New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-04-16


of the State at defiance, and trust to luck and man
agement for the future in utter disregard OF their
Charter, and to put themselves in the power OF the
Legislature, which has given TO your Company a
Charter OF unprecedented liberality, having fixed no
limit either to your rate OF charges or the profits you
may make.
will now very briefly conane my remarks to the
effect OF the proposed extension north OF Canton upon
your city, hoping, II successful TO satisfy you that
no wrong has been intended by the extensionists and
that the best interests of the city will be promoted
by the proposed extension. And by way OF com
mencing the argument, will ask you, and through
you, every citizen of New Orleans-what was your
object 10 taking 50 000 900 Of stock in this road pro-
vded IL is to stop at Canton? have never yet heard
an answer TO this question, though have twice, in
our Board OF Directors, asked it, and one able
10 give satisfactory answer or thought it worth an
swerng. The road with this termination does not
nor never will bring you one bale of cotton, or other
article OF commerce, which the laws of nature had
not given to you before. Everything from here to
Canton is obliged TO come here because it can go no
where else. Can it be that you made this road, hay
ing in view no commercial advantage to your city
aud that this great work was executed entirely for
the convenience and use OF Mississippi You form.
erly, or rather the Board Of Directors in your Rail
road assigned other purposes and great advantages
to your city, from the construction of this road but
every OF them lay north OF Canton, and the most
prominent of these was the command of the trade OF
the valley of the Bigbee and the Tennessee rivers
10 cOunteIucJ eject oil Tue mobile ana ONO
Road upon the commerce of your city these were
the reasons formerly given for the making of this
road and 10 which will now add another the thou.
sand small valleys lying along the line of the pro
posed road where you lind the small farmers of the
country, making i've, ten twenty, or forty bales OF
cotton. Those are the men that make railroads, and
support them alter they are made. Those are the
men that build up and enrich cities and defend them
after building. OF such men, principally, is the pop
uaton composed along the line of this road except
in the valleys of the Bgbee and Tennessee rivers
and they all desire to aid in making this road and to
trade with your city if you will permit them.
BY accident last summer, passed down nearly
the entire line OF this road and can say with truth
that never heard the opinion of one man against
the making of this road or trading with your city.
Then, why not permit us to make il or why should
the Company refuse at least as il may be able to ap
ply the $500 expressly appropriated by the State
of Mississippi to this object Or why should not the
Company at some future period, aid in this great
work, either by its credit It's income? One OF two
things is certain either that you ought never TO
have appropriated the 50 900 000 or this work ought
to be carried forward TO It's final consummation. As
1t now stands your city has simply made stock IN
vestment in railroad that never be of any great
commercial benefit to your city. But adept the poll
cy of the extenslonists, and you will command an
overwhelming trade that you can never otherwise OBJ.
tain. admit that you will get this trade at the ex-
pense Of the city OF Mobile but you commenced your
road with that object Your road, after reaching
about eighteen miles north Of Canton, will begin to
this it continues do until you reach the Tennessee
river. There are those who will tell you that the
making of the Central Road has superseded the ne
cessity for your road This is not true. The Central
Road will never bring you any article of commerce
which has not heretofore come to Your city, To
satisfy yourself on this point, examine your maps
and you will the truth Of the statement. trust
that every citizen of New Orleans will examae this
question for himself and that he will be able to give
a good reason for taking the 81 900 600 OF stock in
the road TO Canton, or that he will act with those
who go for carrying out the original objects of the
Company. Or, would like for some one to tell me
why road to Canton of FOG miles would he better
for the city than road Of about 406 miles TO the Ten
nessee river. More especially when yours the great
trunk road, standing To other roads, as the river ut
your doors-the great Father OF understands to
Its tributaries.
But this matter of extension is the most monstrous
and co Trajectory subject with which have ever had
to deal in Mississippi the ouy objection have ever
heard 70 its construction is, that il would do too
much business and thereby greatly injure the Centrn
Road, the Southern, Mobile and Ohio, aud Charleston
and Memphis Roads. If should do this il would lie
because it was bringing trade and travel to your city,
But come down here, and | am told that the road
passes over poor country not worth making road
through, and that the So 900 900 Of stock taken by
the City would be destroyed in value it so yalueless
road was made. That is, that it would require all
the profits of the southern end OF the road 10 pay up
the losses on the northern end That both these ar
guments are true is impossible, and those who use
LueH ougnl never 10 repeat Luen 10 the same man IN
the same day. he might be suspected Of confound-
ing two Stories 1t the city Of New Orleans had orr
ginally not intended ever to make but 200 miles of
this road, she ought 10 have commenced at Canton,
and if this had been done you would have already,
this season, have received 100000 bales Of ltton
and other merchandise that you will never see nor
never in any future see unless the road is
made north Of Canton.
Ii your city should refuse to act with those who
are in favor Of extension it will present the anomal-
Gus position of a city having refused TO permit a
people ont of their own to make a road of 200
miles in length, all the benefits of which were to IT.
suit to you commercially, and but as an agricultural
facility to those making it. The position would he
novel one, the like OF which the world has never
seen, or may never see again.
| now submit to your candid consideration the
foregoing statement of facts, all of which | person
ally know TO be true, from the testimony of others
have every reason to believe to be true and have
used no argument but in the spirit of fairness and
candor Ii /, in any matter, have deceived you it is
because am myself deceived, for ii ! know my own
mind or heart, have object 10 this controversy.
but, according TO my best judgment. to do my duty
To all parties having an interest in the questions at
issue. Having done this win cheerfuly acquiesce
in whatever view you may take OF this very import
ant question, giving TO you full credit for the same
honesty of purpose which claim for myself
Yours, very respectfully,
W. McWILLlE e.