Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-10-29
The Hawkeye and the railroads

The Harkeye of the Goth SAYS :-"Tbe Des.
'notnes Valley Wing is mistaken in representing
US MS opposed 70 the Dubuque and Keokuk and
Davenport snd Council Bluffs Railroads"
we Should have been gratified had the Edi-
TOR convicted us of having been mistaken his
position on these projects; but we must confess
that he has only strengthened our in confidence
the belief that the Hamkeye is opposed 10 then,
In the article to which our remarks applied
the Editor of the Haukeye said
we think the probability of such donation
on the part of the General Government yery
pie of the State are fully W. erstood by Con
gress, that body cannot hcsitate moment in
the course to adopt
ana ny way OF settling its condemnation of
the projects beyond any possibility of mistake,
the Harkeye further says
As the matter at present stands, we think
1t would be as well to throw away the lands
entirely as to bestow them upon such wild and
visionary schemes as have been Matched at Iowa
CITY. and which are to be nursed bv the con-
Ventlon at that place next week"
me above extracts at,nmerely sample of
the tone and spirit of the PARTICLE to which we
allude when We represented the Harkw as on
posed TO the Dubuque and Keokuk and the
Davenport aud Council Bluffs Railroads: and
we are wiling to leave discerning public to
decide wbeather we made any mistake in our
construction of the article, when we represent
cd the Harheye as opposed to them.
but let us see what is TO lie found inthe article
OF the 2Uth, which denies in "set words" any]
hostility to these Railroads. The Editor saws,
I'VE regard them as mih and visionary schemes,
but we have always said, let them be built If
the projectors are able to build t,asp,, and we
will wish them good speed in ailt.Sisr efforts
Rather fiimsy subtcrfuge that, as We.
at IT. Suppose an Editor in Illinois hsu
of the Central Railroad, it is ,rild and "a
ry scheme, but if the projectors can build
without an appropriation of lands by the Gov
eminent we wish them good speed Or, sup
pose the Editor of the Haukeye should make
the same remark in reference to the improve
ment of the Mississippi Rapids: would it be
understood that the Illinois Editor and the
Haukeye Were opposed, respectively, to the
Central Railroad and the Improvement Of the
Rapids? And by party of reasoning, are we
not justified in holding the Hapkeye as opposed
to these Railroads?
But, in this very article denying hostility to
the Roads, d yet opposing donations of landfor
their construction, the Haukeye calls them wild
and visionary schemes and says, especially of
the Davenport and Council Bluffs Road, which
Is the continuation of a great thoroughfare from
the extreme East across our State-"We neper
regarded the proectas anything more than paper
gtair, got up for special purpose and likely soon
to lire out its tricf period of Silotted eristence'
The Hamkeye attempts to excite opposition to
appropriations for the benefit of these Roads,
by representing that such appropriations are
injurious to the interests of other portions of
the State, and by urging that the donations of
lands should be made to the State at large. for
general improvement purposes, without any
designation of the objects to which they are to
be applied. In the first place, it is we'll known
that three successive Legislatures of the State
have deemed these Railroads of sufficient i'm.
portance to justify special memorials to Congress
on ther behalf; thus showing beyond any cues
ton, that they are approved by majority of
the people of the State. And in the second
place, it is known to be the uniform custom of
Congress to make grants of lands for the special
benefit of certain definite and designated OBJ
jccts Of Improvement; such, for instance, as the
Wabash Canal in Indiana, the Central Railroad
III Illinois, the improvement of the navigation
of the Desmoines River in Iowa, DC. But we
know of no case in which Congress Las made
general grant OF ands 20 particular State az
Ter her %..umission into the Union, for internal
! improvements generally. Nor, Indeed, is it
likely that any such grant could be made, un-
less it be general thing aud embrace num-
Der of States. The course of proceedings adopl
ted by the friends of the two Railroads In auS
ton, accords with the uniform practice in =
ence to similar projects of Improvement ip1
States. as we'll as the course of the -
the Desmones River improvement
a grant Of land from the Govern
Wing.