The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-01-05
SPEECH

paHS5 q! sss It's2'Gsso's ~ 1n2'a 'tsSi o"
tie completion If the Roa5 70 fbe iottsr ecs,
on TIE sdof Janaory, 1856.
Ms PSsslpEsT:
III the aeTae Of the ais
sissippi and Missouri Railroaa Company.
lie officers and the gentlemen connected
with IL, tender Won their grateful thanks
fer Che Aiad ans complimentary reference
which has been msde to them. And | am
sure raay say fes, them all. individually snd
coDjoinliy, that 10 citizen o the State OF
Iowa eau tsks deeper interest is the pre-
eeednes Of THIS day than themselves.
We expected TO have been here yesr
ago, and we shosld have been but sor cir
cumstaaces with hich yen are all tamliar--
[ mean general feeling Of distrust among
capitalists in regard to almost all public
enterprises, growing out of stupendous
fraud in the city Of New York, aud the dis
s.trous war now in progress in Europe,
which has disturbed, and sui continues t,
disturb. the pecuniary and business trans.
actions Of the whole Commercial world
| Ia spite Of these embarFassinents, our worh
| thus Tar has been brought to successful
termination, and the capital Of your noble
young States Stsie unsurpassed 10 iis
fertility, It's productireness Its enterprise, its
energy and its public morsl--is now con.
Gee.ec ~ aa unbroken line Of Railroad with
the great marts on the Atlantic Coast
| When say an unaroken line Of Railroad, |
ought to except the Mississippi river. and t.
add, that the bridge, which is now crossing
it ana which is tu unite the Chicago q
Rock Island with the Mississippi 4 Mssou
ii Railroad. will soon be completed. TIL
piers, which were retarded by the extrsor.
binary and continued ri In the river Ia
October, and more recently by the extrems
severity Of the weather. are, with single
| exception finished: the wood work 10 sdvaL-
cling rapidly, and think hazard nothing
in saying tina, We shsil send passenger and
| freight trains scross il ia the month OF
March, at farthest.
believe do not overrate the value Of
the line Of Railroad communication through
your State, when | designate it as one OF
the most important on this continent 1t
might be Justly 50 termed, II it were regard
ed merely in the light of connection be-
tween the central and western portions Of
! Iowa and the Atlantic sesbosrd. But it
has iaI more extended importance. Il is
to connect the Upper Missouri and The dis
tricts OF country bordering on it and lying
still farther west. including the vast terrific.
ry Of Nebraska, with the central and Allan.
tic States. to the prosperity Of which the
whole northwest 10 subsidiary. and to unite
these great sectors OF the country in new
bonds Of interest and sympathy and in the
mutual dependence inherent Ia their relative
geographical positions, aud their respective
capacities for production. Ia this respect
and as The Erst finished section OF Rsilost
west Of the Upper Mississippi. IL Is diff
cult 10 oVer.estimste its Importance. In the
more narrow view first referred to-as a con.
necticn between lows and the A;lantic-its
full value Is not easily appreciated. No
man can come into your State two years 10
succession without being most forcibly i'm.
| pressed with the rapid advance it ia making
in population and social improvement; no,
can he doubt that the Railroad We are con.
s,ructing from Rock leland to Council Bluff.
will be taskec TO It's utmost capacity TO,
the conveyance Of passengers aad freight
sm confident that the census Of 1860 will
exhibit greater average rate Of increase In
Iowa during the cnrrenttea years, ttsu any
State has attained in az equal period o.
time, win the exception, perhaps, Of Wis
1asin from 1910 to 1850. Ia 3 statement
prepared In 1854 respecting our Road,
estimated the population Of Iowa in 1860 a
six hundred thousand souls. Two month,
ago ! met in New York distinguishes
gentleman who has filled one of the highesl
positions in the general government, anc
who III converting with me on the subjec
expressed the opinion that the census O.
1860 would give your stse one million o
inhsbitsntsi and certain y il its progress du
ring sa@ 1ezt f1ar years sbalI equal that 0
the last eighteen month, his estimate W.,
not be too large.
Bot, Dir. President, there Is more ex
ended view OF this subject, which gives i,
sill higher importance. Whatever merit.
othe. routes may possess, or whatever i'm
Prtus may be given to them at the ou,set,
have never doubted that the frat fni.be,
Railroad TO the Pacific Ocean would pas
through your State from Rock Island I,
Ceuncll Buff. The bridge across the Mis-
sissiPpl Of itself gives this route dec det
advantage over any other Rock Islsnc
appears to have been placed in the rive
for the express purpose uf efecting III.
.rlnsit BY railway. its banks are oftbe .,
act height, and It's geological character IRE.
cise!y what Is needed for ssch work II
The crealiVe power had been entrusted I,
Us, We should have made 1t IN all respsrt,