New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-10

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fSEW oRnEAss, Feb s, 1885,
m, Nh Ercfgt,iey Robert CT F'ickliife,
* lsoDeiqi0r OF the State of Louisiana &:
sYeSfv third letter concluded the promise 6
making ibis the subject of aid from the State Of Mis-
sjssppi iii pursuance of the dationss cor
taned in Gov. Nj Reas message. That State is abou
as miles long, from north to south, and 150 mile
broad, comprising in area about 760 sqgaTs m W.
or ,2S6, 4g0acres. Its population exceeds
inhabitants including slaves and the value q IDS
assessment of landed and personal Ieaciles
nearly 800 900 900 o dollars proportion e
itswhie inhabtants the q pr
~ owned among the same number ot ;a,
purely agricultural community ns the lae
northern Of the sts y and
Yazno rivers is esteemed the finest cotton producing
feeon III the Sont, being favored Ie eIa.e aila
latitude most favorable e aisss
siTni river flowing along the western boundary OF
1he sfate furnishes at ais an uninterrupted
Ind cean facility for tse sortation of its pro-
dice. The other ther course through
the State ~ aFs
districts e subjected to the greatest Inconvenience
ay, sss5itiees the suspension of navigation
M, tha want of facilities for carrying their produce
to market and obtaining their supplies. There is
Teraps nd State in the Union which relatively has SC
nlanY agricultural advantages as Mississippi, and
which would develop rapidly its great resources
if the agency OF Communication was improved
besides there is country, taking everything int
calculations that is more favorable for the constrne
tion of cheap and productive railroads The surface
of the country is facile, without mountains and rocks
to e1eayafe pr valleys to gil. Timber is abundant;
and it latitude secures its ghways against the inu-
ries Of frost asld a rigorous climate. Superadded to
ali ills, feeing frnitfuIness Of its soil is rich
promise Of traffic which cannot be computed in value
and import ance. 5sE s. Fl e ~ .sYss$ i
A State with the territory, climate soil and popu-
lation have described, with an assessment OF near
100000 600 Of dollars, has riches and iaf
greater than those of the bankers at any fstiopean
capital and if employed in only moderate degree
in aid Of the railroads now being coasIucIea Wl.in
its limits, will achieve the oblesf Wofs o. VIZ pies
ent age which postary, when Ilnher1tlng 1neir great
benefits viii not fill 10 appreciate and applaud
Mississppii mig aid the railroads projected and
building through its limit thoat oppression TO any,
to the extent Of lollifs anhuaiiy nut sup
pose it gave less and in spirit Of
enlirhtened Ifbealityl corresponding to the recon-
endations Of its Governor, should consider the ques
zion Of raising revenue for so noble an object. The
tlrsd dollars tax too Insignificant to invite serious
opposition among people possessed OF resources so
give 5000 600 annually and seven years
would swell the amount to $780, 000 which is the
latest period could assign forthe entire completion
of q system Of improy ements that would give the
State eight hundred miles railroad Of greatand GER
tain productiYeness their cost. Assuming that pro-
vision was made by legislative enactment for aid on
this basis are to an inquiry of how it
he best applied to secure and protect the State This
may be satisfactorily answered by citing the example
of the State OF Tennessee, which has aided its rail
roads by contribution Of ten thousand dollars per
mile on the security of statutory mortgage. Misss-
sippi nayo the same and secure itself by ample eil
fer money advanced instead Of engagements payable
at very remote period; but it can do no more. The
State, while creating public cement, performs
the function Of the capitalist. which its great wealth
enables ittodo with perfect facility and
indian iair,o
stances of the State and its citizens will allow Of any
extension and in Consistent policy she can make
her advances perpetual on the payment Of percent
per annum 1eserying all the rights Of creditor in
case of default. At the expiration of seven years
the State would have an annual revenue of $37SOgO
upon it's investments besides having the merit of or
iginatng policy which, in solid advantages, would
supercede all the inventions suggested by schemes of
credit and expedency, and would ortify every inter
est against its sacrifices and uncertainties,
4 am no advocate for employing public credit when
