The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-02
Letter from the Hon. Edward Bates.
WAsnixsros, January 80. 1852.

Convention, on a subject just now engaging much
Of the attention of Congress. The name of Mr..
Bates has frequently been used in connection with
the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the United
States, and his opinions. well expressed and just
in themselves, entitled to much consideration.
A WESTERN MAN.
From the Neio Orleans Crescent.
LETrER FRoM THE Hon. EDWARD BATES, ON THE
APPROACHING RAILROAD CONvENTIoN.-W are
permitted by the committee to publish the follow
ing letter from the Hon Edw. Bates, OF Missouri,
the distinguished President Of the Chicago Con-
vention:
Sr. LOUIS, December 10, 1851
MY DEAR SiR: received, IN due course, your
valued letter of the 18th ultimo; and, about the
same time, letter from the committee, Of which
you are member, inviting me to attend the con-
vention to be held at New Orleans in January next.
have waited, for some time, to il it pos
sble 10 arrange my affairs as to be with you on
that interesting occasion.
Pray present my thanks to the committee for
their courtesy, and accept my grateful acknow-
in which you pleased, in your letter, to urge
my attendance. lfmy business would at all per
mt. would accept The invitation with pleasure.
Within the last year have been invited to at
tend number Of meetings Of the same character,
in almost every part OF this great valley; all OF
them having in view the improvement Of the old
means Of transportation, and the making Of new
ones. IL was not my good fortune to be able to
held. The fact sufiices to prove that everywhere
throughout the valley the people stirred up,
properly informed of the great duty which COM
mon interest imposes upon them, and conscious Of
their power to perform it. They will put forth well
their individual energies to advance the noble
terprse, and will call upon the Government to do
its share Of the duty, in voice too loud to be IN
heard, and too significant TO go UNDECIDED.
With a constant desire to eco your great city, l
have never it. The summer is not favora
BILE time to make the visit, and in the winter am
always closely engaged in necessary labor. But,
beyond all considerations of curiosity and personal
qualification, should rejoice in being able to at
tend the convention, especially with the privilege
Of participating in It's deliberations. Its objects
are, to my mind OF the utmost importance, not to
the South and West only, but TO the whole nation
1t proposes to develop and put into useful action
the boundless resources OF the South and West; to
stimulate enterprise and wealth to the establish
Inent Of all the arts and manufactures which our
condition may require; and to make transportation
rapid, safe, and cheap, by railroads and improved
\ iyigation.
Railroads and uninterrupted steam navigation
work kind OF social miracle upon great coun
try. When such country ID striped all over with
such means OF con, eyance 1t requires no great ef
fort Of Imagination to conceive continent roll up
like a scroll, bringing its distant parts, for all
commercial and social purposes, in close contact
with each other, while its natural broad surface ia
kept spread out only for the purposes Of production
and enjoyment.
If the people of the South and West will only
set themselves to work in earnest in these noble
enterprises; il they will improve the rivers, con-
struct the roads, build up the manufactures, es
tablish lines Of commerce straight across the At
lantic, instead of sailing round TO New York and
Boston only to pay toll, then shall not only
the surface Of our country enriched and advanced,
but shall breathe purer moral and political
atmosphere. Instead OF angry chickering's and
ngei quarrels with our brethren OF the North
and East about the blacks, to the total neglect of
the true interests of the whites, will strive with
them in the more worthy and patriotic enterprise
of peace and friendship. With that honest emu
lation which brothers may Indulge in, we will run
the race in the awful road to wealth and honor.
No plan OF improvement, no scheme for the Gre
alton Of wealth and the advance OF civilization, has
been presented to my consideration for many years
altogether good, so unmixed with evil, as the
system Of great enterprises which understand
your proposed convention is expected TO initiate.
II you can only succeed now in enlisting the sym
pathes and securing the active cooperation OF
those who will be first, if not most, benefited by
the undertaking, your final success will be put
beyond doubt, and its glorious realities will ap-
pear to those who look but umidy into the distant
future the wild visions OF fevcrish dream. But
there is fever dream IL ia matter Of fact,
which judgment can determine and figures can
calculate. History will record the beginning, the
progress Of your plan; and, when IT Is completed,
hundred millions of people will enjoy its fruits,
and bless the wisdom and energy that began the
work.
believe il may be stated as axiom in politi-
cal economy, that given amount OF labor VIII
sustain the greatest amount Of life and purchase
the greatest amount of comfort when the producer
and the consumer TO each other. And
when, by artificial means-as railroads and inn
proved navlgation-thc expense and time OF Ians-
portation greatly diminished those causes pro-
duce the same effect us physical proximity. Then
the producer and the consumer are eide by side
The Mississippi is the great natural highway for
the trade and business OF the broad and diversified
country which it drains. In magnitude and OK
tent, in durability and practical value, 1t Is far
above all other Highways, natural or possible
And, from this postulatc infer that we who IN
habit its valley, and are bound together by Ties oil
interest too strong for US to sever If We were
fooishly inclined to do so, required not less by
the duties OF patriotism than by the prompting oil
personal interest, TO improve this great highway
by all lawful means, and TO the extent OF its capa-
bilities.
We OF the whole valley may we'll say the Mis-
sssippi is our river, and New Orleans is our store
house; and we will bestow upon them both what
amount Of labor and expense may be necss
sary TO produce the greatest Of good TO the pro-
prietors. But the Mississippi with all its trbuta
ries, great as it IL, and however highly il may be
improved, is not enough for the exigencies Of our
wide country and growing people. All the rich
districts of the interior must be penetrated, and
their productions brought into usefulness, not ne
heretofore by wasting half their value in slow and
costly transportation, but by means at once safe,
cheap, and rapid.
Where river is wanting We must make a rail
road; and this without any great stretch Of liberal
Interpretation, is but an amendment 10 that mag
ture has made for US in the Mississippi and it's
branches. Without the railroads the system will
be incomplete; with them, this mighty valley will
present one compact and indissolubc whole, each
part Of which will rcciprocate benefits Ind blessings
with all the rest
The valley is, in fact, the body of the nation,
and it's people emigrants from the older States,
who are bound together, brethren Of the Atlantic
coost, by every tie of friendship and common in
terest. BE it our task to excite that body into
beslthful and harmonious notion, and our happi
ness 10 witness as the reward of our efforts, ma
uonal growth and development which will astonish
the world.
My strong desire to soe the unity and improve
ncnt Of the valley is no selfish or sectional vsh
We could not. II we would, monopoiize the resus
of our success. The whole nation must share in
ts benefits, and the arthest erremities will grow
fat aud strong with the activity and vigor Of the
body that nOurishcs them
remain, cir. with the greatest respect, your
obedent servant, EDWARD BATES.
J. ID. Il. DrBow, csq, ono of the committee, &c.
CAUTIos TO PARrsTs.--A correspondent of the
BJston 1rnvsiiu furnishes the following
awe have Just witnessed the death OF child in
our ncig hborhood by convusions, caused by eat