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the constitutionalist.
J A IVIES GARDNE I!. JR.
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tea. 1 ”
[ From the N. O Delta 3d inst. j
Butlie of Bucks* Visla.
As pvprv tiling relatin'; to tho great
bailie nf Buena vTsta is deeply interesting
we publish the followin'* letter foin one
whj bore a pari in that glorious achieve
ment:
Saltillo, February *27, 1847.
Eds. Defta. —Throw up your caps and
B hout—we have‘-fought the good fight,”
and won against odds so gfea f , that we
can sea reel V realize it ourselves.
For some lime past it has been suspect
ed that Gen. Santa Anna would take ad
vantage of the weak and exposed condition
of this army, and attempt to crush it with
a lar m force. On the night of the 2()th,
our parties fell in with his army, 30 miles
from our camp, and as the latter had been j
.elected solely with reference to wood and
water, Gen. Taylor determined to fall
back to a stronger position 11 miles in the
rear. , , . .
On the afternoon of the 221, (auspicious
day!) the enemy’s columns appeared m
eight, and Gen. Santa Anna sent a Hag
to Gen. T. with a note, stating that he
was surrounded by more than 20,000 men,
end offering to accept the surrender
Gen. T., in order to spare the effusion ol
blood.
The General at ftrsttold Maj. Bins !o
write that he was not in the habit of stir- i
rendering to any one, and as for his 20.000 I
men, he didn’t care if he had 50,000; but
be afterwards sent a note of a somewhat j
different tone, declining respectfully to j
accede to the proposition, and at it ve
went, hammer and tongs. Night put an
end to the fight on the22d, without either
party- having gained any advantage, the I
affairs having been between light troops.
On the morning of the 23*!,. the fight i
was renewed, and onr people were tudv !
aware that there was a hard day s w'otk
before them. The enemy’s force a manned
to 24 000 men, with 13 pieces of 10s. 12s. j
and 8-., (all larger than anv of ours.) j
besides a brigade of horse artillery, while ,
our armv numbered 4320, ad told, and 13
pieces of artillery.
The. enemv directed his efforts to turn
our right, which lie succeeded in doing
in handsome style, about the middle of
the day', with a,column ofahout 5000 men i
—threatening the camp
and baggage. At this nrfosson-t uLiitgs>*
looked desperate far us, and die enemy j
had the victory to all appearances. B it
the old General would not think so. lie
girded up his loins, pitched into them
with infantry, cavalry and artillery,
cheeked their advance, then made them
waver,and finally put them to flight in
confusion. They never regained the
advantage—both our flauks were protect
ed from their enterprises, and about an
hour before sunset their firing had nearly
ceased. We slept on the field, and in the
morning discovered that the whole force
of the enemy had decamped in disorder,
leaving a larg° number of killed and
wounded on the field, who were taken by
us. Qur loss has been severe, perhaps
700 men, killed and wounded. But that
of the enemy must he far greater. The
precision of our artillery fire, (which
saved the fight.was incredible. Shot
after lyhot would fall into their corps, ca r
rying destruction to whole ranks. Go
the 25th,after we had had all the ran
cheros of the country at work burying
their dead, I went over the field to make
a plan, and, besides the many scattering
bodies in pairs and singly dispersed over
the field, I saw three groups, one of eight,
one of seven, and one of sixteen! each
group having apparently been slain hv a
single ball. An officer was lying in the
first, and another in the last.
The army of Santa Anna became en
tirely demoralized after the fight, and he
ha. retired on the San Luis road, on which
ho advanced.
His plan of operations was well project
ed—white advancing upon Gen. T. with
an army which he confidently believed
we could not resist an hour, he threw a
corps of 1500 cavalry five miles in out
rear, and another nf from 4 to 6000 on i
our line between Monterey and Comargn. I
These corps arrived in position at the j
wine time that lie appeared in our front, j
It is said that orders were given to take i
no prisoners. Ido not credit it; hut from
the ferocity evinced by their cavalry in ‘
putting to death all our wounded whom
they passed, I am certain that if we had !
been beaten on the 23d. not a man would ;
k»vo reached the Rio Grande. Besides,
the whole country, which we have gained
at such acewt of blood and treasure, would
have been wrested from us in a fortnight.
