Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-11-20
RAILROADS.

AStttOio tfttCt uHu -iHcF tCuH-
In the editorial columns of your valuable journal
of the 18th inst, observe an article on the subject
of Railroads, which deserves more than passing
notice. ii accords not only with the views of large
majority of the people of the State, but embraces
facts which ought to engage the special attention OF
That the State is burthening herself with an i'm
debt to aid in the construction 'of roads OF
little comparative value to our own citizens, while
indispensable to other States isan ndisputable truth,
and it is equally true that there much to fear
from over jealous legislation for local improve
ments to the great injury of those of general
character involving the vital interests of the whole
State
The voting down of resolution introduced in
the Senate TO ascertain 'te amount of Indebtedness
which the State has incurred is pledged to incur,
on account of the Omnibus BIZ of the last session
of the Legislature indicates too plainly the exist
of feeling, dangerous to the future credit of
the State and calculated to defeat the construction
of works which in every way would rebound to
the honor and prosperity of the country. A Cen.
trail Road from the Mississippi river to Eastern
boundary, is what the necessities of the Agricultural
Commercial and Mechanical interests of the people
of Tennessee demand and they mast hare IT, or
else submit to be mere 'hewers of wood and draw
ers of water to their neghbors, to which end the
tendency of some of our present Railroad improve
ments is rapidly progressing. What has mostly
aided toproduce the wonderful increase in the value
of real estate in Ohio? Cs325,OO0,OOO in the last
sir years) her Central Railroad and its tributaries
aud this is by no means isolated case. The same
results every where appear where judiciols Sys-
stem has been adopted; system that has for its
main object "the greatest good to the greatest num-
ber" system, encouraged and maintained by legis-
lative wisdom; system, that knows no North, no
South, no East no West Adopt such system in
this State, and the local advantages now desired
are sure to be attained in good time, and all sec
tional prejudces and feeling will be merged in the
universal prosperity of the people.
The present policy, or rather impolicy, in regard
to Railroad improvements, is VIGOROUSLY unpopular,
hence the protests against appropriations of large
amounts Of money, to raise which, additional and
heavy taxation must be resOrted to. This would not
be the case, if comprehensive policy, embracing
great State improvement had been the object oflegis
lation.
The following extract from leading commercial
paper in New York plainly shows the disadvan-
tages we labor under for want of the means of in-
accommodation
"Some new companies have recently been started
to work mines in Tennessee and vast promises are
held out to operators to embark in them. We have |
no doubt that there is some basis for these specua-
tons but il does strike us important that opera
hoo in,
9aoued from The centres Of sales and traffic and that
five years ago, promises quite as brilliant were ad
vanced its prospects. People then said that |
Tennessee was an inexhaustible field for mining |
and that all who had an interest in its mines would
reap immense fortunes. Five years have elapsed |
and notwithstanding all that has been said about
the sulphureted and oxides, no returns have yet
been made from Tennessee veins. This is enough |
in our opinion, to dictate great caution to those who
propose investing money 10 them. Up to this time |
leaving coal and iron out of the questionable |
United States contain five mining districts all of |
which possess superior claims 10 Tennessee. There
are the New York lead region; the gneiss formation
of Chester county. Pennsylvania for lead the min
eral range through Virginia North and South Caro-
lima and Georgia, for gold and copper; the Far
West Missouri, Iowa. Wisconsin, &c, for lead; and
Lake Superior for silver and copper. In all these
districts, both individual enterprise and corporate
capital have reaped actual returns; and until Ten
0eSSee does as nlucl LOT thOSe VINO nave cast UueT
lot within her borders, we advise outsiders to ad-
here to the five we have enumerated
Here, we are told, that Tennessee is too "far re-
giorsd from tie centres Of sIles and hlc and that
however valuable her mineral wealth may be, cap
ialists had better cast her aside and turn their at
tention to Pennsylvania, Georgia, Iowa. Wisconsin
&c, because by means of Railroads, they are not
"outside barbarians" but be approached-this is
not a mere fancy of the brain, but stubborn, la
mentahle TRUTH and until means Of communication
are provided for access TO mineral region, this
same objection must exist to the great detriment Of
the public good
Your efforts to "arouse feeling in favor of
'',osU regulated system Of Railroad Improvements
meets with the approval of nine te7'tas of the re-
fleeing community and you are faithfully doing the
duty of public journalists, in 1rritHg dOoca all at
tempts to drain the Treasury, and burthening the
people with taxes to carry out schemes entirely
foreign and local in their character and which cannot
but mar the advancement Of works indispensably
necessary to the best interests of Tennessee
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