The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-10-31
Rail Roads the order of the day.

DOOR ABOVE THE BANK.
Rail Roads the order of the day.
The foreign news, important as it may
appear to our lellow-citizens on the At.
lantic border, can have but little effect on
the well.being Of the great West.
Foreign Kingdoms and States may war
and destroy each other--Holy Alliances
may be formed for unhoIy purposes-to
us it is all the same. Itmatters but little
whether the Pope is at Gaeta or at Rome
whether the President Of France or the
Autocrat Of Russia is the greater despo:
VIC perceive such feverish anxiety ma.
infested to hear the foreign ne1cs, tc the
exclusion Of what is more important and
more interesting, we begin to doubt--we
begin to ask ourselves, whether this dis
play Of Conventions, and other public
meetings, having for their object aunion
Of public sentiment on internal improve
ments--has or has not the confidence and
approval of d majority Of the people.
We may safely venture to assert that
tie private feeling Of the people is deci-
dedIy in favor Of internal improvements,
and latterly there has been public ma
nilestation somewhat commensurate with
that private feeling, or with the import
ance Of the subject? We have had a
convention at Davenport, and a much
more important one at ST.. Louis. But
Conventions are not The bodies for ulti-.
mate and final action. They can only be
servlceabe in harmonizing and concen-
trating public opinion upon the useful
ness and propriety Of the scheme contem-
plated, and in the instances referred TO-,
have aimed only at bringing before the
Congress Of the Nation the Importance
of the objects sought, and to ask their aid
in their accomplishment.
The voice Of these Conventions will 90
before Congress with power, as express
i've Of the wants and wishes Of the people
of the West, and of the whole country.
A year or eighteen months ago, the
subject of the Dubuque and Keokuk rail
road was prominently before the people
Of Iowa, and received something Of the
attention which its Importance demanded
Now, we are almost entirely silent. The
General Assembly, at its last session, a.
dopted a memorial to Congress for a
grant Of land to aid in the construction
Of this road; but since the adjournment
Of the Legislature, the public voice has
been hushed upon the subject. As the
time for the meeting Of Congress draws
near, means should be adopted to bring
this subject again to their consideration.
The wants Of the State Of Iowa, in this
particular, must be attended to, and un-
less the people are awake to their inte r
ests and rights, how can it be expected
their Servants will do them justice?
We are glad to perceive pulsation of
. lille anlmating the public mind Of Johnson
county, upon the all-important subject of
Rail Road improvements, and hope it may
be the means Of awakening others to ac-
ton. A Mass-Convention Of the people
Of that county was held on Saturday last,
tor deliberation upon the matter, and we
would be glad to see this example follow
ed by other counties along the line of the
proposed improvements. Will the coun.
ty of Dubuque move in this matter? Shall
the petition of her citizens 60 up with
that ofolher counties, upon this great and
important subject, in which she is so vi.
tally interested?
The position Of Dubuque, in reference
to internal improvements, is peculiar and
important The right Of way for Rail
Road from Chicago to this place, has been
obtained, and the road actually in the
process of construction. During the com.
ing year, the work will be under contract
as far as Galena-a town on Fever Riv
err, only seventeen miles from this place
and speedily will be pushed through *
the Mississippi River, at Dubuque.
The City Of Milwaukee is also pushing
her Rail Road enterprise to the Missis
sipp, and expects to unite with the roae
going ives, from Dubuque through the
heart Of Iowa. This road from Mlwau
kee, is already surveyed as far as Madi
son, half the distance from the Lake t
the River, and aportion ofthe road as fal
as Pfairieville, some twenty miles from
Milwaukee,, is under contract, and actu
ally the process Of construction. 4
meeting is soon to be held in Madison
composed Of the friends Of this work a
long the whole line. To deu;sa ,,e.ns e.