Although w© were the actors, we may
be pardoned for saying that our victory
has been a glorious one. The battle was
5 fought in the open field by 4320 men,
against 24.000, and a greatly superior
force of cavalry. Gen. Taylor, God
Lies his soul, narrowly escaped. A buli
struck, the breat of his buttoned coal, (a
very bald one by tlis way.)made five holes,
passed through his shirt and under-shirt,
without drawing blood.
i could relate a thousand acts of gal
lantry, but really would be at a loss
which to select, if I had the time, which
I have not. When we drove back
the column that had turned our left flank,
two Mexican officers came in to know
ichol General Tuylor leanted!'' 1 he old
hero replied instantly, that he wished
General Santa Anna and his army to
surrender at discretion, and would give
him half an hour to consider —which was
a tolerably cool proposition to come from
the commander of 4800 men, to one with
24,000 at his heels.
Yours, T. B. L.
AUGUSTA. GEO..
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 9, 1847.
O'No mail received last evening from
(Hikes North of Charleston.
Hr The communication signed “Publius,”
is from an able pen, and is well worth the
consideration of every Democrat. We will
not occupy our columns at this time with
comments of our own on the topics 4 discussed,
though prepared to do so, but will defer the
task for a few days, to make room fur items
of more pressing interest.
At this lime, we will merely say that none
ran desire the harmony and identity of opin
ion of the great Democratic party, more sin
cerely than we do. But we cannot be insen
sible to the disclosures which the Wilmet
Proviso has made as to the fidelity of north
ern Democracy to our constitutional rights.
; We feel admonished that the south must re
! ly upon herself and not upon northern De-
I mocracy for protection. Whether Mr. Cal
houn is to be the Pallinurus to guide us
through the storms and the breakers that
threatens us, is a minor question. We are
■ not with him in opposing under all circum
stances a national convention of the Demo
crats. But having serious apprehensions
that a Wdmot Proviso candidate would be
put upon us by Anti-Slavery delegates, we
should advise that the southern delegation, in
such a contingency, should withdraw in a
I tody, and abjure b th the nominee and the
j P art y-
Q-ITCoI. Totten (bearer of despatches) and
; Maj. Chase, nf the army, and two naval offi
ce 13, all from Vera Cruz, passed through our
city yesterday morning, on their way to
W ashington.
They represent the carnage as dreadful
| among the Mexican forces and population of
! Vera Cruz from our batteries. What is to be
much lamented, is that the lives of many wo
-1 men and children were destroyed. Three days
notice had been given the Mexicans for all
persons to withdraw except those underarms,
j and it was hoped that at least their women
and children would have been sent to places
of safety.
Major Vinton was killed while standing
up at his battery by the descent of a shell,
which struck him on the side of the head and
| parsed down his breast without exploding.
|lt wa4 picked *'P> an( l examined. It was
w'kh mussel ba!!s!\ *
General Scott hajJ already sent forward a
portion of his forces towards the City of
Mexico, and wouldsoon follow with the main
body of bis army, first leaving sufficient gar
risons in tbe City of Vera Crdi, a fid the Cas
tle. We may therefore expect to hear in a
few clays that the banner of the Stripes and
Stars floats in triumph over “the Halls of the
Montezumas.”
Tiic Illumination
Last night was grand and beautiful be
yond description. Broad-street shone re
splendency in a blaze of light. Nothing
could exceed the brilliancy of the display.
It seemed a work of enchantment, such as
f.he Palace-creating lamp of Aladdin could
not have surpassed, in responding to his j
brightest dreams of splendor. Almost every
window,with some exceptions where sickness
or tenantless rooms interrupted the line of j
lights, was converted into a blaming chande- i
O j i
lier. The sky above seemed overspread
with an effulgence that resembled the lustre
of the Aurora Borealis.
