Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-04-09
- PAoIFIO RAILROAD oUEsTIlN.

eral Government, on the premises tnaE the W. /
restricted energy and enterprise of free people
ara equal to any practical demands that can be I
made upon them; and they can therefore, make tber
ewn works Of internal improvement and develop
their own resources more successfully than the
government can doit for them.
Heretofore it has net been practicable 10 build
railroad TO the Pacific If we have now resched
the point in our material and physical progress
where its construction has become practicable, We
have every reason to believe the work viii Re done
Otherwise it will be postponed TO a future ii lie
Whatever Of capital ard enterprise, stimulated
BY Individual interest. great project Of this char
aotsr could require, lhe proposition to build raj
read to the Pacific has. With all the crest tbtr-
oughhres Of trade and emporiums Of commerce
iuteres ed at this end, its terminus on the Pacific
taps the veins of iuezhaustOIe wealth ard const uc}s
its depots in the mids. Of the g-es.est god fields
of the yord-with san Fraucsc1 ct enB eld al q
New York, st. LOUIS ana New O.lesns st the cthe
the direct line Of trade and travel between not
only the Atlantic and Psc.fc, but OF tie principal
ports of England and Australia and China We
repeat that if tbs fulness Of time has arrived for
the construction Of such road it has the cupiiily
and capital of thebest part Of the world to back it
It's most intelligent and rPrisng friends Lave
already insugurated the great work, and, without
stopping to discuss with politicians on the sui ct
es 10 how they would constructit, are row engaged
in forwarding that end and IL ell probability
before any railroad bill can be pushed through Con
gress, his TOAD viii be compe ed 20 E Paso more
than half way to the Pacific ocsan. We alla6e
to the Southern Pacific Road, put on foot by the
liberality of Texas, and now under the control Of
enterpri-ng capitalists from different portions Of
the country The government with all tie treas
ury at its disposal could not commence this enter
prise under crc1mstances so ausp:ooas. Us con-
dit on AID prospects could not be more saus-acto
ry stated than give tee following msjor part OF
publication by its recently ected able President
Geo. S. Yerger, Of Mssiss pPl dated New Orleans,
March, q. 1857:
Having, af.er the most mature reflection, deter
min0d 10 accept tina Presidency OF the Southern
Pacific Railroad lmpsny, deem il a duty 70 the
public to state he present position Of the company
and its prospective ability to accomplish the great
objects which lie charter c0atempates.
thorough investigation has convinced me thai
the road through Texss can not only be bur t With
the means winch the company must nee, sEily
Ee7est-er possess, by reason of the nun 6C5n
grants Of land TO it 60 vii, l0240 ares per mile ,
Duc thsG large surplus uf mulOLs will be els
JIibuted among the stockholders.
There is 10 precedent in the annals CT public en-
terprise which equals the l0eT8Ity and enigLteu-
ed generosity OF Texas, as exhibited IN the charter
Of Tie S9Ut-e-n Pacific Railroad Company and
the laws passed IN relation 10 the construction Of
railroads. IA tia. STATE Tie TUai under its char
ter aad these laws is 1 might aims. say, q self.
sustalLIu.- yJlE, Which Clly requires TO be begun,
earnestly BnG Z-algusly, 10 b completed. Ten
miles O. the rOEd have been graded anu cross tied,
within the time required by glG charter; the iron
necessary 10 lay JLe w eLty miles 90 be huisLed by
the l6tu February next is nov 10 this city, AID
on It's way W h=d hlveI; the force on the road,
Rnd tlc contracts a.ICaiy maze WI enable il to
pelelg hulsh theg welty miles o3g before
the ume specified IN the charter, which dole all
the coDd!uous are compiled witt; and the charter
el nights u the company ETo lrsyer secured.
BeIegng as / do, that Il his charter should be
forfeited that this great On epriss might be re-
tardad q lifetime that Il Eg5Ud Be seized lD0n
and ridden as a political h05Jy-tEqt a lCozDd re-
yiUe and mUg0rae the struggle before Congress- Tor
the Northern ana Middle routes; and it lcOu1d en-
gender bad feeling, sectional amnesty and bitter con-
trOUersy, L C0lsueTsd, Iuaep evidently OF the vas!
individual profit which believe viii e lure to The
stockholders, 8 du.y TO accept the position teudeg-
ed TO me, more particularly Wleu It's SUCCESS seem
cd 10 ne certaIu d prosecuted VII energy.
4
prise, Uus mat VIII be especially beneficial T.
the South, and 10 city u the Union would derive
more lasting benefit from It's completion than the
CITY of New Orleans. 50 soon as the road is flo
isLed to FL Paso, It viii become the highway tC
California &c by means OF stages from t1at point
the mails AID passengers could be carried to SsI
Francisco IL little more q az one ball twelve days
of the time it Low takes, and az one. hslf the ex
pense-shOwiug CCnCiuslveiy tnsl the road mus
become the thorough isr5 for the public mails suC
Poetic travel cng before 1t reaches tle Pacific
1 czunot doubt that this road viii prove 8 gres
national benefit; that with Judlciou5 management
il can soon be made; that the Charter privileges
and Grants are OF character 10 rsalzs to tht
stOcknoldeTs an immense prof; that securing lhl
charter and building st once even fly mics O
the road, will eiectualiy and forever secure tEI
route as the connecting Ink between the Pacif
and Atlantic Oceans.
TIE charter gives the light TO take and bod S
much Of the pubic land, through waicl the roaC
might pass, not exceeding two huudred feet wide
Tor the track OF the road, and such additional Widu
Bs might be necessary Tor dep0ts, etc.
Il also gives 20 the company eight sectors 0
land for every mile Of railway actually complete,
by il and ready tor use The depth OF three mile
on each side OF the road is reserved for tht
use OF the company srd the SJgte, each blin.
entitled 70 alternate sessions By an ect Of h
Legislature passed 10 1854 the company b5csm
entitled to eight sections mere 20 be located q
any OF the public lands OF the 5 ate, making Ia al
sixteen sections Of land to the mile, or eight mil
lions and seventeen thousand acres Ct land Tor th
whole line Of road
Bvsuother Get Of the Legislature Of Texas, tht
Board OF s h0Ol Commissioners were directed (
loan TO legally Incorporated railroad companies
out OF the school fund n their hands (5eng UnteC
SAFES bonds, bearing five per cent? SIX JLOusan,
dollars for every nile OF ralTosd, when said com
pany shall have completed IN good and suostan
tiIl manner, a continuous section Of twenty-five
miles, and graded an additional consecutive sector
OF twenty five mIl,s and tie same Tor every add
tIonsl consecutive section OF ten miles which shai
be completed ana graded
But in relation to al these matters, q candle
public must judge iOr Itself IRON the following
statement OF facts:
The Legislature Of Texas passed an act incor
ncrstiug q railroad company uuJeT the name O
Texas Western Railroad Company" which By
subsequent act was changed 10 thar of the 'SouIh,
err Pacific Rsihosd Company" This is the char
Ter under which this company is authorised t
construct q railroad from some suitable point OF
the eastern boundary Inc Ct Texas, and running
such course as they might determine TO EI Psso
on tie Rio Grsude, giyiug 10 the corporation al
tie necessary powers 10 carry into effect lh
gait -.-.
500 # sFa.. F,rrr1H Q