Washington telegraph., 1849-11-14
From the Memphis Times, Oct. %.
Sketch of Lieut.. Maury's Speech.


We offer to-day the promised sketch
of the speech of Lieut.. Maury, delivered
by him on Tuesday, Oh the occasion of
him taking the Chair as President of the
Convention. Our sketch is meagre and
does not justice to the eloquence and
animation of the Orator. The substance
and meaning of the address is all we have
attempted to utter in the Sketch.
Gentlemen Of the Convention.
l have to return my hearty thanks for
the kindness you have done me, the dis
tinguished honor you have conferred upon
me. Gentlemen, for what are we here
assembled! Why have I, an officer OF
the United States Navy, met you in coun-
Gil here to-day! We are met to deliberate
OH the most proper means of beginning,
carrying on and completing great ma
tional work, intimately connected with
the defence of the country IN time of war,
and its prosperity in peace. That great
work-a rail road connecting the Pacific
Ocean with the waters of the Atlantic,
will do more for the defence and fortifca-
ton of the country than all the arsenals
and standing armies that could be raised.
Modern improvements in weapons and
in the arts Of destruction have changed
the whole system of warfare. In these
days of scientific invention, a railroad
through our broad country is its most i'm
pregnable fort, line OF Telegraph its
most powerful battery. Unless we mill
tary men can travel as fast as steam or
lightning we may well say for us, "Othel-
los occupation is gone.
For many years pas: our Congress
have made large appropriations of the
public money to increase the Navy, and
to make it more efficient. In times Of
peace ships have been built or begun and
not finished, and left in the Navy Yards
to rot-they have not been used, and
wnen called forth by the exigences of
war, they are found behind the age in
improvements, in model, in building, &c.
These same large appropriations are an
nually made to build arsenals, forts, block
houses, and the improvement of the har-
bors. The public money is thus spent
wasted almost-for the ships rot in the
yards many times before the necessity of
launching them arises.
Another thing-Gentlemen, we are
bouud 10y treaty stipulations to defend
Mexico against the hostile Indians locat-
ed in New Mexico and our other terrific
ries. This railroad will be the only and
most certain means Ivy which we can
hope to carry out those treaty stipulations.
build the road, and the country will, in
great part, become settled at any moment,
and in a few days we can send soldiers to
any part of our territory West, and thus
an eternal barrier be raised to all hostile
incursions of Indians.
But this road viii! also greatly prosper
and advantage US, aside from its connee-
ton with the defence of the country.
do cordially hope, and [ earnestly solicit
this contention to lay aside all sectional
and local jealousles in regard to the Wes-
tern terminus of the road We all know
that there are conflicting views as to the
most proper terminus in the Mississippi
river Doubtless various propositions
will be made to the convention, and all
will receive its grave attention, but let us
all determine before hand that we advo-
cate that route, and that terminus which
will prove most advantageous for the
whole country, whether that terminus be
at Chicago St. Louis, Memphis, or at
any other point or all of them by connect
ing branches.
We are told, as an objection to the
building of this road that it will not be
profitable-that it will not pay dividends
and for my part [ here express the hope
that the road will not pay dividends in
be meant by the objection. The proper
object Of this road should be the defence
of the country, and the increase OF its
general wealth. and | know that these
can be effected by the road, without the
necessity of wrenching and screwing
large dividends from the emigrants. and
passengers who may be transported over
it, The wealth of the whole country will
be sufficiently increased by improving an
enlarged commerce with all parts of the
world, and by having much of the public
land settled and cultivated lying between
the States and California.
have, gentlemen, compared with each
other and examined into the operations,
dividends. freights, &C.. of more than
so railroads in the United States l have
found that their profits arose principally
from three sources, from passengers, from
heavy articles such as iron and coal and
such other heavy articles as those whose
freight is measured by the ton, and from
the smaller parcels and lighter, but more
bulky articles whose freight is estimated
at so much per square foot An average
estimate of the freight on the Eastern
railroads for heavy articles is about cents
the mile per ton, in such as iron. coal, &c
Now say that in the road proposed to be
built to the Pacific it were placed at
cents per ton. per mile, and say that the