The street was thronged with a dense mass j
of people, passing up and down,admiring the j
i gav exhibition. Banners fluttered in the air
and transparencies greeted the eye in every |
direction. The boomin'* of cannon and the j
enlivening strains of martial music, the shouts
of the multitude, the fire balls, and sky rock
ets and Roman Candles, a'l united to charm
the senses and swell into an exulting tide of
joy the feelings of our citizens at the late
brilliant feats of tbe American arms.
The air was mild and delightful, which
i tempted the ladies to come out in all the ra
i diance of their beauty, to add the potent
charm of tiieir bright glances, and sueet
: voices to the gay sights and sounds which ■
{. led the senses captive. It was rather l.ke the ;
i display of a Carnival than of a ball room,
yet might we apply the words of the poet to
' another scene more famous, but not more
; brilliant—
I “There wa? a sound of revelry by night,
| And Belgium’s capitol had gathered then
Her beauty and and bright
The lamps shone on fair women and Grave men.
A thousan 1 hearts beat happily, and when
Mu=jr arose with its voluptuous swell,
Soft eves looked love to eyes which spake again,
And all went merry as a marriage bell.”
We will not attempt a particular descrip
tion, where ail was so showy. But we will
mention that in addition to the brilliant
displays on Broad-street, the City Hall, illu
minated on every side, lowered in sp'entor
above ilie tender fuilage of its beautiful
grove and glittered amidst the surrounding
gloom “like a diadem upon the brow of night.
We strolled along the crowded pavements
and watched with unabated interest the
bright spectacle, until each lingering light
faded in darkness.
And as Ihe night gradually assumed her
empire over our city, we recalled to mind the
poetic simile which describes the parting day
that
, *' Dies like the Dolphin, whom each pan" imbues
j With a new color as it p.ops iuvay
ihe Inst—still loveliest—till—’tisgone—and all is
j gray.”
, Alter this very tasteful and patriotic dis
; play, the most brilliant but not the only one
which the events of this war has occasioned
. among us. Augusta may appropriately bo
called—The City of illuminations.
Another Concert.
The accomplished musicians who perform
ed, fur the last time, as they fully expected,
before an Augusta audience on Wednesday
evening, were prevailed upon by a large num
ber of the audience present, to give one more
concert. We never saw an audience more
delighted with an entertainment. They will
therefore appear again this evening. See
advertisement. •
[communicated]
Mr. Editor—l consider this a crisis with
the democratic party in Georgia. The party
is strong, aye, powerful, and all that it re
quires to be absolutely and permanently
triumphant, is union. • Its principles are its
strength, its invincible power, if scrupulous
ly adhered to. If we forsake them to run
after men, we shall lose the firm support
which they ever give to the cause which
they sustain. The great standard principle
of the democratic party is an adherence to
the letter and spirit of the constitution. They
regard the constitution as the same unvarv
, ing charter—not fluctuating with expedien
cy or changing with popular caprice.
I think I may safely say, that no adminis
tration has sustained more nobly its great
principles than that of Mr. Polk. It has
given fervor and life to the doctrine of free
trade. He has firmly rebuked all efforts to
overstep the bounds of the constitution, to
look fur objects of unauthorized appropriation,
lie has, enforced with great power, and so
has his able minister of finance, the necessi
ty of the strictest economy in those expendi
tures which are warranted by the constitu
tion and demanded by the public exigency.
In the management of our foreign relations,
he has shewn wisdom and patriotism. He
has asserted and maintained the rights of
i the country and vindicated the honor of the
nation. He has answered the expectations
of his friends, whilst he lias falsified the
j wicked prophecies of his enemies. His poli
cy towards Mexico is approved by a large
majority of the people. There are but few
democrats who would now bo willing to see
him recall the army to the Ilia Grande, or
even to an arbitrary unsettled boundary } and
thus leave on the mind of the Mexican, the
conviction that either his climate or his
sword, secured him an impunity for ipsult or
aggression. It is a matter of sincere regret
that I have observed a disposition, on the
part of representatives in Congress, who
|j ;vc fraternized with the democratic £arty on
other subjects, foseptrate from them on this,
a measure identified with the honor of the
nation and the security of its rights.
