The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-18
Gov. Trousdnle,s Message.

LII MS message 10 the Legislature OF Il enlleS
see, presented on the 10th instant, Governor
TRoUsDALE reviews at considerable length
the various lines of railway, constructing or
projected, in that State. The undertakings on
which he places the strongest emphasis, as cal
culated to be beneficial to the State, are, the
projected line from Memphis, by Jackson, to
Nashville; the Mobile and Ohio, crossing the
State from south TO north west of the Tennes-
see river; the Nashville and Chattanooga road;
the East Tennessee and Georgia; and the road
from Knoxville TO Virginia. The last of these
''cals loudly for the assistance Of the State"
in his opinion 81 both on account of its national
importance and the many local advantages
which would result from it," Admitting the
benefits that will result to the State from a
well-organized system of railway communica-
ton, he submits to the Legislature the ques
ton, :. Can the State safely extend such aid to
individual enterprise as will accomplish this
desirable object?" His own opinion is that
partnerships between the State and individuals,
in works of internal improvement, result badly,
and he therefore suggests that the better plan
would be to grant liberal charters to companies
proposing to undertake the construction of the
roads:
.Let them by their money and labor prepare the
road for the rails and fixtures, and then call upon
the State for aid Should it appear from investi-
CATION that the improvement thus made, when fin
ished would be profitable, let a lien be taken by
the State upon the whole stock of the company in
the road as completed, and upon the rails and fix
ures the State from loss; then let the State
loan her credit in State bonds payable at distant
day, say fifty years less, bearing interest of
six per cent, payable semi annually, at
h mercial point in the United Statos. Should the
credit of the State not be impaired by the issue Of
the bonds to amount beyond which it safely
\ CO. the bonds will sell in market for q premium,
4 which might be applied in the payment Of in.
\ terest."
He admits the inefficiency of the common
school system Of the State, and also his own
\ inability to recommend better one, i'll the
present state of public sentiment.
He directs attention to the Bank of Ten
\ nessee, and to the need that exists for an in
vestigation into its condition:
\ "In this bank is vested the whole of the common
4 school fund, and the surplus revenue on deposit
with the State, together with the unexpcndcd in
terest thereon and, in addition to these amounts
sum was ordered TO be raised on the faith of the
I Staten sufficient to make the whole capital five
millions of dollars yet the capital of the bank has
l never reached that amount. The annual revenue
of the State is likewise deposited in this bank. The
Bank of Tennessee is also used as the great fiscal
4 agent of the State"
To national poll tics the message makes but
l one allusion, and that in manner extremely
| ambiguous and unsatisfactory 1t occurs at the
1 close of the document, and is as follows:
"The first session of the last Congress was chiefly
occupied in discussing the points of controversy
between the different sections of the Union and
| after lengthy, heated debate, they passed a Sc
res of laws called the Compromise measures, which
were intended to finally settle all the points of con-
troversy among the different sections of the Union
Should this adjustment have the desired effect il
! will be a matter of general Joy throughout the
Union. deem it the duty of every good citizen to
give this attempted adjustment fair trial. and to
endeavor by all honorable means to reconcile the
disturbed elements, and to restore peace and har-
mony to the country. My views upon the subject
of Federal politics have been recently freely ex-
pressed all the State i'll the presence and hear
ing of the assembled multitudes. ! therefore deem
it wholly useless as they remain unchanged, here
to express them"
This is Governor TRoUsDALE all over, and
on par with the whole course of that section
of the Democratic party to which he belongs
Words like these enable him and his friends tc
blow hot or cold at any moment, as may be
most convenient to themselves. They are Sc
cessionists or Union men ut pleasure.