Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1852-03-04

The idea that railroad companie:
are to enjoy an unlimited right to run
their roads where they please through
the territory of any State or govern
ment, is a failacious and dangerous ope
Ii is evident that these corporation:
are destined to exert most important
influence, from their number; the ex,
tent of their capital, and the contro
which they will exercise over the com
merce and ntercommunication of peo
pie and States. Public highways have
in all countries, and in all ages, been
regarded as within the special contro
and dominion of the government, and
owing to the rapid increase and pow.
erful influence of railroad incorpora
tions, unless they are controlled ano
regulated by legislative authority
they will become dangerous and over
shadowing monopolies, and will exert
most mischieyous influence in cen
tralizing and corrupting our institu-
tions, and swapping away the small
remnant OF State Rights and State
sovereignty which we now possess
No railroad company has right 10
expect that they shall be permitted to
dictate their own terms to State from
whose legislative authority they are
asking the right to use her territory.
The governments of Europe, and the
legislatures of the Northern States OF
this Union, have seen the Importance OF
regulating and controlling these mo-
nopolies, more influential and power
ful than banks or any other corpora
tions, and we will be compelled TO fol-
low their example. Whilst we extend
to them every right and privilege con-
sistent with the public good, we must
let them know and feel that they have
not license to do what they please
and go where they please.
The dependence of the Northern
portion of this State on Tennessee, and
particularly upon the city of Memphis,
has been very great. The people OF
the Northern counties of the State
have bought their goods from the
Memphis merchants, instead OF the
merchants of our own State. Mem
phis has been mostly built up with Mis-
sissiPpi capital; and 10 run this road
where they propose. will make Us still
more dependent; bat if we bring it
upon the lower route, the crossings OF
all our roads coming up from the south,
will then be in our own State, and we
will be able to build up commercial
towns of our own. Alabama makes
the road run through the heart of the
Tennessee valley to Huntsville, to ac-
commodate her people Tennessee
gets the terminus of the road at Mem
phis and shall Mississippi be allowed
no part or lot in the matter? Is her
territory to be used only as q bridge
over which this great thoroughfare is
TO pass, to pour its rich blessings into
the laps of Tennessee and Alabama
made to run to suit the local interests
of these two States, but held to a
straight or air line through the terrific
ry OF our State? We have appealed
TO this company beyond the borders of
our State, to extend to us that fairness
and justice to which we were entitled.
They have turned deaf ear to every
appeal that we have made TO their
sense of justice and liberaliiy; and
now with an air of confident assurance
they walk into our legislative halls and
require US to change the laws we have
passed for the benefit and protection
of the interests of our citizens, and
speak of our enactments as frauds or
wrongs practiced upon them. We
meet them here, and we call upon this
as child would upon its
father, to protect our rights and inter-
ests, from the unreasonable demands
of this proud and arrogant Company
of foreign stock holders. Our demands
are reasonable and fair. We do not
wish to throw unreasonable or unnec-
essary obstacles in the way of the COM
pletion of this great enterprise. We
only ask our Legislature 10 extend TO
US the same advantages which the Leg
islatures of Alabama and Tennessee
have extended to their citizens.
If, upon careful re-survey of the
route through Holly Springs it is found
to be profitable and practicable
route, and the citizens of North Mis-
sissippi should subscribe in addition to
the stock which they have already ta-
ken, $500 900, then, we ask that the
Company shall be held to the Holly
Springs route; but if these things are
not done and decided in our favor,
then we yield our claims to the road
being located upon our route, and per-
NIT the Company to locate their Road
where they please, and only ask the
privilege to build branches TO the main
road. Is there anything in this prop
osition that ought to Kill this great en-
terprize2 No sir; this cry OF killing
the road by our proposition is raised
for efiect-to operate upon the fears OF
Senators. The question for US to de-
termine is this; is there anything in the
compromise which we now offer the
company, that ought to have the effect
of killing this great national work =
and if not, then we are bound, as the
guardians of the interests Of our own
citizens, to give them that protection
which they have, by their petitions and
memorials, asked at our hands. We
must not, we cannot be driven from
the discharge of our duty TO our own
citizens by this false cry, that we will