Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-06-30
Gen. CaSs'S Speech


 | The railroad excursionists whose movements for the last week have been chronicIed by the press with great fidelity, were welcomed to Ohio by Gov. Chase in person, whose address on that occasion is spoken of as exceedingly felcitous. His address eicited the followino brief but very interesting reply from Gen. Cass: "l have listened with deep interest to the address by your excelency in your reception of the strangers who have just landed on the north bank of the Ohio
 "Ot all persons on earth, none more than myself can appreciate these passing scenes.- within few feet of where we now stand landed more than half century ago, poor young adventurer, seeking in this land of pro- mise to commence my first enterprise in life; thls to me was the land of promise of my first trlal-ot myti sacrifice; here commenced my career Tn llte-my hopes and my fears.
 four excellency may judge, then. that there could be nothing more strange than the Ohio of the past and the Ohio of to-day. The circumstances under which now find myself awaken sensations of more than an ordinary character. Here was my first school-I left this spot scholar-l come back now teacher. went out to fight the great battle of fe-I return with 1t fought. The result is glorious illustration Of the popular character of our n- sttutlons. The poor boy has represented the people in the high places of the land, and as representative of the nation has been her mn- lster before kings; no other nation presents such spectacles
 Hold on, then, to the popular character of the government as to ship when night and tempest come. No such prosperous land can be found under the sun; our lines have indeed been cast in pleasant places.
 "Flfty-years ago all the northwest territory contained only 30,OOO people; now it's limits include 6,OOO,OOO. The man is now living whose axe felled the iisst tree of these forests and there are men now alive who will not pass away until the United States has attained a population of one hundred millions. The tri- umphs of the past are woDdrous. From a land without cultivation, without schools, without 1 internal improvements, this has become State, both prosperous and powerful! The vessels winch traversed the beautiful river flowing at our feet were the Kentucky ark for descend Ing, and keel boats for return. Fifty-one years ago was young man, representing this coun- ty Tn the legislature of this State, when those pioneer steamboat builders. Messrs Fulton & Llvlngston, made proposition to our State authorities to establish lines of passenger and "' oo''0' Oii Ui4O OiIiot piOpcltQ Dy steam against the current at the rate of four miles per hour. The proposition was laughed out of the legislature as impracticablc was young to5y then; am an old fogy now If it had depended upon us of that day, the magnificent enterprise of steam navigation would not now be startling us with its grand achievements
 :" have just passed over the magnificent rail- way traver'ing the mountains, dividing the East from the West; a work Rome coulI mt have constructed, even in her pamiest days.
 " The time has been when horseback trip to Baltimore required 20 days; now it is ac- compIlshed by steam railway in near that many hours.
 " The allusions of your excellency to the Puritan settlement in Marietta were hapilv made This was the second step in the march ot that progressing race, whose powerful innu- ence is felt in the laud
 "The first landing was at Jamestown, the second on the north side of this river. I'm provements followed in their wake.
 They have ditfused learning here with a liberal hand, the best mark of human nature."