1 have said ihai I conceive this to be a crisis
with the democratic party. It is tru’y so.
But for tint, I would spare my pen (he labour
of this feeble effort. I foresee divisions and
dissensions. If they come, they will grow
out of personal attachments to men, attach
ments so strong too, -as to overcome, to st me
extent, that devotion to principle, Which
i should be held inviolable by every democrat.
It should be a rule without an exception, that
| no man shall be upheld as the candidate of
j the democratic party for the Presidency who
' is not sound, to the core, on every cardinal
principle of the democratic party, and who
i has not sustained (he measures and policy of
i the democratic party. “The tree is to be
| known by its fruit. We do not gaiher
| grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles.” It i»
i not to that some of Mr. Cal
! boon s friends look forward to running him
i as an independent candidate. I hope that
this project will receive no countenance in
Georgia. If it should, democrats who love
i principle more than men, should begin to
j marshal their forces and buckle on their ar
; mour. It should be resisted to the end.
; There ' s n 0 possibility of Union without a
: nomination. The great difficulty is to be
the organization of a convention on a plan to
harmonize conflicting views. My own opin
ion is that we should consider well, before
we depart from ancient usages, which have
worked beneficially in practice. The peo
' pie are satisfied with the present mode of
! procedure, and there will be danger in adopt
infT any plan emanating from an individual
aspirant. Mr. Calhoun wishes elections of
delegates to bo held by the people in the dif
ferent Congressional districts. Another as
! piranl might desire a different plan of elec
| tion and organization. If the people con
sult the fastidious tastes of aspirants as to
• the mode either of selecting delegates or or
ganizing a convention, they will surrender a
principle of voluntary action by which alone
their real wishes can be attained. I find,
Mr. Editor, you approve <jf Mr. Calhoun’s
plan and pronounce it decidedly preferable.
This, I must conclude, you have done, with
| ollf a due consideration of its tendency and
effect. There are to my mind, irresistible
objections to it. It will create a personal
rivalry amongst democrats, and engender
I feelings of resentment. Any thing but har
i mony will grow out of it: democrats will be
| set together by the ears. A glorious specta-
S de for whigs! Again, wings will vote in
| the choice of democratic delegates. There
wiji be no preventing it, and in this manner
thev will control democratic nominations.
I repeat it, we should pause, before we de
part from ancient usages. There can be but
little fault in a system which has given us
such men as Jefferson, Madison, Monroe.
Jackson, Van Buren and Polk. Depend on
it when a man’s purity and consistency of
conduct, his wisdom and ability have given
him so strong a hold on the affections of the
people as to enti !e him to their support, there
will be no danger of juntos and caucuses.
Hut here permit me to say, that democratic
nominations ought not to be thus character
ized, at least in Georgia. Public notice is
given and all who choose attend. Delegates
are appointed, or nominations directly made.
There is neither secrecy nor dictation and
the proceeeding is free from the excitement
of an election. Besides, Ido not consider it !
a matter of so much importancehave lie
name of Mr. Calhoun submitted to a demo
cratic convention as a candidate for the Pre
sidency, that tiie whole action of the demo
cratic party in its organization, should be
made to conform to his wishes. His objec
tions imply a censure upon the integrity of
former plans.
The Democratic party has departed from
no principle. Mr Polk’s Administration has
departed from no principle—nor from the ob
vious policy of the country in any of its mea
sures, and yet Mr. Calhoun is found in op
position except on the Tariff and Sub-Trea
sury. His departure has been voluntary.
When he voluntarily ret urns, the spirit erf con
ciliation will welcome and recieve him. This
is all that can he expected. It is all that
Democrats will consent to.
