Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-08-30
From the Burlington Telegraph.
SYSTEM OF Internal improvements
West Of the NUlSsiSsiDDi.

=
Let us take it for granted that the yio-
lence of the present storm, which threat
ems the Union, will soon subside, and be
succeeded by prosperous calm; and,
ceasing to look to the dissolution of our
confederacy as one ofthe probable events
of the future, let us turn, for moment,
TO the consideration of those subjects
which may soon become of local and
special interest 10 us all.
In late number of the " es tern Jour-
nal Ia monthly publication of much mer-
it, issued at st. Louis) we notice an ar
ticle which treats generally of system
of improvements, yet to be projected, as
necessary to the full developementof the
resources of the vast region of country
lying West Of the Mississippi river, and
particularly of railroad, starting at ST.
Charles, and traversing the State of
Missouri in a norlhwesterly direction,
and thence extending northward through
the State of Iowa, on the dividing ridge
between the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers, to the Hudson's Bay settlements
Ito be constructed mainly by donations
from Congress, and to be completed as
The wants Of the times may warrant.
This proposition, at first blush, may
strike a majority Of our readers as singu-
Iarly extravagant, and as some half CEN
fury in advance of the age! Yet a little
reflection may be sufficient TO convince
even the most skeptical that the PROPOSE
ton has something of reasonable basis,
wild as it may seem, in existing facts.
Missouri is amongst the oldest and
wealthiest of the Western States; and
people generally, without stopping to ap-
ply the figures, would readily yield the
point that railroad, traversing any por-
ton Of the State, particularly any por-
ton north of st. Louis, sswonld pay" if
we may use the short hand of the day.
So well satisfied are we of the fact, from
personal observation, from knowledge
of the character and extent of the popu-
lation, and from the richness of the soil
and lis abundant and various products.
that we would deem it altogether super
fluous to 60 through the tedious process
OF calculation in order TO arrive at prop
er understanding of the matter.
This point being settled, it remains to
enquire into the state of facts at home.-
With larger extent of available farm
ing lands than Missouri, a soil equal if not
superior TO the best that she can boast,
and climate equally as propi.ious to the
abundant productions ofthe s.kindIy fruits
of the ca th, what is there 10 prevent
the State Of Iowa from presenting, at an
early day, the same reasons now seen to
exist in the State of Missouri to author
ize the mprovementcontemplated! We
are. as a State, but little if any behind
Missouri in point of actual settlements
I've mean good farms and industrious far
mers,) and but for her $4,000 people
crowded within the narrow limits of ST
Louis, Qeaving out her blacks we should
probably exceed her in actual population
Doubtless the census of 1850 will throw
us greatly in advance oil her in every res
pect--for il seems to be the destiny of
all free States greatly to outgrow and
soon to overshadow their slave neighbors.
Missouri herself furnishes the most stri-
king proof Of this fact,-for, with great
er advantages and more internal resour-
ces than any other two States in the
Union pat together, she has long since
been overhauied by, and now lags dread.
fully in the rear Of her nearest neighbor,
llllnois,-and now comes the young and
booming Iowa, with but three winters on
her head, almost ready to contest the
palm with her on any point.
We incline to the opinion, therefore,
that, on the average. we are about as well
prepared to enter upon such an enter
prise as is our neighbor on the South; at
least, we may, if we choose, with the
same propriety, beginto agitate the ques-
ton with the view of bringing it before
Congress at some future day. If III
er becomes the true interest of Missouri
10 in,ersect Us at any point with any i'm
provement of this description, it viii
certainly become our interest to aid and
encourage the enterprise.
1t is but some dozen years since the
people commenced emigrating, in any
numbers, to Iowa and forming permanent
settlements. Now we have flourishing
towns and cities stretched along upon
the banks of our noble river for dis
lance of full three hundred miles, with
populations sevcrally ranging from one
to five and six thousand, and the country
for one hundred and fifty miles in the
rear of us dotted over with villages, and
blooming as the rose beneath the tillage
OF glorious agricultural population
When we recur back to the scenes of
but adozen summers since, and the green
and beautiful but then desert plains of
Iowa, and the few. and scattered frames
of the present city of Burlington are re-
called to mind, the ARRANGEMENTS made
would seem TO have been the work Of
magic, SO wonderful has been the change,
so extraordinary the result. Young as
we still are, we have already lived to see
more than the most sanguine could have
anticipated at the time of which we
speak.
From this fact let US dednce another
THAT what has been done may be done
again. II is but three years since the
Pottawattomies left the western portion