Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1839-07-27
TO THE EDITORS OF THE STATE
OF MISSISSIPPI

Z. a. he may deem important 10 lbe advancement
a. Of the prosperity Of tie State. Already does
e Mississippi exhibit larger amount Of annual
e product Tor expectation, lhan any of her sister
States; although not one twelfth Of her resour-
4. ces hive yet been developed. Il only remains
r then Tor our people by 'riss Legislation, to re-
i NEEDY the evils which has thus far retarded our
q prosperity, and to adop, those measures which
vii tend to a development Of those ex,raordna-
r. ~ resources. which, when realized, must place
j. Mi.,issippi IN The front rank Of these States, in
wealth, aud prosperity, and IN The happiness and
! comfort Of our people.
There is no State which can boast Of more
enterprise, energy, and public spni amongst lis
citizens than Mississippi. These are attributes
necessary to advance people TO the highest
point cf national prosperity, when property drec-
, ted bat equally dangerous when under the IN
flucuce Of an ndlscreet unwIse and incun,der-
ate legislation. desire not to cast uuju cen
sure on public men and allho' | may condemn
much Of our past legislation as most unwise and
in It's tendency calculated to throw hack our state
half a century, beg leave TO declare thai believe
that the most honest and patriotic intentions have
influenced our legislators. Our State exhibits the
extraordinary phenomenon Of nation composed
mostly of Young men. Our legislature slrlklngy
illustrates the fact. There has been, aud is vel,
in that body. fine amount Of talent and educa-
ton, but great lack OF practical Information.
With great desire to elevate The State 10 the
high destiny which ITS unexamped resour.
ces may warrant, the means which the leg
lslature have. without proper consideration,
adopted and which sayoufs more of precipi-
! lance than deliberate reflection, will most un-
! quesilonably defeat the very purpose they had
! ~ view. The State has already lent its credit to
! the amonn' Of upwards Of seventeen millions OF
dollars, to monled corporations. What sufficient
/ guaranty have We that this monshous amount will
| not fall like a mountain upon the people Of the
/ Slae For the greater amount of this, say up
wards OF fifteen millions, We are told that the
State IS TO be secured by mortgages on land
the value OF the lands thus morigaped 10 be as
Sessed by commissioners. We must see that
this security Is an utter Iallacy, if we but cast our
| mind upon the cxtravagant valuation placed on
these lands by the commissioners. Have wenot
before our eyes the nadequacy of such secur.
Of land at Sheriff. sales, even where there are
individual creditors, whose interest it il 10 make
them command pnce equal TO the debt TO be
satisfied. The enormous responsibility has been
incurred by the State but the question arises.
whether the scheme has not been an utter failure
thus far and whether good has been derived
from 1t, IN any respect proporonate to the stu
pendous lIsk that the people of this State have vi.
slted on themselves and their posterty.
With the same precipitancy the State is about
to plunge into an additional DEBT of five millions
more 10 carry out scheme of internal improve.
ment without taking the time to have system
well considered and digesled for the considera
| ton Of the people Of tho State. ask nv fellow
citizens to pause. am decided advocate for
a proper system Of internal improvement, by
| which the resources Of this great State may be
| fully developed, our population increased and our
! people relieved from the letters of an indirect
trade with foreign nations But nasmuch rs
am n decided advocate of those measures, | am
opposed to the scheme proposed and conmenc.
ed by the last legislature because am well as
sured that II will DO a failure that thereby the
State will be involved in an enormous debt, and
by this means the object will be entirely defeat.
ed. propose therefore in these numbers TO
present my views on the three subjects now I'M
der Amusement in his State, all of which has an
immediate as well as remote bearing upon its
highest interests The first subject s, judi
cous location Of the Seat of Government. So
condiy, wdcons location Of the National Uni.
Versity-and thirdly, review Of the measures
already adopted, to improve the Internal condi
Ton OF The Smte with recommendation of
such system as deem not only practical. bu,
economical, and embracing not n part bui the
whole Of the State Through YOU, Mr.. Ed.
tors desire TO be heard by the people Of Mis-
sIssppL II Is true that all men of MI poltical
part'es, should unite in the consideration of the
proper means TO advance our State TO the hgh
/, destiny which awaits il, if we are only true to
ourselves appeal to you to iunte with me on
ms occasion can have no object other than
we Puole good. You occupy n hlnh and re-
{ sPohSloIe position IN the Republic. The press in
ms couatry Is an engine of tremendous power !;
ana the patriotism Of those who have heretofore
welded pubic opinion through the medium of
the press has had lis u agency in the preserva-
ION OF our Tree institutions. The appeal to you
therefore, to unite IN this great purpose OF State
reform, Will, feel assured, not be made in vain.
CITIZEN OF MISSISSIPPI.
MOI so slow. The following was stated BY
professor a, Paris, 10 his pupils:
gentleman dying made his will, by which he
provided that i his wife. shortly to be confined,
should have boy, he would take two thirds of
the property, and has mother the remainder; but
1t II was glrl, then the mother was to have two
thirds and the daughter one third. Now il so
happened that boy and a grI were born. The
professor inquired how the property was to be dl.
vided according to the wish of the tes,aor. He
called upon one Of the pupils and asked him
grasely-"Sn, what was the intention of the tes.
tator"
"su," answered the student, "his intention
. was to have but one child"