Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-12-18
Letter from the Mountains
For the Advertiser.

letter that shall write for the Columns
of the old. advertiser in the year 1878;
When it makes its appearance In prlnt,
it is likely that the Old Year will be rap
idly drawing to a, close, and the New
Year be near at hand. And as the Skill
full mariner, who traverses the trackless
waters of the ocean with his ship, occa-
sionally takes his reckoning" that ne
may ascertain where he is, how lar ne
has gone, and whither his craft is head
ing; 80 it is meet and important, that we,
as individuals, communities, States, or
countries, being voyagers too: on the
great sea of life and ocean Of time, should
DOW and then-once a year at least-"cast
about u.s." review the past, consider the
present, and endeavor to forecast some
what the future.
In the midst of the amusements and
festivities which usually usher in Christ
mas-the natal day of the blessed Re-
deemer of mankind, and the Happy
New Year'-the beginning of another
annual measure of time, let our mirth
and joy be tempered by prudence and
moderation. While we have great cause
as individuals, as people, and nation,
to be thankful to the Supreme Ruler OF
the universe for that goodness and mer-
cy, and that loving kindness, withwhioh
we have been followed during the year
that is now near its end, and should
evince our gratitude and gladness in eve
ry proper manner, let us mingle there
with sober and solemn reflection, and
shape our actions and future course in
life in accordance with tn. dictates Of
sound reason and the teachings of true
wisdom.
The year 1873 has not been marked In
our own land with any great and start
ling events With the exception of short
conflicts with the poor Indians in the
far West, no war or bloodshed has visited
our borders. While contending hosts
have met in the shock of battle on the
classic field of portions of Europe, and
the people of France and Spain have suf-
fered all the untold horrors and calami-
ties of war, we have enjoyed all the
blessings of peace. tits true that por-
tions of the great valley of the Missis-
sippi have been visited by those terrible
the cholera and yellow fever;
but their-ravages, wore confined to limit
of the country, and the suf-
fering resulting therefrom, though great
and truly distressing, were only tempo
rary. For the mosS part throughout our
extended country, there has been the
usual measure of health among its in
;,2bitants; abundant harvests have gen.
orally crowned the labors of the hus-
and apart from the financial
and the temporary evils aris'
ing from it in the great commercial CEN
tres of the country, the people OF tho
United States should feel that they are in
.he enjoyment of an unprecedented de-
gree of prosperity and happiness.
: I look upon the financial crash, which
was doubtless caused by reckless specu-
alton and senseless extravaganza, as
blessing in disguise. The greatest mis-
fortune it produced, and the one which
s most to. be regretted, is the fact that
he evils and hardships which have at
ended it have fallen most heavily upon
hose who had but little or nothing to 90
With bringing it about.
limo one suffered from a monetary
.risis of,this kind except the money
Kings, wild spectators, and dishonest
stockholders of the great cities, who live
md fatten off the hard earnings OF the
lonest working men of the country, 1t
would be no great misfortune to have
,uch a panic every year or two. But I'M
for the country, from the
present arrangement Of things, such can
never be the case. So interviewer are
he interests of the farmers and producers
md the honest trading public with the
banks, and so great is their dependence
On them, that when these reckless specu-
lators pull down the pillars of the COM
mercial temple, and there is crash
which shakes the commerce of the coun-
try from New York to San Francisco,
they generally manage to escape from
The ruins without serious injury to them
selves, while the calamity falls with
crushing force upon others.
This panic, or rather such state OF
things as it has developed, is to my mind
but another argument in favor Of the
doctrine which 1, have long advocated,
that the Southern people should
raise less cotton and more provisions
md home supplies, and manufacture
more of the necessary articles of life
which they require, that they may be
less helplessly dependent upon the bank
ers and brokers of Wall Street and other
cities. Something had to he done to
check the profuse and absurd extrava-
pance and the wild speculation and fast
living that were fast running the country,
and in this point of view, 1 look upon
this convulsion Us public blessing.
These evils have not yet become as
in the South as they are in the
North, and if our section will now adopt
that policy which our magnificent re-
sources, and the teachings of sound po-
liticA economy, as well Us the dictates of
common sense, so plainly point out,
when tie next financial panic sweeps
over the country, we will be compara-
lively exempt from its hardships and
calamities.
The present political condition of South
Carolina, though bad in the extreme, is
b no means a hopeless one. The very
enormity of the evils from which We are
suff, ring is gradually working their cure.
There is limit to even official corrup-
ton and public plumber. and there is
every indication that the party in power
in this State have at length reached that
limit. There are now elements within
the Republican party i'll South Carolina,
which together with the conservative
agencies aud influences that are brought
t., bear upon it from without, must either
bring about reform and amendment, or
tho patty will have to go to pieces and
give way to better men and measures.
While therefore there Is much to sadden