The true Democrat., 1856-01-01

l to have been made, that the road never could, never would, and never ought to be buit.- Thus constituting himself the champion of of the opposition to this grant of 2,522,- 88O acres of land, worth $15,OOOOOO, to aid ln building railroads, ample to complete and equip the main trunk and branches. These sentiments of hostility to the grant he reitera- ted in the Gazette, on his accession to its editorial chair last spring. We refer to it now more in sorrow than in anger and only because it proves how great an injury prominent pub. lie man may inhict upon the State, that made him what he was, simply by an error in judg- ment, or to gratify his personal ill-will to a great public measure, because its paternity did not belong to him; thus becoming the nucleus around which clustered the we'll known mas ter spirits of the organized opposition to that grant, unparalleled for its intolerance and cupi- dity, which from the Senate chamber spread over Arkansas, and finally manifested itself in our legislative halls in 1852. But for this the lines of these roads would have been prospec- lively fixed at that session. while the grant could have been adjusted, and the lands re- maining to the United States restored to mar ket, two years since, and favorable negotiations made, while the monetary affairs of the coun. try were easy, when the ways and means could have been easily provided to insure the speedy completion of these roads, more than doubling our population and the value of our taxable property by 1860. Tolerant as we may be. these blighting results, so greatly to be regret ted, are justly chargeable to the Hon. ex-Sena- tor, who must foot the bills, or posterity will do it for him as certain as that truth never cha nges On the other hand, his influences proved to be the germinating seed, from which sprung the main power of the swamp land coalition, that has proved so disastrous in squandering and render ing valueess for State internal improvements, that munificent grant, besides opening the door by which the leading minds of that coalition was enabled to weaken the railroad grant, by talk ing up immense bodies of the most fertile lands within its limits, that are high and dry, and wrongfully claiming them as swamp and over- flowed. Unhappy reflection it will be to him in the "sear a'm yello,o haf" of life, to look back in remembrance of how greatly his ill., advised course has contributed to retard and embarreSs internal Improvements in the State that warm ed him into life. Fan whould we in pity, throw the mantle of oblivion over his wayward public career, but without this reel tai the subject under consideration could not be fairly presented in its true character.
 Nothing is more remarkable than the desti- tuition of moral sense which left the opposition to this railroad grant, free to make the start ling avowal that their great object was to break 1t down. Those claiming to be the opponents of the Hon. ex-Senators proclvties styling themselves B0rland men," and the swamp land men fraternized with each other-- Such union however, of discordant and hos- tile interests, for an evil purpose without pre- cedent, and we recur to it in this place, from it's relavency, not only to this railroad tax and bond scheme, but as an answer to those who may be disposed to cavil at what we have said in the last proceeding paragraph
 At the session of our legislature in 1852. there was an internal improvement fund in the State treasury, approxmating $75,OOO in spe- cie, arising from the sales of the 5OO,OOO acre grant of land, made by Congress to Arkansas, which act declares, that the proceeds thereof shall be faithfully applied to objects of inter- nal improvement within the State, namely: railways, bridges, canals, etc., portion of which fund was recommended in the Governors mes- sage of that year, to be appropriated to survey ing the route of this road, so that as matter ot expediency, the lines could be subsequent ly dehnately fixed by authority of the legisla- ture, and thus meet the requirements of the railroad grant, which had then passed the House of Representative, and was pending in the Sen. ate of the United States; but this was declined at a time when all fair minded men admitted that this bill would pass the Senate at that ses- slon of Congress, and as proved to be the case Tn less than one month after the legislature had adjourned.
 In anticipation of this result, bill was pre- pared, providing for the survey, location, and construction of this national road, as contem- plated by said act of Congress, which bill, the Ingenuity of the opposition failed to defeat, and 1t became law, despite the untring efforts of the organized opposition, though prompted by the Gazette, and led on by their astute chief the late Geo. w. Underhil the magnitude of whose interests will, in part, be recognized, from his having previous to the meeting of that polSlature enterad into m Capt. Pike, (who was then welding DO wer- tul influence in the State, arising from his twelve years position as attorney for the trus- tees of the Real Estate Bank,) as we learned from public rumor, and the newspapers at the time, and which has never been denied, to fur nsh on joint account 6O,OOO acres of swamp land scrip
 After the adjournment of the legislature, in January, 1853, the Gazette, the custodian of these wicked plans, and leading organ of the opposition, took open ground against this char ter saying that it never would have passed the legislature if its character had been understood, that company never could, and never would be organized under it; nevertheless company was organized under it, and measures adopted to survey the road. But when the Presidents order came, withdrawing the railroad lands from market, the Gazette and its allies became exceedingly wroth, having but short time previously informed the people, that they would not be reserved from sale, without cal- led session, and the grant accepted Heading off for an extra session of this very same 1aoi~ lature (after the internal improvement fund had been disposed of, and they knew there was not dollar in the State treasury,) to do the same thing, which it had but about one month before understandingly declined. The opposition men here and in M emphis had great object in view. The swamp land men, having dis coxered th at they could nnt succeed in nlunder.