Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-05-11
From the Fort Smith Times MT. Phelps Pacific Railroad Bill.

we nave read with care the bil offered by MT Phelps "to aid in the construction of a rail road from St. Louis to San Francisco. D etc etc and we must be permitted to say, that it does not meet with our views, or approbation, in any sense of the word. So far as the State of Arkan- sas, is concerned the bill is of DO benefit what ever, Tn Its present form, and we have no hesi. tahcy m predicting, that 1t will not pass either mousse oi Congress in its present shape. The ohly tnihg that can be said in its favor is, that u was framed solely for the benefit of the city oi ot. Lou's and the State of Missouri. As it now stands St. Louis is the only eastern termi nus CT the road, and the State of Missouri is to have privileges ,and benefits that the hill denies to all the other eastern States. She is to bana with California, loan of thirty millions of dol. lars, fram the general government, in bonds to ad Tn the construction of the main trunk of the road, while the bill condescends to permit the State of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. on the sodth side to tap it, and Kansas and Ne oraska, on the north to have the same privilege. givlng these several States donations of lands 10 aid the construction of the branches leading through, and from them; but they are to have nothing Tn the shape of bonds to assist them in the work. Thus it appears to be one sided ouslness, and Missouri is 70 have all the advan- taSes, ad and assistance in constructipq the road rom St. Louls while the other States concern. ed are merely brought into the bill, as matter ot courtesy, Truly, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas should feel very much fattered by such coudescenslon, on the part of MT. Phelps: and we would ask, Is his bl in keeping with hls wonderful letter, on the 35th parallel? How | IS It that St. Louis Is to lay claim to the route on the 35th parallel, when she lies three and a half degrees north of that parallel? It is very strange, indeed, to our mind, to see St. Louis. through her representative, arrogating a right to the Doth parallel to build the main trunk of the faclhc railroad, when in fact, she does not lie Wlthln ZOO miles of the route, and, while Mem pms, Fort Smith, and Albuquerque are situated preclsely on that latitude, and when, the sur vey, on thls route. made by Lieut. Whipple. pas ses tnrough two of these piaces Fort Smith ana Albuquerque. Why, as the post master general says, m his letter, "start three and a half degrees north of the 35th, and thus mar and defeat its whole symmetry and propor- tions.''
 The bill of MT. PEe'ps is perfectly selfish in all ot Its features, and looks to one thing-the beneht of St. Louis. She is to have about 20. : OOoOOO, of Uncle Sans bonds, to dispose of to fatten her monied men, and with which to con- tro all the trade and business of the northwest. But, we feel certain, that the people of Arkan- sas Will never suffer themselves to be gulled and hood winked by no such provisions, as are made in that bill for their beneft Arkansas will never accept of such provision, nor will she permit mere b'anch of the road to start from her borders, when she is, by right, entitled to the nldin trunk, which should run directly from Memphis, through the center of the State. Ii MT. Phelps intended to give the people of the United States the ad yantages of central road which could be tapped north and south, why did he lot provide that the main trunk should be located on the route of the 35 h parallel. as marked and surveyed by Lieut. WhippIe?- Why locate the eastern terminus, three and g half degrees noth of that latitude? It is blair enough to see what motives actuated him ir the production of this marvellous bill, Missouri his State, and St. Louis, the great commercial mart ot that State, Were in his minds eye anc ne could see no other interest
 The fact IS the road should be located cen. trally, and the main trunk built, so that the States north and south could tap it, and they should be aided in building the branches, by the general government, by the loan of bonds as well as the main trunk, ard by such a course all the States could be accommodated. The man trunk of the road should be commenced at Memphis, where all the southern railroad. concentrate, and run directly, through the State of Arkansas, on the 35th parallel, thence to An. tonchco, Albuquerque, Zun and the Mohave and the Tulare vallies, to California Louis lana, Mississippi and Texas on the south, coulc tap It at the most convenient points to those States, and Missouri, Karsa;, and other States north Of the road could also tap it at the mos convenient points to them, so, all could be ac commodated, by following natural channels and all uniting on one central route-a route that the index finger of nature has so strongly marked, that it cannot be miStaken-though hy MT. Phelps bill most wofully warped anc perverted.
 As the present bill proposes, Arkansas would labor under great and almost insllrmountable disadvantages i'll regard to the donation of the ten sections Of Uncle Sim's domain For up- wards of two hundred and fifty or sixty miles west of Fort Smith, the old gentleman does not own fcot of land, he having disposed of his right to the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and other tribes of Indians, some years ago, and it would be next to impossible, at this time, for the gen. eraI government to extinguish their title, and the branch from Vicksburg, by the way of Full ton, Is in the same predicament Under such circumstances, when could we hope to build a road three or four hundred mics in length to tap the main road from St. Louis, as provided in MT. Phelps bill? It is plain enough, that the States of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkan- sas, would be So badly crippled, under the rro- viSons oi this bill that it would take years for them to build the branches as contemplated by It; while Missouri with the bonds of the United States, tor several millions of dollars, and the lands, donated, would be enable d to % ahead and complete her road and by that means con- trol the whole of the overland trade and travel to and from California.
 We hope our delegation in Congress when this bill comes up for action, will give it their strict attention, and not allow it to pass in its present form, and see that Arkansas enjoys equal privileges with the State of Missouri, in build l ing of the Pacitic railrnad