Washington telegraph., 1852-08-18

| apathy, indifference and diScOurag of
her people. They seem to me, sir, with
limited exceptions, to be in condition half
way between sleeping and waking. Go,
for example, into one of our southern coun-
ties, and take at random, any twenty men,
say. even, out of the more thriving and
prosperous portion of the community Ad-
dress them upon the subject of this road,
and urge upon them Its importance, and
the practicability of building it, and they
will listen attentively, and perhaps even
applaud you But when you conclude ie-
teen at least out of that twenty will say
such road would be a great thing, and it
ought to be built: but we do not believe it
eau be: the people aud the State are entire
ly too poor. 1t is all talk! and SO they sit
down and fold their hands, content with
dirt-roads, and three dollars and half freight
on a bale of cotton from above the raft
to New Orleans. Four more of the twenty
will say they believe the read can be built,
but two of them will not subscribe dollar,
and the other two only so much as they
can spare without feeling it, or as they
would be willing to spend upon a pleasure
trip to New Orleans; and then, thinking
they have done enough by subscribing, set
tie back into curdled apathy One out
of the twenty may be willing to subscribe
to the utmost Of his means, and to acork al
so; not imagining that by merely taking
little stock he has done his whole duty.
Inertia is the most effective species of
opposition If your antagonist will grow
excited, enthusiastic, Jealous, even angry
and vociferous, you have some hope. 4
slight thing will change the direction of a
body In rapid motion. But how to set 90
ing in the right direction ponderous
mass that sits squatted there, inert, helpless,
log-like. needing vast lever to set it in
motion at all, in any direction whatever -
What are you to do with a man who coin
cides with your views, but refuses to stir
hand or foot to aid in carrying them for
ward
The people of Arkansas are truly in the
slough of despond. They are apathetic,
desponding, discouraged Their faith does
not equal in size a grain of mustard-seed,
and by it, of course, they remove no noun
tains. Many causes have combined to pro-
duce this, into most of which it would be
Improbable to inquire So far as they
still exist and continue [ shall attend to
them hereafter. Whatever the causes, it is
certain that the result exists-exists SO pal
pably that even we ourselves at times feel
as though the hope of success were but a
dream, and our State like that grim realm,
sung by Dante, where hope never enters
With this feeling which stands looming
there in the path, gigantic, with indistinct
outlines, we have to grapple-nay, we have
to conquer it, or ourselves become captives
to this true GIANT DESPAIR To ensure
successes in any contest, it is first necessary
to know the power Of your antagonist. In
this case we know it. Can we overcome
it! | say that we can and will 1t has
been overcome elsewhere, and can be over
come here; for we are men too, capable of
warning against it and conquering. 1t is
foe of no more formidable dimensions than
that which afronted Clinton when he pro-
jected the Erie canal, or than that which
stood frowning in the way of the first Inter-
nal Improvement men in Georgia.
The remedy is a plain one, for this evil,
the means for overcoming it lie within our
reach. They are the press and the voice:
but chiefly the latter, for it penetrates
where the words of the press never echo.-
If some other gentleman do not do so, (as ]
hope some one will, for my name already
appears too often and too obstrusively on
the minutes,) | will, before this Convention
adjourns, move the appointment of suffi-
cient number of gentlemen to address the
people, at least in those portions of the State
to be benefited by this road; and arouse
them from their apathy and Indifference
this Convention declaring that any gentle
man who does not perform the duty so as
signed him. does not deserve well of the Re-
public.
Oh, sir, if our fair visitors. who have
come here to cheer us onward in this work
and their sex throughout the State, would take
this matter in hand, there would indeed be no
such word as fail For it is the enviable
popularity Of woman, that, seeing far ahead
the object to be attained, and Judging by an
unerring instinct that it is good, proper and
laudible, if indeed it be so, she resolutey
closes her eyes against all hindrances and
obstacles, determines that the thing shall
be done, because it is right and because
what is right not only can but must be
done; and that all impediments and barri-
ers and barricades whether built by this or
the other enemy, have nothing whatever to
do with the question: and so she succeeds
where man, IN nine cases out of ten, would fail.
Sir, L do not think or care SO much about
the DecunjarV profit or advancor,ont oe vol
lie Of property, to result from this or any
other road. | do not indeed pretend to be
lnsenslble to such motives But [ believe
| care as little about money as most men
and there are other and far higher reasons
why desire to see the iron rails ribbinp
this State hefare the timo ao,,,oa prl