Mr. Calhoun and his state have been kept
aloof from the Democratic party, in its party
action ever since his breach with General
Jackson. Both have refused to go info Demo
cratic nominations except on terms prescribed
by themselves. Mr. Calhoun lias opposed
the measures of Mr. Polk towards Mexico—
measures demanded by the relations between
the countries and opposed by the Demo
cratic party, He now wishes to recall the
troop?. He has given no cordial support to,
the war. He did not respond to the call of |
the President for men and money for its en- :
ergetic prosecution. Instead of vhtii g both,
promptly, Congress postponed its action to
the tinal moment, leaving our brave men in !
Mexico, in a state of inaction during a long
period that they, with sufficient reinforce
ments, ought to have been operating against
the enemy. The mischiefs of this delay have
already been partially and grievously expe
rienced. Had the recommendation of the
President been seonded by the prompt ac- ;
tinn of Congress at the very first week !
of the session, Gen. Taylor might have 1
been sufficient 1 v reinforced to have captured
or destroyed the whole Mexican army. Con
cress is entitled to no thanks that Gen. Tay*
lor and his whole army were not captured and
massacred hv the Mexicans. Their own un
aided resources of skill and valor secured
them. But this i< not the only evil to which
our brave men are subjected by the delay.—
They are to he thrown into the rainy and
sickly season, in a climate fatal to strangers,
and in an enemy’s country. 'Hie inhuman
and culpable tardiness ofCongress in strength,
euing the army, will bring more disasters to
the American soldiery, than all tfie contri
vances and forces of the enemy with whom
they are engaged. Where were the genius
and {Slents of Mr. Calhoun amidßiis time of
trial and peril to the army? Slumbering in
sullen lethargy in the Senate. Such times
“try men’s souls.” When the army bill came
up fur final action in the Senate, a constitu
tional doubt was suddenly sprung on his
vigorous mind, unhinged it and reversed for
a time his notions of near half a century on
the subject. Unfortunately all Mr. Cal- ■
houn’s doubts have operated most unfavora
bly to the Democratic cause.
The stupendous project of internal im
provement, confined to be sure to the Missis
sippi and its great tributaries, if carried into
effect, will render futile and abortive all the
effirts of the Republican party in favor of free
trade. It would create necessities fur duties,
even on the ad valorem principle that would
be acceptable to the most ultra protectionist.
To the consumer, I presume, it would make
but little difference, whether he is plundered
horizontally or perpendicularly , on the ad va
lorem principle, or the principle of absolute
protection. This measure of Mr. Calhoun is
understood to be much disapproved in his
own Slate, as unwarranted by the Constitu
tion.
What I have written. Mr. Editor, has bec n
prompted by a sincere desire to harmonize the
j Democratic party and produce unity of ac
tion. This can be done by adhering to prin
ciple alone. The Democratic party has its
well defined principles. Those who depart
from them, seperate themselves, to that ex
tent, from the party. Mr. Calhoun, from the
ourity of ids private life and the stupendous
■ power of his mind, has attracted to him much
admiration; but *t?re are few, I trust, who
will be allured along his gi'ded path, when
they reflect that to pursue it they must do it
at the sacrifice of their dearest principles.—
Mr. Calhoun is a tower of strength to any
cause which he advocates. So are Henry
Clay and Daniel Webster. They can all give
plausible reasons for absurd propositions.
For this cause the} are the more dangerous.
Had these great minds co-operated, from the
time they became known to the public, in sus
taining the great principles of the constitu
lion, what a structure of concord, prosperity
and happiness might they not have reared !
How complete and how durable! It is not
because the two last named gentlemen are
Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, or that the
latter is of the West and the former of the
North, that they are not sustained by us. It is
because their principles are not identical with !
ours. Identity of principle is the test.
Before I conclude, Mr. Editor, will you per
mit me to (jive this public expression of the
high estimate I place upon the zeal and abili. |
tv with which yon have sustained the patri
otic administration of Mr. Polk, who has so
firmly adhered to tiie principles proclaimed
by the convention which nominated him,
PUBLIUS.
P. S. Mr. Calhoun I perceive, now opposes
a nomination and a convention, under any
plan of organization. P.
[communication.]
