Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1852-03-11


ernment that this was the most direct
interior communication between the
North Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf.
Fortunately the construction OF the
road was not attempted by the Gov
ernment, but was lett TO be performed
by the citizens at future period, and
now, twentv-SiA years after that re-
port was made, citizens ui different
States, acting under separate charters.
without concert of action, are con-
, sstructing a railway covering the very
} ground Indicated by Col Bernard.
, When complet ed, it will form, with the
Selma and Montgomery Railroad, a
complete communication between the
| Cult of Mexico and the Southern,
{ Central 81 Northern Atlantic Seaboard.
Not only will all the travel of these
? regions pass over this road, but the naer-
: chants Of Europe will find over il and
} the ISthmus, their most speedy COM
t munication with Asia viii not weary
5 you longer with remarks upon these
: various roads. Ii they will be profit
t able, what must be the value Of the
: New Orleans and Jackson Railroad,
their main stem? OF the Mobile and
Ohio Railroad, il is unnecessary for me
i, TO speak, las it has an able representative
now present, in DIR. Cunningham, who
is to follow me. The munihcent aid
granted it by Congress, must make
the stock most valuable. But this
State owes TO her citizens along that
road, the same aid to the road that il
may grant to Others No road can
scarcely be constructed through this
State that will not be profitable. The
number of large navigable streams run
ming into the Mississippi River from
. the West. the inundations, head cur
rents, and inequality OF the surface OF
, the country, must ever prevent the
. construction of Railroad from New
Orleans to the central West, on that
side of the Mississippi. Our geograph-
ical position must force nearly ali the
. travel between the Gull, and other por-
tons of the Union over our soil. The
Southern Railroad claims the whole OF
the Atlantic seaboard--the New Or
leans and Nashville Road--the whole
of Kentucky, Ohio, Western New
York, Pennsylvania, aad Virginia. and
the Central Road, the whole OF Mis-
souli, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and the
Northwest. thrust that sufficient has
been said rs TO thevalue of these roads.
Can the State aid these roads and TO
, what amount! She can TO the extent OF
!, S4,0o0,000, and this too without in
: creasing her taxes, mourning
f debt, or emptying her Treasury
f [ trust | may be indulged in a
few remarks, as to our resources, and
f the method OF rendering them available.
, We have, by estimate, 2,069. 900 acres
of submerged lands, also 500, 900 acres
of land, donated several years since to
this State, for purposes Of internal inn
provement. These lands are in the
Mississippi bottom. and are the best
alluyial lands in the world. We have
also in the bottom, nearly 100000 a.
cres of school lands. They are not a.
vailable at present for want OF the Le-
vee Most of the east bank of the Mis-
sissippi River in this State is leveed,
and the whole can be effectively COM
pleted ior.about S300,000 As soon as
this is accomplised, these lands will be
rendered available. sufficient amount
of money should be appropriated from
the Treasury, or 10000 acres of this
land should at once be given TO this
work. Every citizen is interested in
its immediate completion. The citizen
at large should lend his aid TO reclaim
the best cotton lands of our great val
lev. The friends of common schools
should cooperate TO appreciate the
school lands, aud give Us. what we may
reasonably expect in a few years,
6 schooI-fund of nearly two millions of
dollars. The friends of Railroads
should unite to appreciate these State
resources, from which they are TO ex-
pect State aid. Without the levee, we
|, have no resources-with it the most o.
. bundant. Construct the levee, by Civ
ing even 100000 acres of this land TO
the work and we have left, over 2,000,-
! 03 of acres of the most valuable lands
independent of the school funds, for
our railroad purposes. Let the State
. appoint Trustee to sell or mortage
i these 100000 acres. not including
the school lands, and invest the pro-
, ceeds of sale or mortage, by way of
subscription for capital stock for the
State, in these several roads in proper
ton to their respective lengths, when
ever, (and not before) private sub
F scription of stock is raised sufficient To
give reasonable guarantee that she
read viii be completed. Certainly two
millions of dollars can be raised By sale
{ or mortage from this source in the next
two years. The 100000 acres given
for internal Improvement. are worth
low. without the ievee, = 54-tv0 per
acre. Tie Stale cannot lose by this
operation, as she does nos make an Ia
sestlnent until the completion of the
road is sufficiently guaranteed. Thus
will the State aid Us 10 The extent of
$1,000, ,090. How is the other two
millions to be raisedl Let the counties
on the Central Road subscribe county
subscriptions of $3.50. 600, and let the
counties on the Jackson and Nashville
Road subscribe the same amount. The
/ Southern Road and the New Orleans,
can raise each $250. 900 in the same
way, aud the Mobile and Ohio
+ Road S{i00 000 This will make the