470 



FARMERS' REGISTER— VIEW OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMETS. 



These and many similar considerations strongly 

 prompt to the improvement of transportation, and 

 the creation or cncouragcmciit of markets ; but at 

 the same time serve to distract the views, and 

 cramp (if not en'ectually repress,) the etTorls of 

 those most fi-iendly to the prosperity of North Ca- 

 rolina. 



Properly speaking, North Carolina has no sea 

 port except ibr the small vessels which trade to the 

 West Indies. Her European trade from Wilming- 

 ton and Newbern is carried on through New York, 

 as that which is transported on the Dismal Swamp 

 Canal is through Norfolk. It is therefore one of 

 the most generally favored schemes among the 

 many advocated through the state, to provi<le a 

 good sea port and market within the limits of 

 North Carolina — ^ind hence the support of Beau- 

 fort, which is confessedly the only good port ibr 

 large sea vessels. The great difticuities which op- 

 pose the building up this market by legislative 

 enactments, and the llirce of the opinion that " the 

 best market is that which offers the best prices for 

 the farmers' crops, no matter where situated," 

 cause as many to incline to facilitate the inter- 

 course with their present markets — Petersburgand 

 Norfolk in Virginia. Though a thorough advo- 

 cate oi free trade, and consequently of the maxim 

 above quoted, so far as immediate and pecuniary 

 interests are concerned — and though a Virginian 

 withal, who of course wishes his own state to enjoy 

 every fair benefit of trade — still I do not think the 

 desire f()r a North Carolina port should be treated 

 as unworthy of respect. Even if this desire is 

 founded on "state jjrcjudices," or if the plan, if 

 executed, would only flatter " state pride," these 

 considerations should not be oveidooked by tlie 

 statesman or political economist. The salutary ef- 

 fects of state pride, or that love of our country 

 which is not so much founded on its claim to me- 

 rit, as because it is ours — which is something like 

 the affection we feel for our families— may not be 

 estimated in dollars, but may still work to produce 

 results more valuable than millions. If an en- 

 lightened and improving people be made proud of 

 their country, they will not fiiil to make it wor- 

 thy of their partiality. It is scarcely n£=ccssary 

 to add that the same kind of pride entertained by 

 an ignorant and narrow-minded people, will scr\e 

 to repel all instruction and imj)rovement from 

 abroad, and keep them in a state of Chinese seclu- 

 sion and inertness. This excej)tion however does 

 not apply to the people of North Carolina, and I 

 verily believe that if they were proud of their 

 state (and there are few which have better claims) 

 they would he made more active and energetic in 

 every proper and judicious plan fbr the improve- 

 ment of their fine country. But in making these 

 general remarks, I do not mean to express an opi- 

 nion (which indeed I am unprepared to form,) in 

 favor of leading trade to Bcaufini. The general 

 object in view is good : but like every other good it 

 may be purchased at a cost far exceeding its value. 



The north and south rail road, the route of 

 which, though not designated by the committee, 

 may be supposed to be a southern extension of the 

 rail road from Petersburg, and the one from Ports- 

 mouth , is o])posed by the feelin gs of state pride w Inch 

 favor the Beaufbrt harbor scheme — tliough surely 

 not on proper ground. This rail road may not be 

 the best to convey the agricultural products of 

 North Carolina to market, as it passes through a 



comparatively poor country. But it appears to 

 have otlier very important advantages, which I 

 will concisely state. 1. Being in the direct line 

 of travel from south to north, and being added to 

 the Petersburg or the Norfblk railway, and almost 

 to the projected continuation from Richmond to 

 Fredericksburg and the Potomac, the long line of 

 easy, cheap, and rapid passage, would invite every 

 traveller between all the southern and southwestern 

 states, and the middle and northern : and as the 

 receipts from passengers on the Petei'sburg and 

 Roanoke railway already far exceed those from 

 the transportation of commodities, there is every 

 reason to believe that the profitsof the stock of this 

 southern extension w ould compensate fbr the con- 

 struction, independent of all other advantages to 

 the region through which it would pass. 2. As 

 the route would necessarily pass near Fayette- 

 ville, and would cross every proposed east and 

 west line of im[)rovcd communication, the first 

 would serve to convey all its products to the mar- 

 kets of North Carolina — to Fayetteville or Wil- 

 mington, Newbern or Beaufort — if these mar- 

 kets, or any of them really possess such advan- 

 tages as v.ould enable them to draw the trade from 

 its long.direct route : and if they can not so divert 

 it, it surely would bebetter in every point of view, 

 that a way should be thus opened for it, to the more 

 distant markets of Petersburg and Norfblk, or 

 perhaps to Charleston. 3. Upon the supposition 

 that a large portion of the i)roducts of lower 

 North Carolina would continue to seek a market 

 in Virginia, the railways of the latter state will 

 place that market (in facility of approach) at the 

 connnencement of the North Carolina route, in- 

 stead of being separated by from 60 to 80 miles of 

 i)ad wagon transportation, as would be the case if 

 the railv, ays of Virginia had not been constructed. 

 So far as they offer fiicilities to reach the markets 

 of their respective towns, these railways w ill be as 

 valuable to North Carolina, when her own is con- 

 nected with them, as if they had been built by the 

 funds, and within the limits, of that state. 4. The 

 alluvia! region of North Carolina is almost a per- 

 fect level along the proposed route, and would need 

 very little expense in graduation : and its noble 

 forests of pine would serve to furnish the cheapest 

 and best tindier for constructing the work, 'i'he 

 expense would be less, in comparison to its extent, 

 than perhaps any extensive railway that has ever 

 been jdanned. The timber which covers so 

 much of this vast extent of level country would 

 enable its owners to use it profitably to construct 

 cheap wooden rail roads for ordinary wheel car- 

 riages, on Williams & Hartman's plan, (as pro- 

 posed in No. o of the Farmers' Register,) to con- 

 nect with the main route, and by which this now 

 useless timber (if there were no other commodi- 

 ties,) might be conveyed to markets so distant as 

 not yet to be thought of fbr this purpose. 



EXTRACT FROM GOVERNOR SWAIn's MES- 

 SAGE, TO THE LEGISLATURE OF KORTH CA- 

 ROLINA, NOV. 18, 1833. 



General vieio of Internal Improvements. — Region 

 of Marshes. 



The excitement which seems to pervade every 

 section of the state, u{)on the subject of internal 

 improvements, has no doulit attracted your atten- 

 tion and engaged your reflection. The opinion 



