Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-02-16
CO NJ M u MIC A ITO N.
KEoKuK, February LIST, 1854.
Editor of Des Moines C. urier:

the caption, "More Nice than Wise. -
!! do no, propose general review of the
article in question, neither do | wish to
lend my aid in keeping up a guerrilla
warfare between localities whose inter-
ests are identical.
At the meeting TO which you refer, We
were not disposed to force upon your
citizens the ul,imatum OF either taking
defensive or offensive ground." Our
project, like all Others Of similar char
ac,er, mus. rest upon its own merits; and
il it possesses inheren, worth, it will
commend itself TO the citizens along the
line, and receive their supper. and hear
,y corporation resolutions sly ling i, a
"chimerical project of an air and gass
line" to the contrary notwithstanding.
We had been told by Judge Biggs and
others, that the an Gun, Of stock. TO aid
in the construction Of the Burlington
Railroad, las far as your place and the
county was concerned) had already been
subscribed. hence we could not have
been ac.ua,ed by a Motive to "direct the
attention" of your citizens from their
long cherished, and nearly consuma,ed'
projection the other hand we told Mr..
Gillaspy and others, that nothing would
be said or done by us in that meeting,
calculated to prejudice the interests of
the Burlington Road, otherwise than
what would naturally grow out of fair
statement of our enterprise. For one
have no feelings of hostility towards lha,
Road. | hope it may be built; the in.
,eres,s of their project and ours do no,
in the leas. confic, the State Of Iowa
is great enough for more Railroads Than
one.
The two roads in question do not run
parallel with each other, bu, cross at near
right angles, draining different sections
of the State, and terminating a, dif1eren,
poin,s-each contributing to make our
State more wealthy by increasing our
facilities for INSTRUMENTATION, afford
ing more ample means for the speedy
transit of the surplus products of the
sections through which they pass, and
opening up new channels through which
will pour the strong tide of emigration !;
bringing into usefulness all Our waste
and uncul,iyated places. and uniting 1.-THE
outside barbarian SET" (which you say
you know you are,) and "those so close
in GGnity' NTH the more enlightened
and civilized of the east, and no point
ON either line will derive so giea, a ben.
eff. as the point a. which these roads
cross each other. The reason, and the
only reason, why We did no. address the
meeting in question, was the refusal on
the part of that meeting to appoint a
chairman. 1t is true tina. Mr.. Sinnamon
was nominated, but did he no, positively
refuse to act-and that we did 70. regard
him as "respectabie citizen" IL mere
assumption on your part, for l can as
sure you we did not even know the gen.
tlemau, and would have been glad had he
consented to act. Upon his refusal Mr..
Leighton was nominated, who also de-
clined to ac..
By.a reference to the proceedings of
the meeting, you will observe tina, S,e-
pheh Osborn was appointed chairman
after we left. consequently if Mr.. Sin
namon and Mr.. Leighton did no, refuse
to act, the meeting offered a greater in.
suit to them. By superceding them in the
appointment OF Mr.. Osborn, than they
had done even to US. A fler Mr.. Leigh
ton refused TO act as chairman, we stated
our reasons for refusing 10 speak and left
the meeting. and as you was present il.
was unnecessary for yoi to learn that
We "let IN anger" Such was not the
case. We may have been in error in
supPosing tina, the reluctance to organize
was intended as an insult 10 those en-
gagged in the construction Of the Keokuk
and Fort Des Moines Railroad, but we
deemed it such a. the time, anc was SO
spoken Of by one of the speakers on
that occasion; and your article has no.
served TO change our opinion in the least.
Regarding i. in that light, we pur.
sued the course which we thought
The circumstances by which we were
surrounded demanded. And allow me
here to state that no personal considera-
lions, no scurrilous articles or defama.o.
ry resolutions will excite me against any
As an humble citizen of the
State of Iowa | trus, that no such Sigh.
causes will ever induce me to become re-
creans TO her laudable projects, or hostile
TO her best interests, for one ! say let
both roads be speedily built. let "the