Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-05-30
For the Patriot.

Though not willing to believe that every
one of those now engaged in finding fault with
and blaming tie location and mode of con-
structiOn of the proposed Railroad Bridge
across the Cumberland River at this place is
as brimful of patriotism, zeal for the public
good or disinterestedness as is pretended, still
l have candor enough to allow that some good
as well as light has been elected by the discus
sion But while say this l must confess that
with all desire manifested by many to prevent
everything like an obstruction to the naviga-
tors of the river it seems to Inc that through
their eagerness to oppose new difficulty they
have quite lost sight of tie old one, once the
great bugbe IT of Broad street, the obstruction
occasioned by the permitting the pillars Of
the old Bridge still to remain standing in the
river. 1t does appear TO me that if piers in
the river are such an obstruction to navigation
as these gentlemen would lead US to believe
they ought by no means in the world especial
ly at this so critical point of time as you
suggest, Mr.. Editor, to let their zeal against
the old enemy the Nashville Bridge Company
die out so completely and at once. If at least
union or an increase of obstacles increase
difficulties anything in like ratio with the in
crease in another well known case where it is
said one shall chase thousand but two shall put
ten thousand to flight, what may our Steamboat
owners look for when they suffer double set
of piers to stand in the Cumberland river. Or
if preventing obstruction by brigde piers be
the object why like the dog crossing the river
with the flesh in his mouth will they drop the
meat to catch at the shadow, or figure apart,
let alone these old pillars to remove which
they have already decree of court that only
needs to be enforced to but their heads against
a Rail Road Bridge backed by the wishes of
the sovereign people and charter of the
State Legislature founded thereon to boot. Or
again, does not the mere fact of having a
bridge over and connecting these piers mot
half mile high either) constitute the great
evil against which the zeal, horum omnium,
of all these agitators is really directed Is not
the true gist of all this difficulty at last that
| the Broad street merchants fear that they can
not at high tide, at least, get Their goods put
out at the upper wharf or landing, and that
they will thus be subjected TO an extra dray-
age from the lower wharf, even after their
goods get to Nashville. And, instead Of meet
ing this evil direct by clubbing together oil
these merchants to compel the steamboat men
the men really at fault-to take occasionally
little extra trouble or expense, or both, u
put out their goods at the upper wharf, they
combine with these very steamboat men to
defeat every thing like firm, steady, practi'
cal railroad bridge over our river, for the great
purposes of land trade and travel But in our
desire to let out the true cause that is mainly
actuatng the gentlemen who figure most in
this foray against bridges, let US not slip the
great practical good we want this article to bt
the means of suggesting to them as to bt
brought about by them, to wit, the removal %
the old bridge pillars from the channel of the
river. For besides their enlsrging the draw
from 100 to $40 feet, which they now lay 4
claim to, | fan would add this to thsir laurels
''the removal of the old bridge pillars" And
what is there easier to be effected than by
now urging the enforcement of the deere,
against the old bridge company to so drive
trade between that company and the under
takers of the piers of the proposed railroad
bridge, that the material now composing th'
old pillars shall all be transferred to aud form
part of the piers of the new bridge.