Washington telegraph., 1853-03-16
For the "Ta'egraph."
The Cairo and Fulton Railroad.
LUMBER II.

1t is said, and universally held to be true,
that man needs but to see his interests IN
order to pursue it. This is claimed upon
the ground that man is reasonable crea-
ture. We know that mans greatest good
is the object of his creation and further,
that every emotion and feeling of his soul
prompts him to seek that good Reason is
the light by which he must seek, and
finally attain, his comfort and happiness
This is the best gift, or if | may so speak,
the highest prerogative from the Creator
to man, and that to which instinct, and eve
cry other principal that can possibly move
man, is chained down, and ought to give
way. This he holds, ike everything else
from his maker, in trust, and must render
an account for tne use he has made OF it.
If he sees that any certain movement would,
if carried out, rebound to his good, and does
not endeavor to avail himself Of it, most as
suredly he tramples upon this, the best por-
ton OF his being. commits glaring fault,
and is no better off than Gurth, of Cedric's
thrall, feeding with his masters pigs upon
acorns. Now, [ propose to present a few
stubborn facts, with regard to the making
of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad, which |
conceive to accord strictly with reason, and
if then we are not satisfied with the propriety
and necessity of the enterprise. and will not
feel it our duty to undertake it, we, if the
above remarks be true, place ourselves on
par with those creatures that walk with
their heads d0wnwards, and know no high
er duty than the satisfaction of their stom-
achs.
Arkansas has been a State since 1886,
and there are not three months in the year
that you can find a good road forty miles in
length within her limits. Men who come
here from other States, Judge Of the indus
try and enterprise. as well as the good con-
dition Of the rest OF the State, from the
roads over which they travel: and how often
do you hear them say, if they were ont of
Arkansas they would never return. Can
we, under these circumstances, ever hope
that Arkansas Will be settled up by good
substantial citizens! Never, SO long as
they can find homes elsewhere They have
no desire, and it is contrary to mans nature,
to bury themselves IN country so far be-
hind the rest of the world Take, on the
other hand those who live here and rccog-
nize Arkansas as their home, and how many
are satisfied Why sir, there is not a
State in the whole Union, whose population
is 50 floating as ours. California, filed up
with natives Of every cline and country,
many OF whom expect to return to their
former homes, has a more permanent popu-
lation than we. Her Internal Improve
ments are superior by far to ours, and in
point of age, she is but an infant compared
TO Arkansas. Her history reminds me of
that of Palias who sprang full grown from
the brain of Jupiter About one half, |
may say, Of our population, look forward
to the day when they will take up their all,
and move either to California, Texas, or
some other place. If d citizen Of this State,
desires to visit any part Of the United
States, his greatest trouble and labor
is to Get out of Arkansas. Suppose one
starts from this place, to visit Niagara Falls,
and back by the way of New Orleans, the
whole trip is pleasant, yea delightful, except
from here to Napoleon. at the mouth of the
Arkansas river, and from the mouth Of Red
river, TO this place and really one must be
endowed with an iron will, to travel This
portion of the journey without frettins HIM
self into a fever, or becoming mad at the
world, and " the rest Of mankind in rerer
al" 1t is said that the Swiss are shut in
by lofty frowning mountains, which thev
look upon as eternal barriers, placed there
by the hand OF God, between them and
their ncighbors, but we are closed in from
our sister States by Obstacles, the conse-
quence of our own Incidence and NEGLECT
Every one of us knows this to be the fact
hence our dissatisfaction. When duty calls
one Of us abroad, it is like pulling eye-tecth
for us to start, knowing the trouble, expense
and vexation attending a trip from here to
other places. People Of ether States are
perfectly aware Of the state of things chat
exists here, and persons who, otherwise
would come here to find homes, are aetu-
ally frightened from the undertaking. on
account of the loud and bitter complaints
that are constantly heard from our own citi-
zens and it is but reasonable they should
be. Ii we are not contentcd and happy
here ourselves. can we expect that others
would be? | scarcely think you would 20
home with friend, to enjoy a social eve
ming, or to live with him, when he and his
wife were ever in b4l humor, and their
children constantly crying and sonallinr
around you. Ii you would, you and | have
different notions concerning domestic peace
and social comfort.
We do wrong, yea, we commit a sin, in
] IL :.