The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-03-08


have not seen the Asheville News for several weeks
from some cause it has failed to reach us-but
we see by exchanges that that paper is consid-
erably exasperated at the late Legislature for re-
fusing to remove the restrictions from the West
ern Extension road. AS we have not a copy of
the News containing the article, We publish the
following notice of it from the Wilm. Journal:
awe have before us the issue of the Asherlle News
OF the oath ut, which has leading editorial headed
adjourned" This editorial refers to the adjournment
OF the late Legislature of North Carolina and deals out
damnatlon to the two very respectable bodies COM
posing the last General Assembly, without stint
qualification. To this pleasant occupation it brings
the assistance of Gen. b. NJ Edney, who says, in let
Ter dated from the Senate Chamber, that North Caro-
lima has done nothing for the people he has the honor
to represent, except tax them in unprece-
denied in the annals Of legislation, etc, ETC.
The News talks about the action of the late Legisla
ture being par with that which produced the
rero utionary war. Says that the people of Western
North Carolina prepared for dissolution of every
tie that binds us together Is people, etc.
Now surely these be hard words and bold assertions,
when know that the State of North Carolina is liable
to be called upon for four millions of dollars carry
railroad over the mountains via Asheve, liable to do
SO Just private parties along the line else
where make up half as much i'll labor or otherwise.
Is this nothing? Why, it is than the State has
ever done been called upon do for all works
of Raleigh. When the State did this in ls5+--made
this pledge in the charter At the Western n C. Railroad
it universally regarded liberal fnot
1t is useless talk strongly taxes The Comp
trocrs return shows how that stands; that in fact,
New Hanover county herself, for instance, pays
much clear money into the treasury of the State all
the counties along the line of the Western n. C. Rail-
road west of Burke But this only refer to because
of the weight some of Western friends to
tach to it. We all pay many and as high taxes
we can afford. Whether we prepared to pay high
er is another question. We think
We would ask our Western friends whether their
representatives in the last Legislature able to
agree upon what they did want. We would point the
editor of the Asheve News to the controversy between
Messrs Edney and Thomas, which and for some
time past has occupied considerable space in his
columns Surely is hardly right to pitch ercely
into the East exclusively.
The News threatens cut loose and does General
Edney Now, 60 for doing all for every part of the
State that may be within the means and consistent with
the interests of the whole. Nay go for strainng a
point in favor of our mountain brethren. but it is
less for them to talk about threatening to cut loose
etc, etc. for the simple REASON that the trade
of the few mountain counties to be traversed by this
Western Extension begin to repay the State
for the cost of crossing the Blue Ridge. We believe
the Ridge will be crossed by North Carolina Road
but the people of the mountains must themselves agree
upon the route etc, before they expect eastern
people to give the for they at last pay the
piper. Our mountain friends ought to be little re-
sponsble We like to have their votes for the Demo-
cratic party, on principle, but we have idea of bril-
bling them-of being called upon to stand and deliver
Why should any portion of the Democracy of the State
say to the balance, Do and leave you. We
not sufficiently fond of power office to UNDER
stand this"
Since putting the above in type, we have receiv-
ed the News of the 3d. from which we see that
meetings have been held in Buncombe and Polk
counties (and other counties are called upon to ac)
in favor of building the French Broad Road from
Spartanburg, S. c., via Columbus, Hendersonvlle,
and Asheville, to Paint Rock. In the Buncombe
meeting the speakers expressed hope that no
citizen of that county would ever contribute dol
lar towards completing the Western Extension
that it might stop at Morganton for what they
cared, with the present restrictions it would be
impossible to move the work further west. Mr.
Marcus Erwin said he did not consider the failure
of their projects in the Legislature chargeable
upon any political party but as more easily to be
accounted for on the score of sectional feeling,
meaning we suppose, that the western members
were not all united particular scheme.