The Arkansas banner., 1845-06-18

] tude, and think that It IS Just ana rlght, oe- cause he lives upon the best land in the State, then we cannot hope for his assistance, Tn accomplishing this great measure; otherwise we shall look for his powerful aid and lnfiu- ence. But it is not only Jefferson and Arkan- sas counties that are to be benefited by the river mail. Pulaski, Conway, and Saline, and, indeed, all the country that receives sup plies from the Rock, will feel its influence; for every article of freight they receive in low water costs them four times the usual price, Last summer, the freight was, at one time, as high as one dollar and ftty cents barrel; and one dollar coil for bale rope (100 lbs was paid by the planters of Jeffer- son for rope to bale their cotton; all of which charge to the Rockroe mail. And it is clear, from the fact of the Rolla's having run here all last summer, that 1t is practicable to carry the mail in small boats. Then if 1t is practicable, and il will take three small boats to carry the mail, 1t is evident that we shall have three chances to get justice, where last summer we had none. Will the river coun- ties stand it any longer, will they bear to see one of those little piratcal crafts come into the river, and hear her Captain boast that he has made more money than many oi the large boats on the Mississippi river' And when you attempt to reason with him on the subject of high charges, to be told that "when the water is high, and large boats are running, he must tie up or run al his own expense, the charities of the public are never directed 10 his small craft; but now the river is low and large boats shut out, 1t Is harvest for me, and l will mete out to you the same justice you meted out to me-" Itis by such course, and by such impositions, that the travelling community is forced up White river on the Rockroe mail line. On the contrary, freely admit that, in the hands of its present enter prisng proprietors, 1t answers every purpose
 of carrying the mail; and is tolerable sub stitnte for the conveyance of passengers; but
 when have said thus much, l have said all
 l can say in its favor, and that is saying but
 little; when we reflect that so small portion
 of the State is benefited by it, and when, too, the same population would be benefited
 to a much greater extent by a rlver mail, and
 all parts of the country would be equally
 embraced by its beneficial influence. The emigrant coming to seek home among us, would, on his way, see something to admire. He would, at least, see much good land, and many fine farms. Very different, indeed, must be the feelings of strangers coming to the Rock, by the two routes. It is natural to suppose that man coming to the State, for the purpose of seeking home, begins to look for good land, and an eligible location, as soon as he enters the State. Then what is his surprise, and what are his reflections, when he enters at the mouth of one of the most nayigable streams of the State, and ascends 1t one hundred and fifty miles, without seeing one spot upon which a man, having any pre- tensions to farming, would think of settling, and rlsking the prospect of making liveli- hood? And from Rockroe to the Rock, sixty miles further, by land, through poor slashy prairie, and barren hickory and oak hills, all poor land. So when he enters the city of Little Rock he says to himself, ''I have trav- elled to the Capitol of the State of Arkansas, along the most important mail route in the Slate!" and judging from other countries, he will, of course, say, s'this route lies in the best part of the country, and, consequently, the best settled l see the surrounding coun- try here is poor pine hills, and, am told, from this to the Hot Springs is but contin- nation of the same l see around me. l am discouraged, will go back, and when I get to the Mississippi river, will shake the dust from my feet and take boat, the first that passes, and go home. Let others do as they may, for me, will stay where have lived, or seek home in some better country"
 The above remarks apply with equal force 10 the Memphis road. IL is true, that along the Memphis road thousands pass through our State, to Texas; and those thousands pay tribute to our swamps and poor lands, through which that road passes; which would other wise scarcely have an inhabitant, or ever see dollar. It Is useful to Texas, and, there- fore, does some good; but are the people of Arkansas more interested for Texas than for themselves' see they are holding public meetings, passing resolutions, lauding the Memphis road as a great national benefit, and asking of the General Government money to complete it, and proposing to build bridge at the Rock, across the Arkansas river for the convenience of Texas emigrants. Now l yield to no man in desire to see Texas annexed to the United States; but when an neXed, want to let her alone. think ''charity should begin at home," and am sure there are abundant objects at home, more worthy our charity, our enterprise, and in- dustry than the Memphis road or the Rockroe mail. For instance, an appropriation equal to what 1t would take to complete the Mem phis road, would levy the Arkansas river, from Pine Bluff to the mouth at Napoleon; and believe from thence to the Louisiana line. But levy upon the south side of the Arkansas alone, would reclaim more than a million of acres of the best cotton land in the south; and it's benefits be felt greatly in the State of Louisiana. Mir. Rives, in the last Legislature of Arkansas, set forth the advan- tages of such levy much more eloquently than l am able to do, and is the only states man that has properly estimated the advan- tages of such a work. Then a good road would be the natural consequence of dry country, and the distance from Napoleon to the Rock one hundred and tacenty-fre miles.
 But have digressed from the object of my communication. l took up my pen to advo- cate the Arkansas mail line; but having been led off upon other subjects of collateral inte- rest, will quit the subject, after observing that have lived twenty-eight years on the Arkansas river; and, within that period, have