Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-01-08
Tha Memphis Meeting.

ture to the speedy completion of Railroad
communication with the Pacific ocean, as "the
great question Of the age in American policy"
by such constitutional means as Congress may
devise, and has indicated Memphis as the CELL
trail terminus Of that road on the Mississippi
river. And as Congress has granted TO the
State of Arkansas about a half million acres
of land for the building of railroad from
Little Rock to some point on the Mississippi
river, TO be designated by the Arkansas Legis-
lature, and rs the Legislature has fixed upon
Memphis as the terminus of that road on the
Mississippi river, and donated to the Memphis
aud Little Rock Railroad Company the said
land grant of five hundred thousand acres
along the whole route of the road, and thus
proclaimed q willingness to meet Tennessee by
direct interchange of travel and commerce,
and cooperate with her in carrying ont the
object contemplated by Congress in m king
this muniicent land grant for the building
that portion of the Pacific Railroad laying
within the State: and iohereds, the State of
Arkansas coupled this valuable donation with
the sole condition that the first division of said
road, from Memphis to the st. Francis river,
should be completed by the first day of Janu-
airy, 1858, and the said road is now under
progress of constructions portion of the
iron contracted for and ready for delivery in
New Orleans, to be paid for by the sale Of the
Memphis City Bonds, subscribed for that pur-
pose;
AND WHEREAS, On account of the unset
tied condition of the money market of the
world, city bonds cannot, now be sold except
at a heavy discount, there being little or no
demand except for Government or State secu-
rites.
AND WHEREAS, The only certain means of
insuring the successful prosecution of this great
work is the advantageous sale of Memphis
city bonds, and these bonds could be advanta-
geously negotiated If endorsed by the State of
Tennessee; and as no other means can be had
or obtained for the purchase of iron and equip
ment for the first division of this road, but
the%sbonds, suspension of the work is rem
dered not merely probable but almost certain,
unless said bonds can be favorably negotiated,
and thus, in all human probability, the time
for the completion of the first division of this
road, fixed by law would elapse, and the mu-
ttoent loan held out to us by the State of Ar
kansas be lost forever, and with it our con-
nection with the grand scheme of Pacific
Railroad;
AND WHEREAS, The completion of the road
is of vital Importance to the State of Tonnes
see, opening up, Is it must, the entire wealth
of the State of Arkansas to the Railroads of
Tennessee, concentrating at Memphis and
radiating throughout the entire State, and in
which the State has so largely embarked her
credit, to say nothing of the wealth, to say
nothing of the bonndless West; for it is well
known that Congress has granted to the State
of Arkansas an immense amount of land for
the construction of this road from Little Rock
to Fulton, on the borders of Texas, the land
to be located along the route, and the State OF
Texas has made an immense grant of land,
enough to make an empire, for the construc-
ton of this road throughout the broad extent
of her territory to Ell Paso;
AND WHEREAS, From the present aspect OF
The political horizon, and the bitterness and
spirit of disorgsnization which now prevails
the House of Representatives OF the United
States, it would seem to be alike the part Of
prudence and of patriotism on the part of the
South to fortify and strengthen her position
by every means in her power, and to become
independent both socially and commercially,
of the North, by binding the Southern States
together by a chain of Railroad throughout
their entire limits, and terminating at the
Southern Atlantic seaports so that, when dan
ger may threaten from any quarter, the entire
military strength of the country may be con-
centrated upon any one point with certainty
and dispatch;
AND WHEREAS, 1t seems now to be settled
by the American people that it is neither
within tie power or policy of the Federal Con-
gress to build roads over or through the teri
tory of sovereign State, and therefore be-
comes the paramount duty of the States them
selves to build them, and to aid to make such
connections between the States ss may be de-
al ~, thn ST. 6 IL
country, therefore,
Res0LDed, That we consider the speedy COM
pletion of a Railroad from Memphis to Little
Rock and thence to Fulton and Upper Texas
as measure Of the highest impor ance that
could enlist the energies of the Southern
States. measure not local but pregnant
with the most expansive influences and results,
determining, as it must, the location of the
Southern Pacific Railroad, and settling the
question whether it shall be connected at
Cairo with the Northern system of Railroads,
or at Memphis with the Southern.
Res0LDed, That satisfied as we are, that the
Memphis and Little Rock Railroad is the first
aud most important link of Pacific Railroad
West of the Mississippi river, and that this
cannot progress without some material aid at
tais junoture; that the efforts of the city of
Memphis to push forward this great work
should receive the aid of the State Govern
ment, and that every consideration of dollars
and cents, OF State pride, or Ptighted faith,
should prompt our State Legislature now in
session TO grant such reasonable aid and en-
enlargement to this great work as to insure It's
npetiOn-thus securing to Tennessee the
terminus, on the Mississippi river, of the
Southern Pacific Railroad, and Western out
let and connection for her Railroad system,
the future value of which cannot he estimated
RcsOLDed, That the endorsement BY the
State OF the Bonds of the city of Memphis,
subscribed for the purchase of iron rails and
equipments, would be such material aid as
would meet the present necessities of this
great work; al act by which the State could
incur risk, and surely the very least she
could be asked to do to aid a work even more
vitality important TO her than to tho State of
Arkansas, and upon which depends consequen.
ces so momentous.
ResoLCed, That our Senators and Represeno
tatves in the State Legislature be urged TO
use every possible exertion to procure the
passage of the Bill now pending before that
body, authorizing such Endorsement.
ResoiDed, That, as citizens of Memphis,
without distinction Of party, we regard this
measure as one of paramount Importance TO
the interest OF the whole State, and would de-
precate any attempt To make it assume par
ty. complexion.
The Columbus Times Of the 26th inst, says
We were grati6ed 10 see the cheerful countenance