Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-11-24
LIEUTENANT MAURY-s SPEECH.

LIEU IENANI MAOb1 > SPEELH.
We give below, the remarks of L. Maury o. s.
Navy, On taking his seat as Pres;den, of the Rail
Road Convention in Memphis. on the 23d October,
IS49.
GszfLsn.ra Of tie Convention:
have TO return my hearty thanks for the kind
ness you have done me. the distinguished honor
you have conferred upon me. Gentlemen. for
What are We here assembled Why have /. an
officer Of the United States NAVY. met Won in
council here to-day We are met 10 deliberate
on the most proper means Of beginning, Carving
ou and completing great national work Ultimate
y connected sith the defence of the country in
sar, and lis prosperity in peace. That great
~ork-e railroad connecting the Pacific Ocean
with the waters OF the Atlantic will DO more for
the defence and fortificalon Of the country thau
all the arsenals and Standing armies that could be
raised. Modern improvements in weapons and In
the arts o! destruction have changed the whole
system of warfare In these days of scientific
Invention, ! railroad through broad country is
lis most impreguabe fort. lire Of Telegraph lis
most powerful battery. Unless we military men
can travel as fas. IS steam or lightning. we may
well say for g, % OIheIlos occupation Is gone
For many years past our Congress have made
large appropriations Of the public money 10 in
crease the Navy, and 10 make il more efficient
10 times of peace ships have been buif or begun
and no: finished, and eft in The NAVY Yards to rot
they have not been used. and when called forth
by the exi igencies of war. they are found behind
the age IN Improvements, in model, in building
&c. These same large appropriations are annually
made 10 build arsenalS, forts, block houses and
the improvement of the harbors- The public
noaey Is thus sPen;-Essted aIGlost-for the ships
rot IN the yards many times before necessity Of
launching them arises
Another thing-GeEtlenen, We are bound bv
treaty s;Pulaiions to defend Mexico against the
hostile Indians located ia New Mexico and our
other territories This railroad will be the only
and most certain means oy which we can hope
10 carry out these treaty siiPuIations. Build the
road. and the country will, in great part. become
settled At any moment, aud 10 few days We cal
send soldiers to any part of territory wes and
thus eternal barrier be raised 10 all hostile iu-
cursions of Indians
But this road will also greatly prosper and ad-
vantag ge aside from lis connection with the de-
fence Of the country | do cordially hope, and |
earnestly solicit this convention to lay aside all
sectional and local jealousies in regard to the
eastern terminus Of the road. We all know that
there are conflicting views as to the proper ter
minus in the Mississippi river. Doubtless various
propositions will be made the convention, and all
will receive lis grave attention, but let US all de-
iermine before hand that We advocate that route,
and that terminus which will prove most advan-
,ageous for the whole country, whether that ter
minus be at Chicago, S.. Louis, Memphis, or .,
any other pCint or ell of them by connecting
branches.
We are told. as an objection to the building OF
this road. that It will not be profitable-that il will
not pay dividends in the sense and to the amount
supposed to be meant by the objection. The proper
object of this road should be the defence of the
country. and the increase of It's general wealth.
and | know these can be effected by the road,
without the necessity of wrenchiug and screwing
large dividends from the emigranis and passengers
who may be transported over It. The wealth of
the whole country will be sufficiently increased
by improved and 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 30 railroads in the
United States. | have found that their profits
arose principally from three sources from passeu-
gers, from heavy articles, such as iron and coal;
and such other articles those whose freight Is
measured by the ton, and from the smaller par
GELS and lighter, but more bulky articles whose
freight is estimated at much per square foot
An average estimate of the fregh 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 be built TO The Pacific
il were placed al 3 cents per ton. per mile, and
saw that the road will be 1000 miles long. 1t would
make the freight on one ton from the Mississippi
to the Pacific over $50. Hence It is evident.
gentlemen, il will be impossible to transport on the
proposed road any such articles as Cotton, sugar,
tobacco. hemp, -four. excep: such small quantities
of them as NAV find market on the waysde, at
short distance from the producer. But for lighter
goods. and the finer fabrics of the manufacturer.
such as Tea and silk for instance. the road will be
only great throughfare.
Gentlemen this brings me to another point-we
are met | think 10 devise the way of opening
commercial intercourse with the Pacific. by the
shortest route. And the question arises how are
we to attain this communication for such articles
as cannot possibly be carried the railroad
across the Continent. | answer at once, by
railroad or canal across the lsthmus. England
in the route round Cape Horn. has the advantage
Of US, by 10 or II days in all the markets of the