Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-02-20
Doma,Irs of M Homston.

9 consider it due to my constituents, to the friends of
az coTrse shall take / represent people who pay large
The revenue apd who take deep interest in what
aver concerns prosperity and the honor OF North Carroll
Tbev watch the growth and progress of the Danvile
connection with earnest anxiety and every breath Of
ton upon the subject strikes them with fear and apprhen
sion not only account of their interests but the interests
of the whole State involved in the great experiment now
going develop her mineral wealth and build up heL own
Seaport towns My we'll known position and ar
friends of the measure to expect my vote aS;ur r
that my opposition made more sorrow than IN anger
and could view it in the gh of personal favor or couT
esy be extended to the people of Rockingham ana Jul
ford through their representatives. my hgh regard or
Iy' II thew were seeking merely branch road that
would be feeder and not Hee 10 the ROADS OF our 0"
ete wonld 90 for it with aid from the treasury When
thew abandoned the Danvle project two and sub
stituted for it Dan river and Yadkn road stood by 1t
ed hrouded enombed in the with the Beau
fort and COafeds road was mourner at the ruf S oo
cannot ride in the omnibus with the from Rock
ban until he dscardg this dagreeabe passenger This
s bill Of vital Importance. 1t is part of general
system aiming the improvement Of North Carolina, but
beme proposing Advantage great State expert
ent 20 destroy the VIII ole of magnificent fabric about to
be completed and render useless all the efforts and expend
nes made by the State and her citizens redeem her from
that degrading vassage ard dependence upon her sister
states Under which she has SO long abored What, sir, is
the history of this scheme 1t new its ects
are well understood by the people, opposition to it
equally understood by its friends. 1t first made its APP
Legislature at the session of 98 through
distinguished representative from Rowan and to avoid
the huru consequences its passage compromise found
ed patriotism and State PRIDE was originated and carried
through at session That compromise was the
North Carolina Railroad compromise between the east
and the west and the centre compromise between the
State and her citizens compromise in which the inter-
ests of the Danve and Rockingham districts were partcu-
larv considered The North Carolina road with all its
heavy costs heavy taxes, in the offspring of the Danve
connection The Legislature had to establish it in self de-
fence against that connection am informed by gentle
men who were that legislature that the Of the Leg
sare that was better to give the friends of the
necton road from Salisbury to reensborough and thence
to the east at of two millions than to let them have
the connection they sought at nothing And sir this must
have been done tor the purpose OF satisfying those people,
other consideration could have caused the road
to go to reenbor0ugh What on eah could have led to
the location OF so devious and erpehne line OF road as
that from Salisbury Raleigh and that, too when the
whole work intended to be CENTRAL and to the
east and the west
Sir the great good intended to be effected by the road
been partially defeated to use ne stronger term by this
Yadkn valleys AS further evidence that this primary
object in the charterng of the North Carolina road is well
remembered that its final passage IN the Senate dis
nguished Senator from county IN that quarter Of the
State largely interested in the growth of tobacco and
Senator of intelligence and parotism and who enjoyed the
honor the time to preside the deliberations of the
Senate-saved the bill by his casting vote and fixed the
destiny direction of internal improvements in the State
which before hung trembling in doubt. For that act,
whether to result veal woe and for the motive that
prompted he has secured tho respect and esteem of every
had this road been located should have been
Salisbury Beaufort harbOr centrally through the State
Raleigh oldsborough, it would have accomplished what
its projectors designed to do 1t would have traversed
mineral wealth. which yet destined trust, to enrich
the State 1t would then have BEEN indeed and fact,
bringing rich freghts North Carolina markets. for
sale shipment and before this should have real
the advantage that sister States
ever us Of Northern exchange and to proclaim
oursef their equal in the financial world ne ola town Of
going decay and her people would not be here in the
attitude OF SUI n Pond not he here mnorn be
General Assembly to give road from the coalfeld to
iniudicious location of the North Carolina road.
Sir previous the charerng of the North Carolina road
the people whose representative am, constantly persisted
become OF
the kind and nothing but the laudabe design contem-
plated in the charter North Carolina road could have
induced Legislature of lS8 depart from that policy
But sir, have done the experiment made whether
recall the and it is too abandon the
pertinent We of the east have taken and adopted It as
years ago. both political parties, with their distinguished
leaders the canvass advocate! not only the
completion of the North Carolina road but It's extension
and wes matter of State policy for the oenb bic
nd o 81 e State at her cnn This fact
involved the State into additional debt in 1854 of one
million for the North Carolina road, and twelve hundred
thousand for the eastern extension making all together 10
say nothing of the extension or do not
that that subscription will be required by the passage OF this
bi) of four million hundred and twenty thousand dol
lars, all of tn great amount of money due and owing from
the people of North Carolina into her treasury would be
utterly and totally yalueless if We pass this bill and not
only that amount, for may add to that the amount o.
Wilmington and Weldon and the Wilmington aud Man
chester Railroads, all of which is paying handsome
dividend into the treasury and literary fund OF the State
and relieving the burden of taxation upon the people.
Now Mr.. Speaker, pass this bill and we rob the State
audable pretext than crafty number of individual
in a quarter of the State. The friends of this mea
sure tell us that the connection will complete ar-n
fcom Washington City Atlanta Georgia. and consequent
take through travel the mails and the ranporta
tion of produce from roads and own markets
great SURPRISE gentlemen Of ability and patriots
of high position and well established reputation in tn
State this position in the Senate argument
favor of the bill.
Sir this no Indifferent struggle between section
but contest between all the OF the State on one sid
and the people of section the other My service in tn
Legislature of North must and shall be so dischar
rebound "
would give home markets the benefit of home parona
they would be good any other for the produce
State To knowledge that portion of eastern Car
lima which is devoted the timber and lumber bushes
would furnish the amples market for the provision crop
Sir Senators may talk as they please about the value
the State stock. have yet an indication of
worthessness, and let it be worth what may-much or Ii
tet the peoples property and as their
guard the interest of the against the
croachmens the fewthe interest of the whole State rat
than that of few individuals scattered along the line
the proposed Danvle and Charlotte railroad Butt says
Senator from Rockingham admit all that SAD apo
State PRIDE experiment, and all that sort of thing
we will the State what she loses in the WI
of drain upon her by the transportation OF
sir how that is The Senator's notion that the article
tobacco seeks its consumption In the cott0n-groWlg L
of the South but sir that be So why is tnat tne LODE
OVER does go South the roao
The tobacco growers of Rockingham as convenient to tn
road at Greensboro, he is to Danvllle or any virgin
market II there more ready sale for that article at
Greensboro has not become tobacco depot for North
lima, Lynchburg and Petersburg for Virginia dc
the article have to be sent North to De manufactured
it might and seek its market by means of the w
mngon roads but have never heard that sPch
the it is really the argument met and
need the Danvie connection for that purpose Sol
statistics that subject would be exceedingly INTEREST,"
and argumeLtatve the present occasion DO Senators
sst that the TRANSFORMATION of Virginia tobacco over
North Carolina road compensate for the sacrifice
called upon make If that is the calculation let
beg them to Danish the deluson. The State of Virgin
too well how to protect the interest Of her people
be guilty of the folly of subscribing money to build railr9