At a public meeting of the citizens in favor o
re-building the L pper Bridge, held at Lamback’s
Loni; Room, on the 31st March, 1817, it was
Resolved, That a Committee of iliree be ap
pointed by lhe Chair, to request of each of the |
candidates for the Mayoralty, to inform said com- i
inittee, fur the information of the voters of the
« ily at the approaching election, whether or not,
they, or either of them, if elected, will support or
oppose the immediate re-bailding of the Upper
Bridge.
Under which, Messrs. 11. C. Bryson, L. Hopkins I
and S. 11. Oliver, were appointed.
They addressed the following note tothecandi- |
dates,accompanied hy the resolution :
Sir: The undersigned appointed a committee,
agreeably to the above resolution, respectfully re- j
quest, your attention to the same, and a reply at as
early an hour as may he convenient.
Respectfully,
[Signed by the Committee.]
Having received the replies of the gentlemen ad
; dressed, we sent them to the Chairman of the
! meeting, with the following note :
i* ’ =
P. Stovall, Esq., Chairman,&c.
Dear Sir : The undersigned committee to
whom was assigned the duty of ascertaining the
views of the candidates before the people for the j
r
office of Mayor, on the subject of re-building the I
Upper Bridge, addressed separate notes to t lie gen
i tlernen. from whom they have received the follow’-
! ing, which they beg leave to submit, as their re
port. Respectfully yours,
[Signed hy the Committee ]
Subsequently the replies w ere replaced in our
( hands, and we now hand them to yon forpnblica
j tion. L. HOPKINS,
11. C. BRYSON,
S. 11. OLIVER.
AUGUSTA, April 2J, 1817.
Gentlemen : I have received your note to-day,
communicating a resolution adopted by the meet
ing of the citizens in favor of re building the
j Upper Bridge, with your request that I will give my
i attent'on to the same, and an early reply,
I cheerfully comply with your request. I was
! opposed to the re-building of the Upper Bridge, as
j proposed to the Council in June last, being per
snaded that a Bridge to he fini>hed at a cost of \
, $10,01)0 would seriously endanger I lie lower bridge;
I tlie question, however, never reached the Chair,
j an I 1 had no opportunity of voting upon it.
In ny opinion it is inexpedient to build abridge
' of any kind, nnder existing circumstances.
I thus give you gentlemen, distinctly my opinion
! upon lids question; regreting that the teims of the
| resolution preclude me from giving the reasons
i therefor—which,otherwise, 1 would gladly give.
With respect, gentlemen,
I am your obedient Servant.
LEWIS I). FORD.
To L. Hopkins, H. C. Bryson, 6.11. Oliver, Com
i millet.
I _ !
AUGUSTA, April full. 1817.
i Gentlemen: As one of the candidates for
! Mayor, I am asked by you, the organ of a public
! meeting, to say, “whether nr riot, if elected, I
i will support or oppose the immediate re-building
j of the Upper Bridge.”
The wording of the enquiry would seem to limit
i my answer to a narrow range, and, 1 presume, was
■ so intended. Whatever might he my opinion of
the public expediency of re-building this bridge,
at any indefinite future period, I am opposed to
its being done immediately. B -fore assigning any
reasons for such opposition, which, I presume, the
committee expect, I will he allowed to say g< ncr
ally, that, if elected Mayor, 1 shall feel the, sphere
of my duties expand beyond the narrow limits of
any particular section. I shall consider myself the
Chief Executive officer of the whole city, and
hound to consult, with equal and impartial hand,
the interest of every part —believing that what
permanently benefits a portion of any communi
ty. tends by a reflective action, to spread its pros
perity over the whole. And as lam bound by the :
i principles of the Republican creed, to he ruled j
jhy tlie maj irity, whatever the majority of my fel- |
low citizens determine, it will he my duty and
pleasure to execute with all the zeal of my nature
—content, if my particular opinions shall he over
ruled, to acquiesce in the wisdom of the decision
against me.
