Washington telegraph., 1852-08-18
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Address OF A. Pike, Esq.
IcoycLUpED FROM F1Rsr PACE

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE.
hope to see companies organized for building
the road from the Missouri line to the central road
ard from the latter to the Louisiana line, as also
the roads from Helena to White river, ana from
Little Rock to the western border, at least II not
to Fayetteville; and that the State, retrieving her
credit and retrieving her ancient good name may
aid the enterprise of each; that ultimately, re-
cevng her fair share of the profits OF these great
roads she may be, as she should be, solvent and
respectable.
I icannot but believe that if we pursue the pro-
per course, it, instead Of exciting jealousy and i'll
will we act in concatory and prudent manner,
it, in that we place ourselves at all under the guid-
ance of common sense. we shall hnd no diifcuty
IN combining so many votes IN the Le@isa5are as
to carry through any measure which we may ask,
and which may be just, fair and proper. am
sure we shall ask no other kind of Legislation
The object is at least worth the e1ort for 1t would
be something gained. even to convince our breth-
rem in other parts OF the State that there Is some
thing in Little Rock than selfishness and
narrow minded greediness.
Perhaps there is nothing which more stands In
the way of every great work OF Internal improve
ment than the little, petty jealousies and selfish
care of their own interests, of our little towns.
remember when we went to Memphis to attend a
Convention in regard to the Pacific railroad, the
utmost reach of whose proceeding could not be
more than Recommendation OF a southern route,
there was considerable feeling between Fort
Smith and Van Buren,; and Batesvliie became
somewhat indignant, because Little Rock monop-
olized all the offices in the convention" Here too
| have lust received letter from strong friend Of
internal Improvement in Hampstead county, warn
ing me that his support of the charter depends on
its positively providing that the road Shall run
through the town of washington. Well. 1t does
not SO provide Des Arc and Clarendon contend
for the crossing of White river; Fulton and White
Oak shoals for the crossing OF Red river Are we
always to strand vessel upon such ptiul shoals
as these!
Why not leave all this to be settled by the en-
gineer upon a survey? Or, if Des Alc and Clar-
enden, Fulton and White Oak Shoals want the
road to go in their particular direction, let them
take stock enough to give them such strength in
the directory that their voice may be needed there.
The truth is. that this is but branch of that
great obstacle to all works of improvelnent-set-
fshness-which developes itself i'll so many modes
and so short-sightedly in Arkansas. When
country is in depressed condition, so that legti-
case here, fortunes are only made by lucky spec
uations, by which one portion OF the community
yields just as much as the other gains.
Thus if one man buys up deprecated bank pa
per- and collects its amount in specie; if another
pays mems taxes in deprecated scrip, and collects
it from his principal in good money, in either case
somebody loses, Just much the specuiator gains;
dirt roads, The business and products of the
try not being equal to It's expenditures you must
pay for every thing you get twice much it is
worth. The mechanic not having occupation en-
ough TO live by, must charge double price toF what
work he does get to do. The lawyer does the
same and IN short overy man fieeces and is feeced
in turn. The consequence is that every man soon
comes to care for himself alone, and like Ishmael,
his hand is against every other man, and every
other mans hand against him. Whole counties in
the State say, for example, Chicot county, feel no
interest whatever in the residue of the State, and
are rather part OF Louisiana than Arkansas.
Men herd together here, because they cannot
well help 1t; but the desperate condition Of Our af
fairs has neary y destroyed public spirit. So it has
destroyed mems confidence in the honesty of one
another In the east; the poor take stock in the
railroads. Here. the poor are afraid that if they
do So dishonest directors will msappropriate the
funds. Connect this with the feeling of selfish
isolation which limits every mans vision to the
small circle of his own immediate interest, and it
is easy to account for the difficulty which we ex-
perience when we attempt to arouse the commu-
nifty by appealing to their public spirit and patr-
otism.
1t is time for us to commence warning against
this seiiShness-thiS isoance OF self interest And
if, as in truth, In every county, those who own
most lands and would be most benefited by the
road are most backward in subscribing; if those
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are to be distributed, and who with their camor-
uproar always succeed in getting them, are in
variaby the most useless and least public-spirited
men among us, let us by popular vote lay such
county tax upon them shall stir them up, into
condition of at least semi-concousness if they
not be fully awaked.
Mr.. President: have very frankly, and perhaps
t, your great WEAKNESS, spoken of the obstacles
that are in our own way. | have not hestated to
give them all their prominence and distinctness.
But do not imagine sir, Notwithstanding that or
any of us despair
No, sir The work which we have projected is
vastly too important to us and to our children to
Arkansas and Texas, and Tennessee, and the whole
South to be allowed to fall or even delayed
Missouri is rapidly pushing forward the Atlantic
and Pacific railroad towards her western boundary
preparing strong inducements to the General Go
vernment to adopt her road the eastern terminus
of the great hIg ghway that is to connect the two
oceans. The South must not be behind III that
race. She must offer to the Government equal
inducements to place the terminus; at least
of the tern,ini in the South We must Offer her
railroad, either on Red river or the Arkansas run
ming to and cnnnectng with the roads to Charles
ton and Richmond and the more northern and
Southern ports. That road must run from Mem
phis either to Fulton or little higher Red river,
or to Fort Smith or Van Buren, on the Arkansas
Let the Government, or her capitalists aided by
her guarantee, but build this highway to the Pa
cific and magnificent destiny opens for Arkansas.
She has in her bosom one single source Of wealth
that will give her Importance equal to Pennsyl-
vania and that is her coal. The Arkansas noun
tains not ofshoots subordinates of the Allie
ghany but separate and distinct chains and in my
opinion of older date. From their westward slopes
vast beds of coal extend westward beyond the
limits of the State. Near the mountains, and
where the volcanic fires shot up from the Magnet
Cove, and thrust up the granite of Fourche, acted
beds. tO q N
sure, are abundant beds of anthracite, which run
off westward into bituninous coal of as fine quail
ity, to my personal knowledge the best liver
pool: and in quantity inexhaustabe. | have N.Y.
self burned five six varieties. Open the railroad
to the Mississippi and even that will in fact create