The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-12-12
For the Post.
THE KNOXVILLE PLEBEIAN.

Zone view OF the subject" appeared
in the above paper OF Nov. 20, which
strange as it may appear, is editorial,
and given to the community as au.
theniic. TIE editorial above alluded
to makes serious complaint, that
Blount county should come forward
and propose to continue the Railroad
from Loudon, and just at the time.
too. when the people Of Knox had
begun "see their wav clear" to com.
plcte the work to Knoxville. The
editor says but hardly are we out
OF the woods here. before the atten'
ton of our people is attracted to ano.
Their quarter with the unpleasant an
nouncemcnt of new difficulties brew.
ing, unlocked for and unexpected"
&c. This is rather singular language
to come from Knoxville. 1t is well
known to that gentleman, that Knox,
IS as dead to every argument that
could be urged upon her 10 come up
% the work, as is possible to conceive
OF.
The people Of that county seemed
determined just to sleep on, and al.
low the Company to striv and man.
age as best they could. and bring the
Road to Knoxville without their men
or money. The Road being located,
and the terminus fixed by the charter
at Knoxville. they must have suppos.
ed would bring the Road to them,
whether they gave their aid or not.
After all argument and persuasion
had been exhausted on these people.
and the Road brought to dead
halt at I.oudon. the people of the adj
joining county (BIount) proposed to
fournish the means to build the Road
from Loudon to Strawberry Plains,
with the simple proviso that it pass
through their territory. After this
proposition had been made by Blount
county, and they had raised large
amount Of stock, Knox seemed sud.
denly to awake from her dreaming,
and is much surprised that BIoun1
should interfere. just at the time
when she "saw the way clear" to dc
the work, when. at the same time
Knox county had not made the first
move toward continuing the Road
from Loudon, until after Blount had
rouse! her up to the tune of about
one hundred and twenty five thou
sand dollars. In this fight Mr.. Pc.
beian should give BIount fair play.
and not intimate. as he has done. that
she came into the contest after Knox
had made all tie necessary arrange.
men,s to build the Road. Mr.. Pie.
bean thinks B!ount has committed a
great wrong in her recent action. be-
cause she had looked on. with indif.
ference at the Struggle to build the
Road. and did but little toward the
enterprise. In answering this ! would
ask, is it strange that B'ount county
should manifest Indifference about
the matter. when Knox. through
whose entire territory it was to pass,
and who would be directly benefited
by it, would do nothing toward COM
pleting the work? 1t is passing strange
that such a charge should come from
Knox against BIount, when The loca.
ton of the Road never approached
the border of the latter at any point.
Truly the man of The Plebeian en-.
forces his doctrine that all the coun.
ties of East Tennessee should build
up Knoxville.
Mr.. PIebcian speaks Of the prcju.
dice existing toward Knoxville ut this
I time, and charges Blount with taking
advantage of that state of feeling to
advance her local interest. The gem
tIeman is correct in his conjecture in
regard to prejudice in the counties
both above and below Knoxville, and
this prejudice had its origin in the
stubborn, selfish. and illbcral
feeling manifested by the citizens OF
that place toward everybody and sec.
tion-nor will it subside until those
people manifest TO The community
that they have some libcrality and
respect for the rights and interests Of
others. 1t is somewhat amusing &c
observe the vaporing and swelling Of
: those people about the large amount
of stock 50 recently subscribed. Thi'
stock, according to their own show
ing, is worthless unless the Legisla.
tnre make an appropriation of one
hundred thousand dollars to build the
bridge at Loudon. for it all depend:
upon this contingency, and should the
appropriation not be made, Of course
the subscription is worthless.
| Should the Legislature adopt such
a policy. the precedent will be ruin
Gus to the State, for if it Is made fol
one Road. all must have the same aid
and we will soon see the State bank
rupt. The present liberal policy Of
the State TO iron and equip the Road:
is as much as ought to be desired.