The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-10-17
EIREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER II, 1855

prove Repelation for the south. 1t will de-
velop your resources and your population, in
crease your political power, and place you upon
terms Of equality with the North, in the admin
istration Of the federal government. It will
enhance the value of your slaves by diversity
/ ing objects for the employment of their labor.
It will secure the interest you have in this spe-
cies of property and perpetuate the institution
of slavery among you forever. ~,- is -y. =.a-
The route from Vicksburg to Shreveport is
altogether practicable, and the cost of the road
between the points has been estimated by a
most competent and scientific engineer, protes-
sior G. G. Forshey, who is intimately acquain-
ted with the country, at So, 200, 900. West Of
Shreveport the road will fall into the cheapest
class, say eight thousand dollars per mile. 1t
is universally believed by persons competent
to form An opinion, that the road will pay a re-
munerating profit upon the cost of its construc-
ton, the first year the cars are placed upon the
track. But we do not deem it necessary to
enter into any calculations to show this for
when men come TO subscribe stock, and pay
in their money they will, of course make their
own estimates. .... 81 .~.......:.
And here, fellow citizens, we leave the sub
.helRto- build it. 1t is idle to amuse yourselves
with h@impracticable schemes. The road will
never be built unless you resort to the system
of taxation. II the parishes along the line Of
the road will raise by this means one hundred
thousand, dollars each, the work will be put un
der contract gthis spring, and prosecuted with
vigor until It's completed Without this you may
continue to tax yourselves almost to the point OF
starvation with delays losses, in the shipment of
your cotton, high freights and exorbtant prices
upon your family supplies, but you will never
ride in the cars back to your friends in the old
states. Weare almost envious at the prosperity
which similar Improvements have given to Mas
sachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Georgia. Oh,
that we might emulate the enterprise of the
citizens of these States. We should have no
cause then to pine at our own condition. We
say it without fear of contradiction, nature has
done more for Louisiana, than for any other
State in the Union. But alas we have done less
for ourselves. At the North, State govern
ments, and municipal authorities have taxed the
people to build their works of internalimproye-
ment without their consent, and have given
them no otherinterest in those works than what
they may have as citizens of the State. We
desire to have the question submitted entirely
bto yourselves, that you shall determine whether
you will levy reasonable tax upon your real
estate to build this road, and that you shall fix
the amount yourselves. If you decide in favor
of the tax-that you will have the road-you
will by your own voluntary act, become stock
holder in the road to the amount Of tax levied
for this special purpose. It's no new thing to tax
people to build railroads, this has been done
every where that railroads have been built. The
question of the proposed tax involves no new
principle, and the only new feature itpresents
is altogether in your favor, namely, that instead
Of losing the amount of your ta1 or getting
nothing for it but participation in the general
benefits Of the road, you shall have railroad
stock for every dollar of tax you pay, which
you may either keep as profitable inv vestment,
or sell at your convenience. Suppose you live
twenty five miles from the road, and your land
is assessed at $4,000. A tax on this of
per cent assessed annually for three years,
would be 5000 year. or $500 in all You
would therefore be a stock holder in the road
to the amount of 5000. Now all you could
possibly lose, would be the difference between
the value of 5000 in railroad stock, and $500
vested in your farm. In Georgia The railroads
are paying from IA to 16 per cent on the in
vestment, and many shrewd men prefer it to
planting. Now we beg you to turn back and
look over some OF our previous estimates and
see what you will be benefited. The very day
it shall be made known, beyond doubt, that the
road will be built in a reasonable length Of
time, your land will appreciate ten per cent, Or
S 900 and it will continue to advance in the
same ratio annually for ten years. Ithas been
thought that prejudice may exist against this
tax with persons living some distance off the
line of the road, upon the ground of inequality
of benefits. But it is great mistake to sup
pose that its benefits will be confined to those
who live mediate1y upon the line of the road.
They will extend far and wide upon either side
upon the right hand, and upon the left. 1t is
an ascertained fact that in other instances rail-
roads have sensbly influenced the price oflands
for more than one hundred miles on either side
of them. And it seems to US that any man
might be willing to pay a bonus, Of the slight
loss he may sustain upon his tax, for the prlvi-
lege of making one trip upon the road, of going
back to the home of his childhood, revising the
scenes of early life, and once more greeting the
companions and friends Of other days.
G. G. You've. A. FLouRSor.
ROLAND JONES' D.F. RoYsDoN.
j. NJ. LANpRuM. H. L. DOUGLASS.
The course of the American cause is onward
and upward. The true American sentiment
will prevail in defiance of political hacks and
venal partisan papers. II is powerful
magnet that draws the great body of the peo-
pie around it. The true American cause is not
a crusade upon men on account of their birth
place. The true American pays the proper
homage to genius whether it first saw light in
the ehighlands of Scotland, on the quays of Dub
lin, in the work-house of England, the cottage
of the French or German peasant, or within
sight Of the Vatican at Rome. He respects the
man, wherever born, but he claims the truth of
the princi pie that the Frenchman is the best
calculated to govern France, the Englishman
England, the Irishman ireland, the Scotchman
Scotland, the German Germany, the Italian
Italy, and the American America. This is what
the true American claims, and this claim he
will maintain to the last of his existence. While
ne firmly maintains this political creed, he ex-
tends the right hand Of fellowshipto the whole
world, and is ready to shelter the oppressed