Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-03-09

best accommodated Minnesota, W scoDsii, dia Iowa, but would have sent 1t through the Ice | and snows away from nearly all the other | States.
 If had been located by Springfield Neosho, ! and Albuauerque. it would have altogether lost | the preat connection by Cairo, destined at no distant day to rival perhaps surpass in impor- tancp either the St. Louis or the Memphis route.
 It would also have lost the connection from Memphis. and with it all the States which have railroads concentrated at that point of the Ms sisspp.
 In ike manner would have been lost all con- nexion with the Nicksburg and New Orleans road, which, under the present location, tall Into it not far from Preston.
 To avoid repetition on this point, 1 beg to re- fer you to the A h page of my report, and to the map which send you with this letter, Tn order to show that the road as now located, has really combined the interest and convenience oI more States than any other route that can be dev;sed
 Butit is often written and oftener said that it is absurd and unreasonable to 20 down 50 far toward the south. That St. Louis Is nearly Tn Iatitude 39 iegrees. whilst NJ Memphis is not far from latitude 8 degrees. And where is Albu- ouerque? In about the same latitude with Memphas So that, bv the admissions ot the friends of the Albuquerque route, you cannot 20 west from St Louis to San Francisco. Climate, mouutaus, and deserts all for iorb|d II, and you are compelled to 20 southwes uutn you reach Albuquerque nearly due west from Memphis This Great fact Is fatal utterly fa.al to the claims of St Louis to have this road starting out excu- i sivelv from her. and running out through her western border to Albuquerque
 The whole effort to overturn the present es tablished route is intended to abrogate the route from Memphis altogether, aud to have but one starting point and that al St. Lotus, and but one line running through that State and passing out of fl into the Indian territory or into hansas.- \ This is the true struggle now being made, to abolish the Memphis route altogether, and to menopolize the starting point at ot Louis, and thence to run it off through the entire length ot | Missouri, east and west
 | The present Iiue gives Missouri great advan- 1 tages. It gives her a terminus at her great city | of which she Is so justly proud. It sends the l route through most interesting portion of the ! State, bv Springfield, for more than two hundred | miles.
 1 All this was done in the spirit of anxious de- 1 sire to promote her interests, and to graJify her wishes as far as practicable. If, however, not content to be 50 amply accommodated, the at ' tempt is now to be made to have but one ter minus, and one road from St. Louis by Spring \ field, Neosho, Albuquerque, etc., as lad down \ in the map filed with this bill to the destruc- \ ton of the Memphis line, it may be we'll to con \ sid4r her claims 10 this ercltsiUe possession of the route Ii 1t is right 10 have but one line, \ indicated by that map, to % by Albuquerque, V 1t < not right to start at St. LD is. AIDu3utr- au. is ill the same latitude with Memphis, and you ou-ht therefore, to start at Memi his and .o direct 10 lt, instead If starting between three
 rft ttg.f l.4r k r1f, p-ia art4 l from lhs argument. If you are intent ou going 1 by Albuquerque, and 10 have TO branch to the road, such as l have given it, yonr terminus ar l s. Louis is wrJug, aud you are b0uad by every 1 law of latitude direcrues~, aII convenience 10 d l large m tior.ty of he ateS t'sarl al II emphlS, i thence by Little Rock to Preston or Fort Smith, according to the route to be selected
 The argument has been often and earnestly pressed, that the people If the eastern, western ' aid upper Mi~>is-lpp. river States have all con- ' nexiou With St. Louis. So. ir may be replie ': The department hd, done we'll to make St. Luui, a term Hu, anl when ttere iJ is every where admijcea thai they must still 70 down south three and a balf degrees, and that they must % there from iusurmountabIe dfiicultes \ i4 crossing the mountai.s. But the argument proceeds, that the people of the other States southeast, south and southwestern also go to St. Louis, becausethere is river and a railroad to carry them there from Memphis.
 Is II not equally true that persons from all the norther States. aud especially those wing ou the Mississippi, might also me from St. Louis to Memphis by the same rirer and the same rail- roais; and especially when t Is remembered that, being at St. Louis, they are conlelled by physical obstacles still to come down to the latl- tude of MemP1s2
 Begin at iSt. Louis, three and one half degrees north of the proper latitude ahv not come down by the railroad and river to ihe admitted Iattude, and then start omit al once toward the point of destination?
 The argument throu.hout is in favor Of the 35th parallel route. Wei, why not st1rt ou hat parallel an heep upon it ny Lt,le Rock, Fort smith, aid Albuquerque? Why stayt three 1 and half ,ie -rees north of the 35th and thus mar and defeat its whole symmeJry and pro- portion?
 There is no solution of th,s strange anomaly in lr-ic but in the fact that unfortunately S. Louis is not where Memphis is, Oh the 35,h parallel.
 The department has not sought to compel the S'a.es yiug on the upper Mississippi to come !own 10 Memphis over this thre" aud half de- LreeS, nor attenpte tD force the southern Stales to go up to $. Lrui. fnr d starting point 10 Cali t1riia. IL ht, cao,c to select a point of juno tion west of tAe river. and to branch the road, sendipg t ot 'o meet the couye fence oi all the States ror,h and south, at two great points at which the rivers ald railroads of every section concentrate on the NJ >sssippi.
 Look again on the map. How the noble States lying along he Ohio are accommodated at Cairo. Look al the net too,k If roads concen- trltius at St Louis and Memphis, and then cast your eve a. tine gratd junction at Fort Smi.h "n the Ark.n>as. Fora Smith is the grand junction, fl be r'ute IS to he ut by Albuq Ter .lua, a4d ueither $. Louis or NJ emphiS need be ouA5efated from thi> contract by the 6at of MeSsrs. But,erlieli S Company.
 This brings Us down to the consideration of the true, and indeed, the only question which h'd been raised to the ronre selected The de- Prtment hl> made terminus at Sc Loui, aud Memphis win Cairo lying nearly midway be- tween them. The tow terrniu are a7raittel to he such a> will acc pmmodate the larLesJ number w $ tte> aor.h atl south
 It is further admittei Gn letter addressed 70 cert in citizens of Van Bureu, iu Arkansas by dlsti' yu.sned citizen of Mssour) that hese branches should "couverge at suitable poir, on tfe 35M paraHel in the beautiful ant fertile valley of the Canadian, where, forming B com- mon s;em, the Union route proceeds west ur the valley and along the 35th parallel of north latitude to Anton Chico; thence tn Albuquerque etc. Well, We have already permitted these Contractors to start at S. Louis, to 90 if they choose, by railroad to J etferson City. aud these start out their stages, and to go (wthin frac- uor) 10 that uery tattade he contends for and by that rery to'0n of Ian Bren, whose inhabi. tants he Was addressing and calling on them to help him. and only small distance below that pery bea'a.fM and fertile ualley which he was de- scrining Fort Smith or Van Buren (for they are very near each cother, and on opposite side, ot the Arkansas rve) may be, therefore, con. sldered a~ point of intersection, against which not much fl any, complaint s to be made.
 ltmay, the efore be fairly stated that, so far we are agreed. All people and States who would lnd tmost convenient to go to St. Lou. Il A..A. l IL