Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-10-24

with reference to the Memphis and Charl-
eston rail road is at least free from this de-
gree of selfshness. The point designated
III the Charter requires, as | have shown
no divergence from the general direction
but indicates that route, which verify be-
lieye would be selected by ninety mine out
of hundred sagacious business men ia
miliar with the subject of railways, as the
most advantageous and profitable route to
the Company and besides this our people
have at all times proposed to contribute a
most liberal share of the expenses of con-
struction in consideration of the local bene
fits which We would hope to derive from
the road
So thoroughly convinced am l of the
palpable and substantial justice of ouI
claims, and the strength of the position
we occupy, that have no fears that the
present Charter will be interfered with by
our Legislature, unless this interference j:
encouraged by ourselves, or permitted by
our default. Upon what grounds would
an application for change of the Charte,
be predicalcd Would it be urged tha
this is great work of national Importance
with which State pride and State claims
have nothing to do, and which should moi
be delayed or obstructed by local interests
or local jealousies To this our Legisla.
ture would reply that projectors of all rail-
ways are prone to attach TO their favorite
scheme an imaginary importance, but that
the Legislatures of Tennessee and Ala
bama, seem to have taken more practical
view of the subject, and to have regard ed
this railroad like all others, chiefly ualuQJl.
on account Of its local benefits, which they
have taken care to turn to the best advan-
tage for themselves and their citizens and
certainly it cannot be very criminal or cul-
psble in Mississippi to do the same. She
was asked to grant away her right of emf
nent domain to facilitate the construction
of the road, and she has done so upon
terms just and liberal, even enabling the
Company by legislative enactments to en-
JOY their property and profits within her
limits free from the burden of taxation for
ever. She cannot consent to undo what
she has already done in order that her soil
may be used as mere convenience to pro.
mote the speculative objects of Company
composed of citizens of other States, and
from which her own citizens have, by the
terms imposed upon them been invidiously
excluded. The whole history of this con-
trorersy is replete with evidence that the
people of Mississippi have in every stage
of its progress exhibited spirit of moder
alton, justice and literally. whilst thei
opponents have demanded every thing ant
have been willing to concede nothing
The propositions submitted to the Board o
Directors at Huntsville on the 18th of Jan
uary, went to the extreme of lberality anc
concession The ground assumed in th,
4th Resolution of the Ripley Convention
is all that could be asked or expected =
The proposition submitted to the Board al
Florence in July manifested continued
and earnest desire on the part of the citi-
zens of this State to effect an adjustment
and willingness to go more than hal
way to accomplish it. The Legislature O.
Mississippi feels itself impelled by every
consideration to self-lespect, of State inter
est; and of paramount duty to our own ci-
tizens, to stay its hand and leave the par
ties to the rights conferred and duties im-
posed by the law as it now stands.
What just exception could be taken to
such reply as L supposed in the part o
cur Legislature to those applying for a
change in the terms of the Charter .
With what show of reason or Justice could
the Stockholders in this road, who reside
in Tennessee and Alabama, expect to OBJ
tain more favorable terms from our Legis
lature than have been conceded to them by
the Legislatures of their own States? L
the Company or its official representatives
rely upon our liberality and magnanimity
it is surely becoming in them first to illus
trate these virtues by their own example
How have they done 50? By turning &
deaf ear to every proposition on our par
for fair participation in the enterprise
by overlooking altogether our local inter
ests, and taking care of their own:-by
extending to us as an act of special favor
the privilege of building branch road witt
our own money. Upon what alleged
ground is it that this marked discrimina
ton has been made between the provision.
of the Mississippi Charter and those o
Tennessee and Alabama ? Is it because
our route is impractiea6ie By no means
The report of the Chief Engineer show.
SO far from being impracticable, the yors
portion of this route presents no more for
midable engineering difficulties than are
encountered upon the present location. 1:
it because of the heagg additional cost o.
construction on the Holly Springs route
This additional expense, even when reduc-
ed to fractions by the engineer, appears
from his report to be only S195, ] 29, ,O6
as an offset to which we have offered to
the company some 500. 900 of reliable
stock besides large and valuable local traf
fc. Is it because of the increased distanc.
upon our route. which the Engineer has
reported to be some 10 miles, and which
he agrees is Objectionable in two points Of
view, viz that it will increase the running
time upon the road and by the delay di.
minish the passenger traffic and that the
increased distance will increase the tariff
of charges and thus diminish the freight
Certainly there must be some more sub
stantial reason than this for the invincible
repugnance which has been manifested to-
wards our route, since it will scarcely be
urged with any degree of gravity that a
delay of some twenty minutes in time re-
quired to pass over this additional 10 miles,
even supposing this difference to exist
(Dxich however IS highly proJlemaatical,
would ever be thought of as an objection
by q solitary passenger either to or from
Memphis, who in the one case expects to
encounter, and in the other has made his
escape from the delays and degrees of the
river navigation. And the other part ol
the objection is equally untenable, since