The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-02-08


Knoxville Register appears somewhat anx
ious to show to his readers that there Is an
inconsistency in opposing the transfer oil
the States stock in the East Tennessee and
Georgia Railroad to the Kentucky Company
and at the same time not Offering any opPo-
sition to the building Of the Cleveland and
Chattanooga Road. In fact, he hinges on
this point so much, and refers to 1t so often,
that we begin to think that opposition to the
last mentioned enterprise is a cardinal Prin-
eiple with some two or three gentlemen OF
Knoxville, and that they will probably never
enjoy good health again unless 1t is defeated.
But our friend of the Register is mistaken, as
there is no analogy between the two eases
The building Of the Cleveland Branch road is
essential to the completing OF great public
enterprise-it is a link without which East
Tennessee has no direct connection with Nash
vile aud Middle and West Tennessee-has no
connection by Railroad with the Nashville and
Chattanooga road, and the Memphis and
Charleston line, except by making detoar
through the territory OF neighboring State,
whereby all the travel and freights are sub
iected to additional charges and vexatIous
delays. Every pound Of sugar, coffee. de-,
that enters East Tennessee from the direction
Of Nashville, pays freight on forty miles that
will be saved by the building of the Cleve-
land and Chattanooga Branch-every passen-
ger to and from that direction pays an addi
tional amount, which will be saved, to say
nothing of the delays to which they are now
subjected. In fact, no enterprise in the State
is so urgently demanded by a multiplicity Of
interests-East, West and Middle Tennessee
are alike to be benefited by its early compile
ton, and it must so strike any one who gives
it his attention. Why, our friends at Knox
ville who are SO fertile in projecting rail
roads and so successful in building them on
paper, never conceived Of an enterprise in
which the State as o whole is SO deeply in
terested as in the Cleveland Branch, or some
other branch necessary to avoid the dstour
by the way of Dalton. and the delays and
vexations, and extra charges growing out
Of it.
The Kentucky road. however. occupies
very different ground-it has not yet been
shown that its building is demanded by any
great public interest or that its completion
will be attended by any great public benefit,
1--WE use the word in its largest sense)-and
until that fact is shown, or made evident, we
are bound to believe that the advantages to
accrue from it will necessarily be local, and
not general in their character. We might 90
on to enumerate wherein, but have no desire
to do so, aud do not wish TO be understood as
being opposed to the Kentucky enterprise
We merely wish TO call the attention of
our friend of the Register to the important
fact, which seems to have escaped his inves-
tigating mind, that while the Cleveland and
Chattanooga enterprise is one in which each
Division of the State is alike deeply interest
ed, the Kentucky road is not likely to result
in material advantage to any portion except
Knoxville and the limited section Of country
which it will traverse-and that one may
advocate State aid for great public enter
prise and at the same time oppose PROPOSE
ton asking the State to sacrifice 100000 tor
the benefit ~ of another of simply local
character and doubtful practicability as
paying concern, without mourning the charge
of Inconsistency. The transfer, if made,
would not secure the grading Of the Ken.
lucky line-the Stock Of the Company pro-
posed to be transferred, has already been in
jured by the simple fact that such measure
has been introduced into our Legislature, aud
if effected it will prove ruinous. The men
who originated the project know this rs well
as we do and if the Register will ask their
candid opinion, they will tell him SO. 1t does
not invalidate any thing we have said on the
subject to assert that similar measure was
introduced into the Senatorial branch of the
last Legislature. If it be true, the PROPOSE
tion met with so little favor as to excite no
attention, and we doubt whether the mem
bers of the popular branch ever heard Of it.
We viii thank our neighbor TO refer to the
page Of che Journal upon which the Senate's
action is recorded.
The Register thinks that in expressing
the opinion that the State had no right
to dispose Of its Stock in = way that
would injure the interests Of the individ-
ual stockholders and the enterprise it had
to build, we raised "bad law
is, he believes the State, having
associated itself with other parties in con-
structing great enterprise, and the work
being completed and in successful operation, it
may now turn round and cripple and destroy
that enterprise to the detriment of the pob
lie interests and the injury Of the other
Of the concern, for the transfer can
not be made without approaching this result.
Presenting that he has had the advice Of
learned counsel on this point he may be right
bere-the rule of law may sustain his view,
but we are certain that equity, justice and an
honest public opinion sustains ours.
toy We received, few days since, q note
from a friend, censuring us for not publishing
a communication of "a Stakeholder" to
which we alluded last week and perhaps the
week previous. We have no doubt the sug
gestions of our friend were prompted by
spirit Of kindness toward ourself, but he must
permit us to say that icc are the proper per-
son to determine what shall appear in our