The true Democrat., 1854-12-20
For the True Democrat.

puDllC Illllu was ready TOT SOmeCnlng, 1elt the necessity of immediate action, and without ques- tioning the policy, at once adopted his views; and invested their means and credits in road truly of importance, but compared with other interests as of the least importance. Any other road, since projected, was of more import ance, and road west, through Arkansas, of more importance than that and all the others together.
 fatal mistake, so far as regards the general interests of Arkansas may be made by the pre- sent Legislature. For what purpose do Legis- lures meet? It certainly is to promote the in- terests of their own State It would be an in- suit to the common sense of any Legislator now at Little Rock to ask him whether he had the interest of Arkansas more at heart than that Of Kentucky or Tennessee. With this ques- ton settled, we will at once come to our point The present Legislature has to make the selec- ton for the Mississip ppi terminus of the branch road. The two points of most prominence are Helena and Memphis. The first question to ask IS, what Is involved in the location? We ansWer-Wherever that terminus Is made will spring up one of the largest and most impor- tanJ commercial cities in the south or west.- Ihls fact will at once be conceded by any in- telhgent mnd, that is informed of the extent Of the trade that western road will build up. We are not astohlshed at the extraordinary efforts Memphis has, and is making to influence the action of the present Legislature so as to secure the terminus; and we must acknowledge they have so far played their cards we'll What a magnificent move to send all the way to Lou isville in the State of Kentucky, and bring Geo. D. Prentice, the democrat skinner, all the way here to marshal up the whigs to their support. But Prentice, by himself, would not do, and the Memphis corporation must send over com mittee of three--all true blue democrats-at an expense to the city of one Moalsand dozzurs- for what? To manage the democrats in the Legislature. If that is not so, why so careful to select only democrats from the whig city of Memphis; and what in the name of common sense could these private gentlemen need with $l,OOO to bring them on a visit from Memphis to Little Rock. That is :533333 B each-more than member of the Legislature will get for canvassing all summer, and spending three months of his time in attending the Legislature 1 do not see how they expected or intended to use their funds. Memphis is not to blame for her extraordinary exertions, and if sending for Prentice twice, and paying his expenses-and sending J. Knox Walker & Co.,, over here with $5OOOO, a second time, would secure the ter minus twould be a splendid investment of time and money. But what is most astonishing is, ii their claims are so mertorious, why the ne- cessity of such eXertion. They feel and know, before the Legislature of Arkansas would con- init such suicidal act as to give them the ter minus, that very extraordinary efforts must be used to influence their action. What is it they ask for? compute it. If it was for a million of dollars, and you had the money to give them, 1t would be a small matter to give 1t to them; but they ask you for millions and billions in the way of money. This is not all--they ask you to gi ve them the commercial control of vour State and her lnonied interests. Terminate your road there and Memphis will control your conn., merce, and give you your currency, composed of the issues of her legion of stock and free banks, with therissues, payable in the inaccessi- ble tastnesses of the mountains of East Ten nessee, and at the treasury of the State, when the hypotencated stocks are sold perhaps at 50 cents ill the dollar But why object to Memphis being our commercial emporium? Why should we, poor devils, object to her dictating to us commercially and financially? and particularly when we have not one word to say in our legis- lative capacity as to anything she may do Our finances and commerce will be entirely control led by foreign legislation. True Tennessee may have smarter men than Arkansas, vet there is feeling of independence and pride that ought to pervade the breast of every community that would scorn to be dependent, for even the najnd, to control their own affairs.
 By giving the terminus to Memphis, the land jobbers of that city will make fat thing of it; and Mir. Stickney may make himself rich by going in advance and buying up the bluffs on the rivers and then instructing his engineers to run the road to them. This would be good thing for Mir. Stickney-for it is a singular fact in the history of the times that Mr. Stckney has the control of the Memphis and Little Rock road-he made the contract to build the road from Memphis to Little Rock, for which Brad ley < Co.,, (of which firm probably MT. Stick ney may be amember,) are to get the sum of S25,OOO per mile-the company surrendering the entire control of the location of the route with the exception of the crossing on the St. Francis river, where the land lobbers of Mem- phls had bought town site. Now to the control of these foreign contractors, the Legislature is asked to give up the magnificent land donation. The route they have located the road on, is, in the judgment of many, from its deep overHows and innumerable bayous and rivers to bridge, impractcable, at least the construction on 1t will involve heavy outlay.
 The route to Helena Is much shorter more practicable anu the road to that city, if they get the land donation, will certainly be made and if it is, we will as certainly have a road to Memphis Helena, in her survey, has adopted a crossing on White river at which Memphis can and will connect with her; while Bradley S Co.,, in their location of the Memphis road have adopted crossing on White river that Helena cannot connect with, and crossug that in the overfowed season she can never make herself, unless she puts her railroad in ferry boat and crosses in that way. By the Legislature adopt ing Helena as the terminus, Arkansas will be certain of one outlet to the Mississippi and as certain as Helena builds her road to White river, Memphis will connect with it at that point, and assist in extending the road west.
 It is useless to point to the certainty of con- nection at Helena, by railroad on the east; this is fixed fact If the road is made on this side of the river one will be made on the other and even if this should not be so, connection with the Mississippi river connects us with all the world. With an uninterrupted navigation for first class boats, within six hours of Mem phis and forty of New Orleans, the connection is good enough.
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