The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-10-30
M mphts convention
rHnrTonrAI Cunn

MEMrms, Wednesday Morning, Oct. "a.
The Convention was organized yesterday By the appoint
msnt Of Chairman and the selection Of member from
each delegatien to compose COMMITTEES for the nomination
Of President Vice Presidents and Secretaries Lieutenant
Mauy chosen President Of the Convanton-not how.
ever. with the sanction Of the Louisiana delegation After
the Lieutenant had taken the ohaE he made address.
stating what be thought be the objects Of the Convention
and pointing out the beat suited according his
opinion for attaining hoEs objects The scope and
dsney Of his remarks fully proved that the Louisiana doega-
ton were right in opposing his nomination.
Il Wss known at early period yesterday morning-at
least by the New Orleans and Mobile delsgatons-that the
views Of Lieut. Mauy opposed to what we considered
the true interests, not only Of cities and the Gulf
coast generally but also to the interests of the West and
South West and particularly of that portion Of States
drained b. the Mississippi We knew that while regarding
the subject Of thmean communication between the
oceans coming within the legitimate objects of the Con
veRtOn, he disposed TO look with tkeptos if
friendly the road Tehuantspec. Hence was
that his presidency could receive the sanction of the
Louisiana delegation. We were, however Oyenuled.
The Lieutenant chosen entirely in consideration of the
letter he wrote months ago. show that Memphis
would be the best terminus overland railroad from the
Mississippi to the Pacific ltwss not generally known whs9
his present views and the majority of the members of
the Convention seemed to forget how much the residents
Washington WERE during the last winter placed under the
influence of the New York capitalists headed by Rowland
& Aspinwal. Even had Lieut.. Maury's opinions been
strictly aocOTdant-as they no-wth those entertained
by majority Of the Convention, still he should not have
been chosen to preside this large body gathered Om
all parts of the country. The position of officer of the
Navy, unless he possesses remarkable talents and acquire
ments isOaes him, to greater less degree from the
movements of sOoisty almost entirely commercial and ag
cultural Nor did his opening address show that he
far able TO divest himself Of professional peudce to look
The objects of the Convention from the same point of
view that occupied By vast majority Of the people
the United States After thanking the Convention for the
kindness they had manifested in appointing him to preside
their deliberations, and asking for their indulgence
any judgments they might form the in which he
discharged the duties imposed him, he proceeded to
speak Of the necessity for connecting the waters Of the At
anto with those of the Pacific desoanng its Importance
/ to the military defences Of the country.
With singular bad tase he ssked why he lieutenant of
the United States Navy here present. and announced
that was because the ends to be achieved by the Con-
veBtOn almost purely military and chiefly for the pur.
poses Of fertilization and defence The immediate dsduc.
ton from such proposition that an overland railroad
ought to be built matter what might cost or how little
it might pay For myself said the lieutenant, " hope
if the Government builds the road that never will pay
the capital invested hope such road never would
pay any dividends wTung from passengers and the Transport
taon Of goods the country" or course such veyy
colby received by the Convention and this part of
the speech considered throwing cold water all the
overland railroad schemes. Every the Convention
is sensible enough to know that road which will not pay
for its construction should not and will not be built The
immediate deduction of several Of the delegations was that
the President unfavOTabe any overland road; and
this strengthened by the in which he spoke of
the Panama route.
The whole burden in fact of Lieut. Maurys speech was
railroad the Ishmus of Panama. Still knowing
the feeling which pevade the Western people in regard to
England he endeavored to excite their national peudces
IN favor Of this scheme of Rowland & Aspinwan He
stated that when application made English capitalists
take stock in the Panama road that they all refused well
seeing that the completion of such a work would give
American merchants advantage of from Thirty to foty
days in all the markets Of the world Then he attempted
to prove that the Panama road would be of immense advan
age TO the Misssppi Valley and all the county washed
by the waters flowing into the Gulf of Mexico Here he
ove'hot his mark for if Panama affords some advantages
to the lands sending out their products the world through
the Gulf how much greater the advantages afforded by
the road across Tehusntepec.
may be we'll however for the friends Of the Tehuapte
PEG road that Lieut. Mauy elected President of the
Convention His speech certainly paYes the way for The
introduction Of the road 10 the Convention and the pob
blly at present that the New Orleans delegation will ao
comph all that it proposes. One of our delegation has
drawn up resolutions which the appreciation of MANY
OF the leading here, and which will probably obtain
the sanction OF the Convention. At the same time that
they are general the resolutions express all that New Orleans
can hope for and viii have attained the object of our
coming, If we get them through the Convention.