I cannot expect the reasons I may assign fir ray
own opinion will he universally approved, and 1
am aware of many of the suggestions, by which ;
their force is attempted to he parried. Though due
weight is given to said suggestions, the substantia ,
validity of those reasons is not, in my opinion,
much weakened. 1 will only state a few of the
most obvious and least disputed reasons against the
“immediate re-building of the Upper Bridge.”
The city is deeply in debt and will require, for
some time to come, all her resources to maintain
her credit. And we have on hand a great unfin
ished public work, on which the city has expended
nearly S'2OO.OJO. That work should be completed
at least the probable prospect of its successful} !
operation secured, before any other large expendi
tures a r e ordered, which if they only substituted
one species of city property for another, might still
impair her credit and lessen herahility to complete |
this great enterprise. Her Rail Road Stock, fo r
instance, from its divisibility, could, in any emer
gency, he more readily converted into money than ;
either of her Bridges. And the successful opera- j
tion of this great public work, Is expected to re
dound to the special, if not exclusive, benefit of
that portion of the city, whose prosperity, it is
thong t, has been affected by the destruction of the
Bridge.
The “immediate re-building of the Upper
Bridge” will not surely be urged as a financial
measure, as it would cut so poor a figure in tlie
budget of the Finance Committee. Became, Ist,
it would probably not yield as much income as the
Rail Road stock, by the sale of which some pro
pose to rebuild it; the receipts of that bridge, du
ring the last years of its existence being scarcely
sufficient to pay a gate-keeper. And 2ndly—Be
cause, though there will he a double outlay of cap
ital, (two bridges,) the profit, to the City Treasury
is not increased, in as much as what is paid as toll
at the upper bridge would he little more than so
much substracted from the present receipts of the
lower; w hile the expence of management, repairs,
&c. would be all doubled.
But there is another reason, which cannot be
1 -immediately set aside. I mean the threatened dis
! ficulty with South Carolina. It is more than pro
| bable, that we shall not get our charter renewed
I for exen the lower bridge without great opposition
| and the attempted imposition of conditions subver
, sive of the interests and abhorrent to the pride of
the city. 1 deem it imprudent, from public consid
erations, lobe more particular. Shall we increase
our probable trouble, by doubling, at this time, the
area of annoyance? Eel us settle one difficulty
before we start another. Has the. public forgot
ten the history of the upper bridge—how its own
ers were annoyed by vexatious law-suits, Ac. ami
a charter obstinately refused by South Carolina?
It is nearly certain, that she will still refuse a
charter. Shall the bridge then rot down w hile
the dispute is settling?
I spoke of annoyance. I meant nothing disre
spectful to South Carolina, whose duty it is to se
cure to her citizens their rightful proportion of iho
j public trade. None will deny that the main ob
ject of the upper bridge is to divert, if possible,
i some portion of the trade of our spirited little sis
ter on the opposite bank of the river. Will not
South Carolina protect her? Is it not her duty to
do so? Has she not already exhibited her jealousy
of the effect of our Canal, by ordering Bull Sluice
to he examined, and the expense estimated of im
proving its navigation on the Carolina side? Bull
| Sluice had tumbled its angry torrent over the rocks
' for ages, and possibly would have continued to do
I so for ages to come, undisturbed and unaltered, if
the step of improvement, so near her repose, had
not aroused the sleeping energies of our neighbor.
I But she is now fully awake to every movement in
j tins quarter, and if we are to judge from recent
legislation on these subjects, will attempt to thwart
our efforts with an ill-natured good-will.
