Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-05
COMMUNICATED
(COMMUNICArED.)
Nashville and her Railroad COnnec
tiOns-NO. Nv,

|
How. then, contrary to the provisions OF
the original charter, and to the wishes and in
tention of the directory was the abrupt termi-
natiou of the Tennessee and Alabama road
at Mt. Pleasant, brought about? In the first
place modification Of the charter was OBJ
tanned. This was accomplished on the 18th
March 1858, in the following terms:
"The Tennessee and Alabama Railroad
Company is hereby authorized to construct
their road by way of Columbia, and 10 ternaira-
ate their road al or near ~. Pleasant and when
ever this amendment shall be accepted by a
majority of the stock of said company, they
shall notify the Governor of the State Of such
acceptance; and he is directed forthwith to
| issue to said Company, the amount of the
| bonds of the State they would be entitled to-
| per mile under the internal improvement
Acts of this State; and IA consideration that. 6y
thus shOrtent'g their road, SAID Company ,cH Lsse1.
the haJgt'ty Of the State Of Tennessee one million
| Of dollars, or mOre and as an inducement to
accept this amendment. and so terminate the
road ar aforesaid, the Governor of the State
| is further directed to receive and cancel such
| OF the endorsed bonds of said Company as the
! President may present for that purpose. and
issue TO them the same amount of State
| bonds"
In the next annual report to the Stock
holders, the President, referring to the above
amendment OF the charter, and its acceptance,
says; This action OF the Company terminates
their road at Mt. Pleasant, instead OF the
Alabama or Mississippi line, as authorized
| originally by the charter and by subsequent
amendments, thus reducing its length from
las miles. bad it been run to the Mississippi
line, to 574 mills"
This shows that Il ,eds done and ho,c it was
done, but | have met with no sufficient or
satisfactory reason ,0hy il was done. 1t has
been stated, | learn by some of the directors
and stockholders that il was still meant to
prosecute the enterprise, as designed at the
outset. But such assertion is hardly con-
sistent with the gratutous act of the Com
pany in obtaining and then accepting, as q
mere form, the terms of the amendment above
recited, which deprived the company of the
use Of n ''miilion or MORE of State aid If it
h sd been the bona fde intention ofthe directory
to continue that road, il Is scarcely to be
supposed that they would have spontaneous
ly reliuqnished u sum so great and so |
necessary to the work. Besides this million |
of State aid, am Informed. though cannot |
undertake to state amounts. that the stoppage |
OF the road, will leave unpaid and never to
be called for large amount Of the individual |
subscriptions of Stock.
As We have seen, in August 1857. the
officers were united in the emphatic assurance /
that at no distant day, the most sanguine /
aniielpations Of its friends were TO be realixed;
that its completion 10 its Southern terminus
was TO be an epoch unequalled in the i'm
provements in Tennessee; that II was TO be
the shortest and best route between Louis
vile aud Cincinnati and the Gulf ports. and
always remain secure of the vast trade of
which IL was the legitimate outlet; that IL
was indispensable. No doubt was expressed
OF the means and ability TO prosecute
the great work TO happy and
successful eonsummation; no suspicion
elonded the suspicious brightness of It's
prospects, but all were invited 10 wit
ness speedily. the glorions realization OF their
most sanguine anticipations. Under all
these joyous and encouraging omens what
mysterious aud unblddee shosiow l. this
which falls Ike curtain upon our pathway
and obscares our yisions What Is Il that
must, per force, override the late necessities
OF ihc case, darken all our expectations and
crush our hopes. Could the panic Of 1857
have been 50 erueii Ii so, how aud wherefore,
| can well see how reyulsion Of that sort
should have suspended the work. for q time
bat wherefore should the panic have crushed
II! They might a. easily have obtained an
extension Of time. il Il bad beeome necessary,
~ 10 have obtained What they did Was Il
thar the New Orleans. Jackson and Great
Northern road wouldsnot met shrms They
bad no risbs 20 TO conclude; for after ter
rifle Struggle. she directory Of thai road