The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-03-24
scRawE,sa,NG.n

MS rs the eHphOHOHS caption WHICH ou'
neighbor of the Neutral organ, uses in ridicullng
the meeting of last Tuesday evening, and mis-
re pre- sen;ing both the character of the meeting
and the position ofgentlemen who took part in
that meeting. We dislike very much to con.
tinue a subject, which can afford but little IN
terest to our county readers, but our duty to
ourselves as faithful opponents of public opin
ion, to the public sentiment ofthis city upon the
subject of our railroad grants, to the gentlemen
who participated in the deliberations Of that
meeting, to truth and common honesty, demand
that we should correct any erroneous impressions
which may be ground out u: the Machine Shop
of Doctor Harrison Holt We had supposed
that after the citizens of this place had came
together in public meeting and solemnly pro-
tested against the course the Herald. as high
" injudicious and injurious to the best interests
Of this city, that our saeocious and dignifed
Doctor would have sought consolation in qui-
ct submission to the voice ofpublic opinion, and
not sought to disgrace tine intelligence and pu-
rity Of that public opinion, by representing it
the exponent of passion and not reason and by
selecting Of the speakers as the pecutiar
victim, upon whom to visit his solemn and SEN
timental denunciatton of the proceedings of that
meeting. But we have been deceived 1t is
still stoutfy concluded that Mr.. Rogers is OPP
posed to the Pembina railroad project, and that
he SO expressed himself at that meeting. This
is not SO but it is useless to handy words with
those who array themselves against and boldly
defy public opinion and snare that they are right,
and of right ought to be right, and that there
FORE public opinion is wrong.
Now we shall give brief history Of the pro-
.ecdngs of that meeting, and show that the DIR.
is not immaculate, although supposed by few
to be omniscient.
This meeting was called for the purpose of
removing false impression created by the
Herald, that the citizens of Dubuque were not
in favor of the Dubuque and Keokuk railroad,
contemplated in the present bill before Con-
gress This reckless sheet went far to
defy an expression of public sentiment upon
the subject, thereby conveying the impression
that if no public meeting was called for settling
this issue, that they were correct opponents o!
&C G. Tie public sentiment.
To correct and protest against this false posi-
ton given 10 their opinions by the Herald,
meeting lof the citizens was convened at the
Globe Hall That meeting organized by
calling Judge Dyer to the Chair. This gentle
man briefly stated the object of the meeting
DR.. Holt then rose and moved the appointment
Of committee for drafting resolutions expires.
sive of the sense the meeting. The Doctor
probably anticipating some difficulty in carry
ing his views into effect, thought to obtain
a snap judgment on the meeting, which,
had the ordinary custom been observed, the
Chairman would nave appointed this committee,
and according to parliamentary usage, the Doc
tor must have been selected as the first on the
committee. This, however, was nppcd in the
bud.
Pending the report of this committee,
the DR. defined his position upon the railroad,
which was diversion West from Cedar Rap
ids To this speech, Messrs. Barney and Wal
worth responded, and referred in the course of
their remarks, to the Pembina and Big Sioux
roads, not as opposing them, but simply ventur
ing the opinion that they were premature
Following this, Mr.. Hahony entered INTO the
discussion, defending Als position upon the
plan of diversion West from Cedar Rapids
This speech lengthy and laborcd effort,
to show the importance to Dubuque, Of divert
ing the road West from Cedar Rapids. 1t was
to reply to this gentlemans remarks, that Mr..
Rogers was called out. He replied to him and
in showing up the allacy of diverting the road
TO Fort Desmoines, where there is little or no
business at present which could support road,
he most effectualy skinned the gentleman
from head to foot, and completely dissected
him, as did Duncan the Coon. He never men,
toned the words Pembna, or Big Sioux, but in
general terms alluded to the impolicy of build
ing railroads into countries where there is neith
err settlement or trade to support them.
So for from this gentleman, or the citizens of
this place, being opposed to the Pembina rail-
road, we unhesitatingly pronounce it fabrica-
ton. There Is no opposition to this project,
when fairly and properly stated, and it is un-
fair 10 represent the citizens of this place in that
light.
Let US hope for better things to come.