To show what even individuals can do in
thwarting the promised benefits of the upper bridge,
the owner of the land between that bridge and
Hamburg told me, within a week, that as soon h<
the bridge was begun, he would open a large pub
lic road on the hank of the river from the foot of
that bridge to Hamburg. He has a perfect right
! to do so, not only as lord of the manor, but in vir
{ tue of a reservation to that effect by the former
owners of the lower bridge, and if his manorial
rights should not extend to the future location of
the bridge, llie Commissioners of Roads in South
Carolina, who have ample power, would, I have
' no doubt, without hesitation, remove such difficul
ty. Suppose this done—w hat will he the eonse
| qnence? Trade, if free, it is well-known, will
; choose its own markets and deal in the most profi
table. You bring traders to the foot of the bridge,
within a mile of two rival markets. As it re
spects the Carolineans, is it not probable they will
consult their ow n market before crossing over to
ours? Would not State pride determine the wa
vering of interest? As it respects North Carolina,
Temie see. Kentucky, <Lc., “Let us first go to
Hamburg,” they would say, “we shall there hnvo
as good a bridge with as cheap a toll,over w hich,
as well as here, we may seek, if necessary, to bet
ter our bargains in Augusta.” This is much more
probable than that they will lake the opposite
cuurs* —cross to Augusta first on tlie upper bridge,
and if that market does not answer their expecta
tions, be finally compelled to sell at a disadvan
tage in Hamburg as their last resort. To allege
that they would surely come to the largest market
first, is to assert that they would not trade in Ham
burg at till, and contradict® all past experience.
No, I have never rated the probable benefits of
that bridge us highly as many others. The depres
j sion of business and lessened value of property in
the upper end of the city may be more truly us
cribed to the general causes which have operated
every w here, than to the destruction of the bridge,
i The business of the whol- city has been changed,
am! will be farther changed, by the public im
provements, and time must elapse bcf«re it can
adapt itself to such a revolution. Nothing will
restore the. old wagon trade. Many persons are
j di-posed to place the purchase and Ireedora of Fu
ry's Ferry on a par with the restoration of tho
bridge. The great body of trade that would cross
the upper bridge would as easily find its way
across Fury’s Ferry. The road is nut only shorter
by 4or 5 miles, hut vastly better than (he Mar
tintuwnfjroad, which is, for nearly half the year,
one of the worst roads within my knowledge-
Above all, this is certain:— Hamburg would get
none of the trade that approached Augusta on that
route.
j It is acknowledged that much may be said, and
paid truly, in faxor of the. restoration of the upper
bridge. Many believe that it would add to the.
probable business of the upper end of the city. If
such opinion should become general, and be indi-
I rated by a corresponding instruction to the city
government, it will become the duty of the city to
rebuild it as soon as her finances will permit, and
I particularly so. ns, from the alleged destruction of
the, bond of the first purchasers, in which the ori
ginal stockholders are said to have stipulated for
i its permanent continuance, the city, though she
| purchased without that condition, but with in
knowledge, lies under something like an obligation
to rebuild it.
With great respect, I remain
Your fellow citizen,
j. g. McWhorter.
: To L. Hopkins, Harper C. Bryson, IS. H. Oliver,
j Committee.
]>ir.(lcuii.
The Savannah Institute for Savings
has declared a dividend of eight per cent
payable on the T2lh ins?.
News from ffiurcpe.
The Mary 'l', llnnleii, Captain M’Near,
arrived at New-York on Saturday last
j from Cork, whence site sailed on (lie sth
ult. one day af:er the steamer. We may
look daily for the arrival of a packet with
latter news.
At the late adj m rued term of the Snpe
j riot C >url in Greene, the two Boons were
| sentenced hy Judge Meriwether, the elder
to be hung, and the younger to the Peni
tentiary for life.
India ICubbcr.
The growing importance of this article de
mands a passing notice. A few years since, it
was only usetul for rubbing out the marks of a
lead pencil. It was then, through the enterprise
o American citizens, manufactured to some ex
tent by the natives of Brazil, into over-shoes and
j bottles, and became a considerable article of im
! port. The principal supply still coates to us from
Brazil, mostly in the form of shoos and butties;
and the trade emplo. s unite an amount of ship
ping, owmed pi incipaily in New York and bt
lem. Mass. The shoes and bottles are now used
as a raw material, which being ground by cylind
ers heated with steam, and compounded wuh
minerals, form a water proof and durable coating
for cloth —that can be joined by its own adhesive
ness, and manufactured into almost everything.
If is then heated to a point far heynd the degree
of heat at which native rubber is destroyed. A
chemical change is produced, and it assumes a
new character, and great additional strength,
though still retaining its elasticity and water