Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-21
The New Orleans, aeison and Great
Northern Observation-Disclosures as
SsEAcaI POint.,3

There is a spirited contest now going on
between the State of Mississippi the city of
New Orleans. and few of the individual
stockholders on the one hand, and the State
of Louisiana and the majority of individual
stockholders on the other, on the question OF
stopping their enterprise at Canton. the latter
taking the affirmative, and the former the
negative. The original charter of the COM
pany by the States of Louisiana and Missls-
sippi, both of which have stock in the road.
contemplated the building of the road from
New Orleans to Jackson, and thence through
the State of Mississippi. by way of Aberdeen,
to some point on the Tennessee river, in the
neighborhood of Tuscumbia, Alabama, with
a view of connecting at that point with
road from this city. The Mississippi charter
expressly mentions this, route, and makes
three fourths of her stock. according to our
present recollection, expendible on the road
North of Canton. The road having been
completed to Canton, an effort is now being
made to stop it there Internationally, headed
by JAMES RoBB, and seconded by the State
and large number of the Louisiana stock
holders, on the ground that the road is largely
in debt, and would be bankrupted by an effort
to continue it as originally designed. We
believe the opponents Of this policy will sue
coed, and that the road will be continued
North from Canton. Recent publications by
the Mayor and City Attorney of New Or
leans, and the Governor of Mississippi have
SO ably exposed the bad policy and worse
faith of stopping the road at its present
Northern terminus, in our estimation to
completely overwhelm its advocates; and with
the voting strength which these parties WELD
in the affairs Of the company, they will kill
off the project. But in either event it appears
that Nashville will not be benefited. The
friends of this continuation propose only to
connect with the Mississippi Central, or Mo-
bile and Ohio ROads-while our own Tennes-
see and Alabama Road has, but a few days
since, with singular unanimity, resolved to
terminate at Mt. Pleasant.
The citizens OF Nashville and large pOr-
ton of Middle Tennessee are deeply interest
ed in this n. O. J. and G.. n. Road; and in the
beginning were so far impressed with this in
terest as to project Railroad TO connect at
the Tennessee river with Titus making al
most an airline railway the entire distance
from New Orleans, and making this the great
est thoroughfare and most direct route from
the Southwest to the North and East, by the
road from here to Louisville and Cincinnati
This was certainly the most important and de-
sirable of all the railroad connections at this
point. Five years ago this was considered as
certain, and Nashville was congratulating
herself, that she was to he the focus Of sys-
TEN of Railroads radiating in all directions
But since then we seem to have initiated RI
Van Wrinkle, if not in extent at least in man.
ner and spirit The dawn of the Railroad
morning has passed away and we have slum
bered, while others have vigilantly employed
its suspicious hours. The prospect now IL
that we are to be an outside station for these
great roads, and connecting with them by Sc
cOndary rOad-arms, and unpretending branch,
es. The thOroughfarc is to be detected to
either side of us. The New Orleans and Jack
son Road now proposes TO pour it. stream of
travel and freight, through the Miss Central,
the Memphis and Charleston aud thence over
the many-jointed route through East Tennes-
see and Virginia. Or, through the Mobile
and Ohio, the Memphis aud Ohio, the Mem
phis, GAINESVILLE and Louisville, etlCctually
giving us the go-by, right and left. The
Nashville and Northwestern is cut off, or is
about to be, at an arms length and made a
tributary to the Memphis, GAINESVILLE and Lou
isville road. The Tennessee and Alabama makes
magnificent run of two hours, and stops in
cOntinentiy before it reaches the mineral hills
and manufacturing valleys of Lawrence
county forming no part in any system, save
an accidental touching of the Southern road
through Giles. What selfcreatcd wealth and
money and commerce we have To cast into
Railroad treasures we must humbly pour
forth to enlarge other interests and to fill
other Golfers. This, We say is the present
prospect, and however sombre it appears or
really is, we know not how ii can he met, but
by simple, Inundated. powerless gaze.
Adn.tssInn NJ n