Southern shield., 1853-08-13
The Helena Railroad Convention

70 nuke nlnselE partlcularly WlIty at our expense, and that of the Conven- tion recently held here, was no doubt entirely satisfactory to himself. He says old Joe ''takes the cakes," and D great many equally funny things; but his merry mood suddenly changes, and with an aspect and tone in which severity and sarcasm are struggling for the ascendancy, he gives us lec- ture on what he terms plain, conamon sensp. The disinterested motives that prompted our friend to favor the good people of Phillips and the other coun- ties along the road with his advice and counsel, will be duly appreciated by its highly edifed and much obliged re- cipients. He says: "But why this jealousy-this pique at Memphis?'' Is it not enough to arouse the ire of every true Arkansian to see city in another
 State assuming the dictatorial course
 that the city of Memphis has towards
 Arkansas? Have they not for years
 had their delegation of lobby members,
 appointed to attend every meeting of
 our Legislature, to represent and watch
 over the interests of the good city of
 Memphis in the State of Tennessee?
 Did they not send special delegation
 to the capitol of our State, a short time since, to urge upon Gov. Conway the propriety, nay, absolute necessity, of converting the Legislature? What would the good citizens of Tennessee think of the people of Arkansas, if they were to send a delegation to their Capitol, on a similar errand? We think after this the citizens of Memphis should have emblazoned on their es- cutcheon the Irishman's coat of arms,
 "Impudence and Ignorance" Not satisfied with having by some species of legerdemain unknown to us and the 'rest of mankind," save themselves, influenced the Commissioners to report in favor of the road thro' the bottom, Memphis, traversing as 1t does one vast swamp of forty miles, instead of starting, as it should have done, from in which event there would have been a high, dry road to Little Rock, instead of what every man who has any regard for truth must say has for years been-a nuisance. Not sat- isfed with this, they now want the State of Arkansas to pay them for building a levee through this same bottom, to put Railroad upon, that the trade and wealth of great portion of Ar kansas may be poured into the lap of our greedy neighbors in Tennessee.
 We think if our Memphis friends will reflect a moment they will readily discover abundant cause for our ieal- busy towards them. It has become necessary in the course of human events for us to avail ourselves of the high orerogative of all who dare be free, o throw off the shackles imposed upon IS by city in another State. The yoke we have worn has galled us.- From this, hence forward and forever, Fe throw off this forced allegiance to Memphis, and make declaration of ,ur independence. We think that some place, within the borders of our own State, We can find land enough to 'uild city, without crossing the great Father of Waters to get in another State. We see no good reason why 'ur trade and commerce should be controlled by people who have no ceiling in common with us, and are 'nly interested in our prosperity so
 ar as it pays them. There are some nen about Memphis who would, if they .ould get rub at Alladin's lamp, con-
 ert the State of Arkansas into hug unnel and stick it into the mug of the ity on the Bluffs.
 We will do the editor of the Eagle Enquirer the justice to say that he
 as always spoken courteously of our own, road, &c. For this he deserved
 0 particular credit, however, for there 'as no cause for his doing otherwise. 'hings now are somewhat diferent,- [elena has been making hersel rather % "plenty'' here lately, to suit our Iemphis friends; they want us to give CT lick back, and we don't intend ) doit. A large grant of land was giv-