The Van Buren press., 1859-07-27
The . xanes- ana ths na1.o.d.

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In our asticle. undsr the, aLove caption
three weeks ago. se endeavered to expl.;r
the reason why the grading Of the r.iIro.d
would be commenced at this place. instead
Of .. Fort Saith, and thus obviate the No.
cessiiy for furtherenquiry or misun . stand.
ing on thepa of the Tsmes. on that partic-
!. ular point, as well as the possibility of q
feeling of suspicion and hostility in the
miads Of the people of Sebastian county,
which the course of the Times tended, and
was probably calculated to awaken. This
we deemed to be due to the people, and we
believe there is no true friend of the road
that will not consider the course of the COM
pany justified by the circumstances of the
case. But it seems our expectations have
not been wholly realized, for, In the Times
oil the i4th. cur article is copied entire, and
We are favored with over a column of what
we are hound to suppose was intended as a
reply. We also made, in conclusion, some
queries. to which We expected some satisfac-
tory replies, and again our anticipations fail
| to be realized
We cannot pass over the reply of the
1imes' in silence, nor suffer its insinuations
Of lad faith ON the pa,. of the Railroad
Company to so unheeded and unrcbuked.
Concerning the promise said to have been
made. by this Company to the Arkansas Pa
cifc Railroad compshy. tbs Times wisely
concludes to drop the matter. We appre-
hend there was some counterbalancing prom
ise from the tommittee to this Company to
square the account, and we are curious to
know if the silence Of the Times upon the
question of transfer Of stock subscrip-
tions has anything to do with this particu-
lar instance of wisdom. But we are will
ling to " follow up this matter no farther. /"
But the Times draws very serious obiec-
tions to the ground upon which the policy
OF the Company is based. Its arguments
come in the specious form of satire, and
thus exhibit their fallacy "What outlay is
necessary to grade the river 90 asks the
Times. We are not the Company. but we
ieel assured that if the city of Fort Smith
viii grade the river" AMI prepare ii for
the track, the Company will guarantee
them finished road to Fort Smith. We
can, At least, assure the people of Fort
Smith that there is no disposition II, .nifest-
ed on the part Of the Company to " give
them the go by" but on the contrary, all
they require from them is an answer to their
Just expectations, which are that Fort Smith
should contribute in proportion 10 the mag
nitude of the interests she has at stake in
this road. If the assertion of the Times be
true, that such an enterprise appears to be
Of no interest to the people of Fort Smith
and Sebastian County, it is pursuing the
precise course which will best aid scch an
enterprise. But it is evident to all that a
railroad to Fort Smith, and connecting her |
with the East, would give her an impetus
that she would not cease to feel for many
years, and woulo elevate her to the proud |
position to which she aspires, viz. the
metropolis Of Arkapsas and the southwest
We are unable to see why the same inAuen-
ccs should not effect the same result for Van
Buren. We say frankly to our neighbors
that they have bright prospects for future
greatness. and they are at present in con-
dition to control their destiny and we arc
quite as frank to say that if she should be
blinded to hcf interests, through either mall
ice or envy, she may find, before she is
aware, that the sceptre OF her power has de-
parted, and that a rival influence has been
created that will be too powerful to check
or overcome. There is to be found, howev-
er, in all communities, class who are op-
posed to all kinds Of internal Improvements,
from principle, and another whose senti-
ments are regulated by self-interest, and who,
if they are unable to control, will discour-
age and cripple such enterprises to the ex-
tent of their power. We should regret,
indeed, to place our able and influential CO.
temporary Oh either of these lists, yet we
cannot resist the conviction that behind the
veil of Indifference which the Times profess
es. there lies the settled purpose to oppose
the construction Of this road. This is
evinced by the alacrity with which the
Times jumps to the conclusion that it is
the design of the Company to terminate
the road here. The fact of the Company
present inability to build costly structure
over the Arkansas cannot justify such q
conclusion. This disposition is farther
evincel ty petty affectation of belief that
the Company are not authorized to dispose of
at their option. 120 sections of land. before
the compilation of 20 miles Of road. If the
opinion Of the Times carried no weight with
it. we should be disposed to be amused, but
it is too serious amusement. AMI not at all
calculated to promote that good understand
ing which should exist between the Compa-