New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-06
The railroad Convention.

From the action of this body we anticipate
very Important moral results. We are not over
sanguine; and have no vague and misty idea Of
railroads being the natural and certain conse-
4uences Of such assemblages. We expect nc
more from the Convention than the good sense d
its members will doubtless suggest and public
opinion will certainly exact from it,
We do not expect that it is to build railroads
or even railroad We do not even expect that
it will Of its own action secure one thousand
dollars to any projected enterprise. We have
had our g Convention fever and once believed
that its speeches were subscriptions, its motions
locomotives and engineers; and its resolutions
grading and rails We have gotten over that
We have found that Conventions become but too
frequently the scenic display of ambitious gen.
tlemen, who have SO much to say that neither
they, themselves, nor any body else, know the
beginning or the end Of it. Their speeches may
be heavy. material, but it is impossible to manu-
faeture = rail out Of forty of them When
they get; through with present prostration,'
"absolute necessity g future prosperity, glory
and renown," etc.s they pass very elaborate re-
solutions, which are v cdriare to the general
This is the common history Of all conventions
What is to be the history Of the present one
The question is difficult one to answer But
if We should point out what common sense and
the proprieties Of circumstances indicate, we
should say that its proper mission is to give
strong moral support, by positive endorsement,
to the really great and practical system of rail
roads for the Southwest. Let us be understood
With our experience Of conventions, we can not
pretend to expect that the present one will do
any thing practical towards building any par
ticular railroad in Louisiana, Arkansas, lTissis-
sippi, Tennessee, Alabama, or Missouri. Who
ever calculates to the contrary will be briefly
nndeceived. What Convention was more impos-
ing than that held at Chicago' Yet, where is
the road that it has constructed, the railroad it
has built, the river it has sscleaned out : p
What Convention was more respectable than the
Pacific Railroad Convention, held at Memphis
Yet, what of all that it ss resolved . has been
even attempted The lesson is plain Every
section must work out it's own salvation
organize for its own improvements its |
own railroads If we are in the mud why
call on Hercules before we have put our own
shoulders to the wheel' Public sentiment is
good thing; but it does not build railroads.
1ilSupS uuu eutefpIlSc anu CAPITAL Go.
Let us bring forward these.
We are aware Of one thing. Conventions like
that which is now being held, largely aid to eli
cit and organize public sentiment in favor of
necessary works of Internal Improvement They
fasten public opinion upon the necessities of |
commerce, and their insepara Bile connection with |
individual interests. They inf1se into their
members spirit Of active and Jealous agency |
in behalf Of railroad enterprises, and in scat |
tering them abroad by adjournment, utter |
filling their minds with larger information, and |
quickening their souls with more enthusiastic
impulses, they make Of them useful railroad |
missionaries Here, their real tangible influence
stops,
Outside of these general and beneficial results, |
Conventions are greatly exposed to explosions |
Every member unfortunately, has his pet |
scheme or schemes; and, big with the little in
formation Of q local character he has gathered, |
must speak, or die. Hence, il thousand purely
local plans Of Improvement are brought forward. |
and the great danger is, that the Convention, |
in endorsing every thing, will really endorse
nothing. 1t is against this, and against the |
customary locust-like swarm Of gassy orators, |
'sAAe DAAsNA. 81 PpHh plcsclt
Convention has most specially to guard. 1t was
well said yesterday, that the Convention had
assembled to work and not to talk
We Confess our own feelings'being consulted,
we should wish that the Convention would spe-
oially commend two great projects, which, in
common with the mass of the citizens of NewOr-
leans, we have much at heart, and of one which
is OF great Importance to all that portion of the
Southwest, East of the Mississippi. On the
West OF the Mississippi there is a vast trade,
which, attracted hitherwards by another pro-
eet, would immensely profit the entire South
vest. II the Convention were specially to en-
lorse these projects we should feel highly graft
led; but such, we are sure, will be the multi
,licity Of projects presented, that special en-
iorsement of any of them will be almost impos-
'ible, and the common sense of the Convention
will do much if it only safely breast the frothy
tide Of the sectional pleadings of the hour
Perhaps seeing this, Mr.. Robb yesterday even
ing proposed some very sensible resolutions
lie proposed to organize three committees and to
refer TO them all motions, resolutions and pro- h
leots A committee on routes; one on plans, a
and one on ways and means we're, we believe, c
proposed by him. The idea is a good one, and +
will do much towards systematizing and facili
tating the business of the session.
We shall be satisfied with the result of tbe I
Convention, if it bring forward prominently for >
the consideration of the country certain mono. ).
sitions as established principles, that mag i
niiicent commerce is to grow up in the Gull L
of Mexico-the American Mediterranean-u
which NewOrleans is to be the Commercial Mis- !,
tress and the Mississippi Valley the granary t
and supplying region; that governmental aid, !
from the State or National legislation is due to
works of Improvement in proportion to their
public Importance; that restrictions upon the
organization of railroad associations as to the
amount Of their capital and the limitation OF
their existence, Ghinese-like, barbaric, ante
diiuvian, and absurdly restrictive upon the vol
untary Investment Of capital
The Hon II. S. FoorE.-Among the passengers by the
Philadelphia, We notice the Of Hon II s Foote
Governor elect of Mississippi, and Hon George Eustis
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court this State The
tormer, accompanied by his family, his way to Jack
SON. Miss where he is to be inaugurated the Sh inst
and the latter returns from short visit to Havana for