Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1845-12-13
HtVAG ROUTES

ShgH daifmfm bfHe suBefi9ritg of m,
faii raaf rgMs Ia EetsbarR, 0rer ha
uJerid ~ Hempis.
The Vttksburg route, practically, need
bat ibo $50 VI go miles 10 bg construct
led Jetwcen Montgomery, Alabama, ~,
jackson, Mss A part Of that has bcci
graded and all Of ii has been examined
and found 30 be- very favorable route
no where eucounIsdog mountains. anr
|aII OF lt,ln iIabama, running through {
! very fertile and popuous country, and in
torsecIiog the Gulf rivers at nayiaabI,
points.
| The route between the Atlantic ano
Memphis would leave the Western ant
Atlantic rail road, at point near Rome
in Georgia, and, passing through iht
mountains, towards the Tennessee river
near Gunter's Landing, and following h
valley of that river, by the way OF I'll,
Decatur and Tuscumbia rail road, wouIc
proceed nearly West, TO Memphis. This
would require a longer line of new raj
road than is required by the route tc
Elcksburg. In the Northern part oil
Georgia and to the Tennessee river, il
encounters a very mountainous country;
and, II 1t be practicable TO obtain proper
grades, that must be achieved with great
outlay OF money.
UntlI survey be made, we cannot know
how much cost those difficulties would
impose, but the very map OF the country
assures that the capital required for such
a road would be enormously larger than
what would be required on The Vicksburg
line. At whatever expense made, this
route cannot furnish as favorable grades
as the VIcksburg line, and tolls on trans.
portatIon mus: be greater.
In the circumstance that Memphis is
nearer the principal Western Tributaries
there is a seeming, without much sub
StanIdl advantage, in the river transpor.
tatlon: since, PRACTICAL y freights vary
bat a tr Iiie on articles conveyed between
the Western waters and Memphis, Vicks.
burg OF New Orleans.
Besides such connection loses sigh, O.
the vast, undeveIoped, bat capable regior
.ol country, wutered by the Yazon, Arkaa
sus, and White rivers, and their thousand
tributary streams.
Decisive as these views are, in regard
to (reights, its inferiority is most mani
fest in regard TO the other items: passen-
gers, mails, and munitions Of war. For
passengers, this route will fail to attract
travel, between the Southwest and the
Atlantic cities: the imperfect connection,
by the Alabama river, through Monigom
.ery and the rail road lines to Charleston.
Being far preferable.
The Upper West would furnish it, but
occasional travel destined East, and that
would be at times Of obstruction in the or.
binary navigation, which woud secure
TIE same advantages 10 the lower route;
the intervening 400 miles between Mem.
Iphls and Vicksburg, being an almost in.
Isuperabe difficulty with travellers, whilst
the time lost is Of little consequence upon
freights 10 those embarking their mo.
ney with the expectation of profits from
tolls, the loss of the most Of $I76,O88, in
the item Of through travel between dis
tant points, would be decisive cause 10
prefer the rival line. similar Difficult
ty affects the mail question: Neither the
mail between St. Louis and Washington
City, nor between New Orleans and
Washington City, can be conveyed on
that line, even if no rival should be made
In war view of the subject, the Mem
phIs connection can furnish no adequate
provision for the defence of any part of
the Gull coast, because it does not reach
any OF the navigabe rivers Of that ex-
tensIve frontier, whilst the Vicksburg
line strikes the navigabIe waters of all
the Gulf rivers.
In all respects connected with the gen
era interest of the West and South the
Memphis route is very inferior 10 that ter
at Vicksburg, and, in prospect
OF profit, falls short infinitely in the com
Parison. : Ncksburg hteWgcncer.