellow
man rather than glory, and linked
his memory 20 some great work ot'