The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1855-02-24

On Tuesday last, ws had the Fleasurs Of
wiz frea Col. Dsssrn. he chief engi>
nser OF tAe vicksburg, Shreveport, ""d
'Texss Railroad Company, and Mr.. Mor.
x,s one OF the ssovsston on bat portion
Of the road from Shreveport 10 the Texas
line.
These gentlemen informed W that they
had great confidence in the vigorous pros
ecu,on OF the work from Vcksburg, and
tina, ,he,, had every reason to look forward
to ia e.ly completion. Mr. Morris said
tina, he and his partner. Mr.. Rhodes, had a'
present q small force on the road, but that
in few weeks tho number would be large
" increased. The object Of the visit OF
these centlsmen to Marshall, rs we under.
stood from them, was TO ascertain the state
of public sen,imen, 10 this portion Of Tex
AZ relation to railroad Improvement, ard
whether it was the desire oi orr people to
connect with their line. Mr.. Morris said,
that one difficulty under which they had
abored, originated from the fact 'hat an
opinion prevailed in Caado parish, that the
people Of this portion OF Texas were ops
posed to a connection with Shreveport.
We embraced the occasion to say to
these gentlemen, or rather to confirm what
they had been previously told by others,
tina, public sentimen, in this portion Of Tex
as was as decided in favor of railroad inns
proyement a, present, as it bad ever been,
; and tina, connection with the \leAsbafg
road was what our people desired We
said further to them, that II was true they
found nothing doing here, and m apparent
wan. of interest in the prose luton OF the
work, but this did no, originate from oppo'
siiion to tho enterprise itself, but was to be
; attributed to the feet tina, the people had
no confidence in tho present railroad oF'
panization. They might rest assured, that
public sentiment aud ertegprlse in Texas
was sufficient to carry the road not only to
Marshall, bat to FL paso, so soon as the
necessary r!eps were taken 10 restore cons
: adence
The Nicksburg, Shreveport and Texas
. Railroad Company, OF Louisiana, have
4 committed two very grave error. IN the
=, frs, place they have commenced Tie work
at three different poiuis TO wit at Nieks~
, burg, Monroe, and Shreveport, IN the
, next place, they have ondeayored to raiae
means to assist IN carrying on The enters
= prise By taxation. By .he L,st lhcir ener'
. gies were parali1ed. and by the second obey
, created unnecessarily formidable opposj'
| ton. We understand that they are about
e to correc, tho first error, aud We think i
g would be wise in them to cor'ec. the other.
The people will resist taxation, not because
they do not understand nor do not 3pre>
reason that taxation II unequal snd un
Just. The man who ll5es on tho river
or contiguous TO it, or ancsher whose
plantation ia remote Il ON the road, cannot
be made to understand shy he should
, pay as high tax for work which
will benefit him bat remotely, as one whose
property will be increased 10 value five
hundred per cont. Orators may stump II
Through the different parishes, and delirer
lectures on the Importance aud utility oil
raiirosds--drsw comparisons between the
or wagon and mule team aud the steam
car---shey may pile up figures ~ 10 the
amount of freight and the number Of pas,
sengers until they even astonsh them
, s,lves-but still the people will be as un.
willing to submit to the tax as they were
before.
The great misfortune ia nearly every
public enterprize is, that, by some means or
other they get connected with them 4 set
Of visionary, garrulons men, individuals
who have everything to gain and nothing
to lose. and who assume 20 dlrec. every
; operation. II is to this cause that 20 many
enterprises fail. The press might correct
NNtsc tNis u its CbHbHctufs "eIu uftu "
the right material. But unfortunately they
are more disposed to follow than to lead
to adopt the opinions OF others rather than
to consult their own judgments.
Let the people OF North Louisiana
abandon the idea OF taxation to build this
railroad. Let them appropriate all their
means at this end of the line, and connect
at once with Texas. This will give us
chance to work he.e--the means to trans.
port the material for the work. But more
than this, II will give the railroad enterprise
; an impetus in Texas OF which they lt.le
dream. Here is a territory four times as
large rs the State of Alabama---rich in
agriculture and mineral resources, with
prnce'y donations to build railroads through
every portion Of it, Give this country
which has no good navigabls rivers, nh
outlet for its commerce, aud you render
practical the idea of constructing railroad
; eight hundred miles in extent towards the
Pacific, with all its collateral branches.
Connect with Texas. and the people Of
North Louisiana will no longer have to