Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-04-28
From the Central Register.
To THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGIsLA-
TURE OF MISSISSIPPI.
mo
W. +
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.

desire, as a citizen of the State
whose high destinies you now have in
charge, TO call your attention TO some
of those subjects, on which rest the
responsibility and high standing, as
well as the present and future prosper
ity of the State you represent.
feel the abiding hope, that brigh-
ter dawn is arising on the State of Mis-
sissippi. I see in the present legisla-
tive body, weight of talent, and high
moral worth, which will compare with
any political body that can be presen-
ted IN our sister States. The people,
with voice which cannot be misun-
derstood, have declared, that Missis-
sippi shall no longer be under the gov
eminent Of petty corporations. That
influence, which, like the nightmare,
has smothered the energies ofthe state
and paralyzed its resources, must be
stricken down by the enlightened wis
dom OF the present legislative body Of
the State, or the people. are deceived,
grossly deceived in the character of
their representatives. 1t has been the
curse Of our Legislation, for years past,
that the whole course of legislative ac-
ton has been system of corporation
management. Every measure which
was called for, to relieve the Difficult
ties under which the State labored,
was so contrived, that a corporation
was interposed as the nursing mother;
and the highest and most important in
terests of the State were entrusted to
the management of a set of corpora
ton gamblers. If a system of Internal
improvement was demanded, to de-
velope the mighty resources of this
portion of the Union, it again resulted
In connexion with those corporations,
whose blighting influence has fastened
upon the resources of the State; which
has left the legislature almost power
less, and the people exposed to an
overwhelming debt. And all that, for
an Improvement, which, if carried out,
will pass through a country between
Natchez and Jackson, whose inhabit-
ants have, already, the waters Of Pearl
and Mississippi,at convenient distance
Not one additional acre of land will be
brought into cultivation, and not one
additional bale Of cotton will be added
to the resources of the State, by thi
: enormous responsibility, incurred b,
the people of Mississippi. / allude t
the millions placed at the disposal G
! the Rail Road Bank at NatclIez. An,
whilst this extraordinary amount wa
thus inconsiderately sunk into tn
hands Of an irresponsible corporation
for purposes of most partial interest
the interesting regions ofcountry com
prising a part of old Mississippi, an
:. the entire cession of the Choctaw an,
Chickasaw country, has to remain
locked un from all the facilities of
market from the products of the soil
An extensive portion of the State, ricI
in the amount of its fertile lands, heal
thy we'll watered, Astounding in stream
, susceptible Of being made navigabl
at little expense, has been suffered t
remain almost wilderness; its popu
! lation retarded, and its citizens waste
by the difficulties of seeking a distar
market, over roads almost in a state {
nature.
One-fourth of the amount thus trans
ferred from the Planters Bank, Il
> the benefit of fraction of country
old Mississippi, where there was Il
!" suffering for a convenient marke
= would have placed every river in ii
State in a situation of high improve
, ment; would have developed the re
sources OF the greater part of the stat
: furnished the present inhabitants wit
a convenient market; invited emigr;
ton and wealth into those parts whic
are nov locked up in forests; increa
ed the value of every mans propert.
and caused the wilderness to blosso
like the rose. Who can calculate til
0 millions that would have been amt
: ally added to the resources of tt
y State, by this wise system of polio,
Il Let us exhibit one single instance
: illustration of our position.
n Big Black is narrow river, with
% deep channel, and more free fro
= shoals than perhaps any river in d
4 whole South, the Alabama excepte
- Its principal difficulty is at its mout
= and that may be susceptible of il
provement. But If it is not, the pc
- pie would be satisfied to be enabled
- transport the produce ofthe country
r. its mouth, where it would be ready,
If the first rise, to be conveyed to me-
! ket on the Mississippi. So easy is
= to place this valuable stream in st;
!. Of improvement, that it was, by priv'
4 subscription alone, rendered navigab
q at high mater, as high up as Rockpo
), for barges of light burden. Give 1t
- aid of the State, and only partial a
~ and it can be made a good navlgal
" river from its mouth to point in CHI
ba taw county, ten miles above Rockpo
~ With rain, this winter. that produc
be but little impression on the Yazoo
j. Bigby rivers, Big Black present
be three feet water as high up as Ro'
mort. This rise would have been S