Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-23
New Orleans and Mississippi Rail-


NEw ORLEANS, April 20.-Some considera-
BILE excitement has prevailed here among
those Directors in Inc New Orleans, jackson
aad great Northern Railroad Company who are
opp osed to any extension of the road beyond
Canton, and those who are in favor Of extend
ing the road to Aberdeen, Miss Thequestion
was determined yesterday by the election of
Board of Directors, a majority of whom are
In favor of the extension. Gov. Neville, of
Miss; Mayor Waterman of this city, and 9TH
ers were warmly in favor of the extension.
The above is the announcement of fact
which we apprehended would come to pass
and to which we alluded few days ago. The
extension party have triumphed, and this
great work will be speedily continued from
Canton to Aberdeen, Mississippi. That much
we regard as certain; but will il be continued,
as originally designed to the Tennessee river.
There is a gap of some seyentyGve miles be-
tween Aberdeen and the Tennessee river,
which, if not completed, will forfeit the char
ter, and disappoint the aims of the projectors.
The simple truth is, that this road was intend
ed, and judciously and intelligently intended
TO pass on the most direct line possible from
New Orleans 10 Louisville. This was to be
the \. O. j. and G.. n. Railroad. from New
Orleans to the Tennessee river, near Florence,
Ala; the r nnessee and Alabama road, from
the same point on or near the Tennessee riv-
er to Nashville; and the Louisville and Nash
vile road. Thus would be formed the long
est and straightest line of road, in the South,
and traversing the heart of the valley of the
Mississippi, E ,st of that river. This line of
road, thus continuous, would make one Of the
most magnificent and best paying roads in
the Union. There seems now to be no ques-
ton that the Louisville and Nashville road
will be pressed on to completion, with all rca-
sonable despatch; the Tennessee and Alabama
will go swiftly forward to Mount Pleasant; and
the n. o. J. and G. n. will now come meeting
us, as far as Aberdeen; leaving an interspace
of about l20 to 100 miles from Mount Pleas
ant to Aberdeen. The whole line of road
from Louisville to New Orleans, would be but
little less than seven hundred miles, nearly
six hundr of which Will have thus been
completed. Is it to be supposed that the three
intelligent Directories of these roads with Pres
idents as able as any in the country, to wit:
Elk. Gov. HELM, of Ky.-JoHN MARSHALL, of
Tenn.-and JOIN CALHOUN, of Miss-will
permit this grand enterprise 10 fall through,
at this stage, after five sixths of the road shall
have been completed? So far as the Tennessee
AID Alabama road is concerned, we have been
INFORM Il by on of its directors, and perhaps
its largest stakeholder, that it does not intend
to stop at Mt Pleasant, as we had been led
to suppose by the recent action of its Board
That action, he informed us, had reference
only to State aid for that distance; and it is
the purpose of the Directory to prosecute the
primary design, by carrying on the work TO
the Tennessee river. Taking this for granted,
there will only be left the gap of seventy -five
miles from the river to Aberdeen. to mar the
majesty of the work. If we should believe
the managers of these roads destitute of every
notion and impulse of public spirit (Which
we by no means do and stake the work on
calculation of the money to be made or lost
by its completion or abandonment we can
not see how they could choose the latter al
Tentative. The success and prosperity of each
of the Roads, are greatly dependent on the
Others. Each would pour a large volume of
trade and travel over the others which would
vastly enhance their receipts, and which in a
mere money computation cannot be lost sight
of We regard it, therefore, the business, pol
icy and duty of these roads, to make common
cause in the completion of the entire line; to
concentrate their efforts. their means, if pos
sible, and at all events, their moral and intel
lectual power, along the line of the road, to
accomplish this end.