The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-04-05

independent were introduced into a
Southern Legislature byss:s Southern
man. The first resolutions to the
same effect were presented in the Col
onial Congress by another Southern
man, and took form in the Declafa-
ton of Independence, under the
matclless genius Of still another
Southern man. Another Southern
man led the patriot armies to victory
and established the possibilities Of
the proudcst nation Oh earth. y
Southern man was prime mover Of
The convention :lla. framed the
Constitution. When thc Govern
ment had been created its organic
law was still an unexplained book, a
poll ferrous oar in unslsiilcd hands. 1t
was 'cit for the greatest legal mind
Of thc age, j Southern C':iei Justice,
to analyze and stamp upon it the
construction which will be accepted
as long as the Constitution is res
pectcd. \ Southern nam framed
the ordinance for tho organization
and government Of the great North
western Territory, an instrument
second oaiy in Importance to tie
Constitution Of the United States. \
ScutIera man was the author OF tie
Republican theory Of popular gov
ernment which prevailed during sixty
years Of our greatest prosperity,
peace and happiness
OF 1@5 foreign Ministers, ninety
MAE were Southern men.
The South furnished the most orii
liant officers in the Revolutionary
war AID th2 war with Mexico. 1t
uas during the Administration 0! a
Southerl. President that tllc .var Of
1912 was nau.u.ated and brought
to triumphant conclusion. 1he
master spirits Of the great struggle
we're such men as Clay, Calhoun,
Monroe, Grundy, !.owadca and
Crawford, while only five Senator's
no,th Of Tie Delaware voted to sns-
tain it. Florida was acquired from
Spain and Louisiana from France by
Southern President through the
skill aid courage Of = Southern Dip
lomat;st. Tie pluck and patriotism
OF Southern President gained the
Independence Of Texas, and added
New Mexico TO the national domain,
thus extending the boundary line to
the Pacific, and opening to the world
Tie "golien gates OF California.
Coming down 70 the more nodcrn
times. we find Matthew I. Maury, a
Southern man, holding the proud
tide Of "PhiosopIlcr Of the Seas. .
lie il YVES who mapped cut the gcoS-
raphy OF the seas, explained thelr
secret phenomena, Dlazed out or the
tracklcss ocean the shortest and SAT-
est highways for the commerce Of
tic world, and by his Wind and Cur
rent Charts ard his Sailing Direc-
tons saved the United States mil
lions Of dollars annually on outgoing
tonnage alone.
Where shall we find another Ad-
Mral SHINES who, with a single
ship, swept from the seas the com
-merce Of a great nation?
The medical records Show that two
OF the greatest Surgeons tie world
has ever known were j. Marion Sims,
Of South Carolina, and Epllraim Nc
Dowcll. Of Kentucky. The enlight-
encd world recognizes them as Lead
crs in the realm OF surgery.
Another Southernor, Judah i.
Benjamin, went to England after the
meridian Of lie, and became one Of
the Queens Councillors and the lead
ing ilrist in that land Of great law
ycrs, having on his docket at one
time half Of the appeal cases III the
kingdom.
The first steamship sent across the
Atlantic, May 70, 1919, was the Sa-
vannah.
The first railroad in America was
ii si.ort track il Broad Street,
Charleston, simply to demonstrate
the idea.
The first canal in America was the
Santec, in South Carolina.
'Fhe first patent fora steam plough
was granted to q Mr. Ballinger, Of
Barnweil, S. c. The FIRST fire alarm
telegraph, patented by Iii. Came
well, of South Carolina. was erected
and tested in the city Of Charleston.
1t j. a wcIlesta hiishcd fact that
0::,lel. Holmes, Ct South Carolina,
and not Iii Whitney, was the inven-
tor Of the cotton GIN.
Indigo, rice and cotton were first
and cultivated in the
State Of South Carolina.
South Carolina was the pioneer IN
silk culture. In the year l7'l5, Mrs.
Pinckney. the same lady who ten
wears before had introduced the indi
80 plant, took with lser to England
a quantity Of excellent silk
which she had raised and,
spun In the vicinity Of Charleston
sufficient to make three complete
dresses. One Of these was presented
to the Princess Dowager OF Wales,
and another to Lord Chesterfield.