Washington telegraph., 1853-03-09
For lhe Washington Telegraph.
Cairo and Fulton Rail Road.


Mr.. ErTER:-Once more has the United
States Government, with almost unprece-
dented generosity, made magnificent do
nation of land to the State of Arkansas for
the purpose Of constructing Railroad from
Cairo. at the mouth of the Ohio, to Fulton,
on Red river The bill provides for branch
es from Little Rock to Fort Smith, and
from Little Rock to some point on the Mis-
sissippi, to be selected by the Legislature Of
this State. The people Of this State can
look upon this donation with no other than
feelings of heartfelt delight. Sir, if the day
of jubilee for Arkansas is not near at hand.
it can be the fault of her citizens alone
With the proper energy and enterprise on
the part of the people, and due exercise
of judgment on the part of the Legislature,
with regard to this matter, long and IN
clouded day will shortly dawn upon our
heretofore hidden and obscure land. The
numerous advantages from this are manifest
to every one who has ever spent one mo-
ments thought on the subject. and it would
be folly to attempt to mention them here.
These things are certain however, that our
own people would be brought in close COM
munion with each other; we would know
and love each other better the sectional
and partzan spirit which has too much char
acterized our people-destroying, to great
extent the better and kinder feelings Of
man, would be obliterated, and we would all
work for each others interests thus carrying
out the great object of our creation. Would
that l welded the spear of Ithuriel that l
might pluck from our midst the foul spirit
of sectional prejudice that would shape the
destinies of this State to its own fiendish
qualification. Besides bringing our people
into intimate connection, we could then
shake hands with our sister States-see how
they manage their affairs, and gather inval-
liable lessons from observation, the teeming
mother of wisdom All these things are
natural, and are written by the finger of
God upon almost every atom of his vast Gre
alton. Other benefits could be named, but
enough of them for the present.
In order to carry this bill into effect it is
necessary that the Executive of this State
should call the Legislature together, and
have it acted upon Immediately. Now il
the time for action, while the spirit Of
Internal Improvement is being kiudIed, lest
it should die out and be revived no mere
This matter should be disposed of without
delay, in order to save the lands from the
hands of spectators, who would, in all
probability, if permitted, secure them for
the benefit Of no one, but to the injury of
the whole community. Now, we say, let
the Legislature meet without delay, and, to
the people Of Arkansas, rise up and bring
yourselves "out of the house of bondage and
live in a land flowing with milk and honey"
This will, as matter of course require
some time, bat be not discouraged. The
coral insects Of the Indian ocean pile grain
upon grain, until the astonished traveller be-
holds new Islands floating on the bosom of
the blue ocean. Romulus, when he chose
the situation for Rome, dreamed rot that d
city covering seven hills, would ever stand
there. to make the world trcribe at her
name. So, fellow-citizens, 60 to your work
with steady nerve, and strong and firm res
olution, and time will bless your efforts with
success, in giving you and yours thriving
and fourishing country, and though your
pershing clay may go down to the dust, you
will still live upon earth in the control
which your strong energies have entailed
upon mankind. In its effects. your work
will become a portion of the common for
tunes of humanity, mighty. wave in that
great current of events, which will flow on
ward until the ancient pillars of despotsm
that have been vainly imagined by Kings to
have their foundation in the centre of the
earth, shall be swept down to float off like
common wrecks upon the returnless tide.
There is no land under the sun with more
natural facilities than Arkansas possesses,
and there is no State in this Union for which
the General Government has done more,
than she has for this State And now, in the
name of Heaven, with all these advantages, if
we cannot make ourselves great and glori-
Gus people, we had better blot from the flag
of our country, the star that glitters to the
name Of Arkansas, and leave the stripe fit
emblem of her degradation. SYKES.