it can be avoided it is powerful as resource in pc
RODS flushed with confidence, but mschieVous in its
and States well individuals will best
consult their own welfare and interests when theyiely
upon their own acknowledged resources instead of
borrowing from Others. The Southern States have
more than ordinary motives to practice and encourage
this policy in the face of the anatica crusade waged
upon tfer Institutions and {credit the influence Of
which cannotbe better illustrated than by referring to
the difference in the value Of Northern and
Southern State securities, which is fully 20 per cent
That this difference is resignable to the mere question
Of Reputation is not borne ont by the facts. The
State of Michigan has openly repudated her engage
ments for millions, and the delinquent States of In
diana and Illinois may furtherbe cited example
that punctuaity and good faith do not exclusively re-
side In States where slavery is dsavowed and to 60
further it certainly does not appear that the Southern
States in the management of their public works and
have not evnced higher degree of pru
dence and integrity than prevail elsewhere They are
at least free from the vices Of stocobbing which has
bpen thtf5 DNfent StIIDenlOuS frauds committed
at the North.
The pursuits of the people of Mississippi are almost
entirely agricultural. The State has no seaport of
trade or export-no manufactures worthy of entner
alton. Almost every article that supplies the CON
sumption Of its inhabitants, from the most common
want to the most superuous, is the production OF
foreign and distant industry but the value of her
great staple is greater in proportion to population
than the average of production in other States Its
citizens, in same ratio, are larger consumers OF the
manufactures of the country and its importatonsflO from
abroad and are therefore proportonately the largest
contributors to the revenue Of the federal treasury
the receipts of which from duties for the current fiscal
year will exceed $60OO0000.
The present population Gfa the States is presumed
to be over 70, 00O0 Mississippi will perhaps enumeIate
100000 inhabitants l34th Of the population of the
whole Union, and if we make distribution Of the
revenue collected from duties on imports the State
would furnish as its proportion 81 1884, 06 equal to
fraction over 81 80 on each nhabitant and fraction
under six mill tax on its total assessment But, re-
IIic pTeGeuS VI
of the people OF Mississippi, and their dependence
foreign and distant manufactures to supply their
wants, it is as plain as demonstration can make it,
that each inhabitant is made to contribute double to
the national revenue over that of the farmer and art
san Of Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York or New Eng
land but, admitting the proposition overstated {a-
though every one who has attentively considered the
working of the system and felt its Inconvenience
knows it is no exaggeration,) and the average
paid by each nhaaitant reduced to four dollars
This on population Of $50 O0O swells the taxation to
three millions of dollars. 1t seems incredible that
sum so enormous should be insensibly drawn. from
the pockets Of the people almost without their knowl
edge, and without provoking the slightest munur or
complaint This depression is not designed to excite
controversy on the tariff question. It's introduced to
expose not only the capacity of prosperous State to
sustain the burthens Of taxation collected for legt
mate purposes but to foresta objections that may be
laised against an Insignificant tax for railroad pur
poses, and to show how superficial are objections OPP
posed to the Judgment of the people when fairly app
ealed to in behalf of rights and interests
andupon principles plain and practical and sanctioned
by the clearest dictates of sound policy and common
sense. If you were the proprietor of such broad
domain, how long would you hesitate between mac
tiyity and the appropriation of its vast resources to
The accomplishment OF noble and magnfcent system
of public works that would transmit your name as
benetaetOr to the latest posterity?
While agreeing with Gov McRae in the application
Of the States property in railroads. he has not in his
brief exposition considered one of its chief features
which presume he did not esteem sufficiently mpor-
tant, in view Of the moderate amount OF aid he has
recommended If the policy was considered on the
basis of this letter. there is an important interest to be