New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-28
AFFAIRS OF MISSISSIPPI.

Gov. McRea IN his Biennial Address 10 'ne ME-
sissippi Legislature congratuates that body that
"the exciting contest Of the election passed oil
"quietly, and that the expression of the popular
"will at the ballot-bOx was not openly marked BY
"either fraud or violence-the people recognizing
"ours as a Government of opinion, in which diff
" ferences may be safely tolerated, while ques-
"tiOns involving the public interest are left
"free to open discussion" We welcome with
great satisfaction this recognition oil the part
Of a Southern Governor of the great Ameri-
cen doctrine that our Government is "Goy-
"ernment of opinion" and of the perfect
safety of toleratng differences Of opinion and leav
ing Questions involving the public interests free
10 open discussion" For Southern Governor to
recognize these principles requires, in these times,
the possession of backbone and still more 80,
not merely to profess them but to carry them
into action as we shall see that Gov. McEea does.
The allusion to "Open fraud and violence at the
ballot-box" is strong censure, though probably
not intended, on the late BOrder-Rufiian elections
in Kansas. More likely the reference was to the
Know Nothing riots in Kentucky and elsewhere;
and, in specifying "open fraud and violence, the
Governor perhaps intended to hint at some secret
practices against free discussion and the liberation
of differences of opinion on the part Of the Dark
Lantern party even in his own State.
We learn from this Message that with the ex-
ception of 1.-the pestilence we suppose the
Governor means the yellow fever-which has begun
within few years past to appear annually in the
cities and interior villages, the State has been
blessed with unusual health; while abundant har-
vests have rewarded their industry in every field Of
labor. We rejoice TO be told that "' religion, NOR
a. atty and knowledge the three great elements
Z" of civilization, which tend most to make people
/" free, great and happy-are more widely difused,
Z" and more highly cultivated throughout the State
than ever before, and the standard Of virtue and
" intelligence is elevated 10 higher scale" The
treasury is also in good condition there being on
hand at the beginning of the year about S260,000.
The State still has undsposed of upward of
million Of acres OF swamp land out of the twoand
hblf millions given By the General Government.
Tbs existing prosperity Of the State ia, however,
srasI thing 10 what Governor McIses anticipates
WHEN the railroads tn progress are finished These
seem to BE- the principal lines which the people
Of the State are trying to build. The first IL to
extend from The City Of sev~Or north through
Jackson, the capital Of Mississippi, % tho Memphis
and Charleston road in Tennessee. This ia under.
taken BY two Corporations, the Nsw.0fIssns.
jackson and Great Northern covering the space be-
tween New-Orlesns and Canton, and the Aissis-
siPpi Central, extending from Canton 10 the Mem
phis read. Tie second line il the Mobile and Ohio.
running parallel with the first, but further west.
The third is an east and west line, the Southern
road, extending from Brandon to the Alabama line.
Ofhese roads the last appears to stick fast, while
Of the two others, but little is finished within the
State of Mississippi. Much has been done in the
way of grading but The companies cannot raise the
money to buy the rails. The State has appro-
pristed to the OF these companies the proceeds
Of half million Of acres Of land, granted BY the