Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-05

determined to carry that road on to Aberdeen,
and have scarcely been day unemployed on
some part of that great line. 1t is now adj
vertised to place the road under contract to
Aberdeen on the 18th of the present month
and the progress of the road, if not rapid
has been steady. The States of Mississippi
and Louisiana have granted it material aid,
while New Orleans at once took two millions
of its stock.
j will not dwell on the fact that the COM
| pletion of this line was a part of that system
of railroads that the city of Nashville, espe-
cially, was SO intent upon establishing, con-
Meeting directly with the Louisville and
Nashville, and with the Nashville and North
western, and the Edgefield and Kentucky. as
| important lateral radiations. Although in
point of fact, the proxy of this county did,
| 10y his vote, commit the county to concur
renee in the proposed termination at Mount
| Pleasant, it yet admits of grave doubt wheth-
er the county subscription would ever have
been voted with that understanding. The
connection with the New ORLEANS Road was
undoubtedly the most important link in the
have formed the principal inducement to the
affirmative popular vote on the question of
county subscription. But leave the Direct
DRY of the road, who control the stockholders
and the officers, who control the Directory. to
answer the people why it has occurred to
them to stop so magnificent an enterprise,
! with large uncollected individual subscrip-
on 10 IL.
ness, million or more of State aid and to
break the chain of connection on a line of
road that should be thousand miles, more
or less, in extent.
The interest which Nashville has in this
road is paramount. By the termination of
the road at Mount Pleasant, she is cnt off
from the large and inviting trade of Nor,h
Mississippi in dry goods, iron, bacon agricul-
tural machinery, and in fact all other traffic
of every description. Besides this she is cut
adrift from the through travel from the Gulf
ports to the North and East. The Mississippi
Central, meeting the New Orleans Road at
Canton, the Memphis and Charleston and
East Tennessee and Virginia Roads, together
with the Memphis and Ohio and the Memphis
and Louisville Roads. will inevitably carry
both the trade and travel of Mississippi, and
even of large portion of Alabama, which
would pass to Nashville. in the teeth of all
competition, by the completion of this New
Orleans connection. The region of country
thus about to be lost is one of the richest
fields to which Nashville could look for the
consumption of her manufactures. She can |
not build up her manufactures, cannot use |
the manufacturing resources which nature |
has been so extravagantly lavish in throw
ing around her, to any full extent without |
this Road. She cannot complete her destiny |
without it. Without it other points will |
come in and suck away her best commercial |
blood-blood she cannot afford to lose. Win !
she yield so much that is valuable, so much |
that is even Indispensable to her growth and
without a struggle?
know not whether it be possible to undo
what has been done so much amiss-it should
at least be attempted. 1t should be done in
a proper spirit between the people and the
Company. l trust have not done the Com
pany or any one connected with the road, in
justice, and 1 am forced to believe from the
high character and standing of the directors,
whose course l have felt bound to criticise,
that they will unite with the public in any
feasible project to revive the rights of the
Company to State aid, aud TO carry forward
the work to the State line. If they need and
lesire assistance, let them make the fact known
% the people and let the people respond. Let
his whole subject be looked into and discuss
ID, and let all parties be convinced as to the
or error of the suggestions / have
made.
We want no trihing or whmpering on the
uhject, but full, fair and candid investiga-
ion Of the true interest and policy of the
Dad, its means and necessities-and this
here is no one, rs / conceive, to oppose
MECHANIC.