The true Democrat., 1857-03-10
From the Hampstead Democrat Arkansas-Her Prospects.

Many under this caption would attempt to draw discouraging picture. Persons out of the State, and especially editors of papers, are in the habit of abusing Arkansas, because they think she is too far off to resent it. It is not our design to color too highly the ad santages we possess and far be it from us to say aught to discourage or dampen the ardor of the hope ful. For ourselves, we are animated with a lively hope. that something great ,oiN be done, and rejoiced that much has been done. About | ten years ago we emgrated to this State, which was but sparsely settled, and in the main with out schools or any kind ofpubic improvements. For several years she seemed to have run on a sand bar or struck snag. But she has since then been gradually improving. The tide of immig grafton which then came in slowly, has been gradually augmenting, until now 1t is a mighty stream, pouring almost necessarily into cur borders, and spreading over our rich valleys and fertile plains. Our lands are being taken up, not by acres, but by thousands. The for ests are receding before the industrial stroke of men of energy and capital. Wheat and corn, and pork and cotton, apples and produce and stock, are yearly on the rapid increase. Vii. lases are springng up, and beginning to four ish all over our State. Schools are multiply ing and some of our institutions of learning can compare favorably with most of those in older States. Churches are lifting their tall spires where badly spelled signs once directed the lousy toper to his den of ruin. The nlas- ses are enlightened and moral-society is good, and in many places highly cultivated and re- fined An infant State bound down by the weight of a heavy public debt is becoming conscious of her strength, and shaking off the chain that binds her, is reaching out to shake harr ,.lo |
 way of commerce. And yet, you little jeans coat' editors, out yonder in Tennessee or Ken tuck, where you never hear any thing, or get a mail but once month on horse back-uou are still abusing Arkansas. reproducing as your ol0n, stale denunciations of our State, and will insist that she's the hindmost in the Union!- Why, you're long ways behind the times, yourself Did you know sir, that in portions of territory. only erected into counties for a year or two, and when there were not one hun dred voters, that now, they poll vote of from ten to fourteen hundred ind dustrous sober citi
 zens? Did you know that of the nauseatiug dose of Know Nottingham, which made so many of your old States heave and grow sick, that Arkansas took but little? Did you know that scores of your very best citizens are leay- ing you daily, and coming to swell the tide of an industrious population which is determined to unfetter our State, that she may become one of the first in the Union? Did you know that the cars, locomotives aud iron for a part of the Gaines Landing Railroad, have already been purchased, and that a part of that road will be in operation this year? Did you know that mighty link in the great Pacific railroad, is to be stretched from Cairo to Fulton, extending across our whole State? and caught up by Texas, to be extended for hundreds of miles across her fertile plains? Did you know tha, these built, we have the finest soil and climate -the greatest variety of productions, and the most abundant supply of mineral resources to sustain them? Did you know these things? No, you didn't! and yet, you little talow laced, goober eating, thing you, you'll stick back there in the back woods of Tennessee or Kentucky or on some pine knoll, in Georgia or North Carolina, reclining in your "editors easy" three legged stool-retailng such islanders as you can glean from treacherous partizan papers Tn this State, and not having the energy and the Industry to come out and see what store, you are telling and what inducements are be. ing offered to the honest and industrious! Come. dry up your croaking against Arkansas, your re- marks, have called forth the above-and YOU may look for many more such, unless you re- pent and become wiser.