The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-02-08
For tie 1fississppfan
New Orleans and jackson Railroad.

| one who IS removed from tAe1e lnIgcDccs and
views it only as question Of right and how
Il win effect the interest Of the whole country.
The tone Of these resolutions carry the as
1 sumption that the State Of Mississippi IS about
| TO disregard the comfy duo % her copartn6rs
ina great enterprise, and TO iuflict gTclt
wrong on them but while appealing 10 Mis-
sissippi TO be generous these same reso,utiopS,~
coo!ly ask her to abandon al control ever ~
enterprise located in her borders, IN whlef sho
has invested her money ard with !leecomple-
ton Of which her best interest Lg,golvod.
When Louisiana and Ne,E>cfleans ag9Ged
| to Mississippi to unite iDkhe constructor Of
this road, She was told Nat it was OF so much
| Importance to LoustaHa and New Orleans TO
open direct Communication with the Great
West and tts Northeast, that all that was
asked was the right Of way, for that the
means fo3 its completion were already proyid-
! cd-Missssippi, influenced not only by a spirit
Of comfy towards her nciehbors, but recog-
.nizing the importance Of this great line Of inn
proyement to the development Of her own re-
sources not only granted the charter asked
for, but made albeFal subscription in further
ance ST the road. At the time that this fran
| chse was granted by Mississippi the scheme
was in its youth, and the fond anticipations Of
hope clothed everything in its roseat hues--
| the prospects were then bright and promises
were liberal but now the stern realities Of
manhood are upon the undertaking, and TO
shake oil some Of the responsibilities then as-
sumed an appeal is made TO the magnanimity
Of Mississippi; but at the same time she Is
taurtirglv told taat she sas easrtsiatsd b,,t -
I paltry sum compared with that whici has
1 been drawn from LOuisiaha. This tauHt is at
/ war with the letter and spirit OF the contract
! as made at the commencement OF the under
! taking, and at variance with the data as fur
nished by the statements as set forth in the
| PicayuDe in its issue Of the 2lst instant.
/ When Mississippi was solicited to unite in
/ this undertaking, Louisiana and New Orleans
plighted their faith to prosecute this work to
| the Tennessee line and when Mississippi
/ gave her approval to the enterprise and became
! a copartner by her subscription Of half a mil
| Lon. peans OF praise and laudaton wers sung.
| to her in the Crescent City but charge has
come over the spirit of the dream Of some Of
| those who control the destiny of this great
work, and MisSissippii is now tauntingly told
/ that her interest is too small to be thought Of
when it conflicts with the policy which those
who control the interest OF Louisiana and New
/ Orleans wish to establisl--her rights and her
interest, however vital they may be, and how
ever necessary to her own development, must
/ be set aside when her richer neighbors choose
/ to nod their heads. She is now not only ask
ed to extend the time for the completion Of the
road, but she is gravely asked to release the
penalty Of forfeiture over that portion Of the
road already completed. and thus virtually
abandon all her control and influence in the
management Of the enterprise.
To grant liberal extension Of time fo- the
completion OF this work, so long as her CO.
partners faithfully endeavoI~to carry out the
contract, is both the duty and interest Of Mis-
s;ssippi But in the past action Of at least
portion of her copartners, is she not admon-
! ished that if she has no stronger bond than
| that of justice and generosity, that the great
I object which prompted her to engage in this
undertaking may be abandoned and the work
! len unfinished? For how long has it been
! since an appeal was made in your Legislative
Halls to release the Corporation from its obli-
cation TO extend the road beyond Canton? Is
not the appeal which is now made to release
that portion Of the road already completed
from forfeiture, but another phrase Of the
same application If such be not It's object
and the managers Of the enterprise intend in
good laith to carry out the original contract,
what practical good is to result from release
OF this portion of the road? It is not pre-
tended that any additionallean is to be effected,
or that any portion Of the Bonds Of the three
million loan is on hand, and that it is desired
! TO enhance their value. This loan has al.
! ready been disposed OF, and is in the hands Of
| the money lender so ii this release is to
/ effect its value, it is not the Road, not tho
/ State of Mississippi that is to be benefited;
/ but he who drives his bargains and counts
/ his Gains on the money-change."
! Ii is true the right Of Forfeiture Of the
franchise is retained on the projected portion
Of the road: but what aa eanty. security.
7 Have those who desire the abandonment Of
the unfinished portion of the read anything
( to loose in their estimation However erro-
ncous may be their conclusions, and however
/ easy it may be TO demonstrate that the COM
/ pletion Of the Road would be 10 the adyan-
tage of all interested, yet the past has shown
that there were some who would gladly en-
brace an opportunity Of being released from
this portion Of the contract. Is Mississippi
prepared to abandon a scheme which has met
with the approval of every portion Of the
State Aud'evea Il time which has dcvel-
oped the wisdom of that scheme, had raised
doubt Of its .justness, does not the State
owe something TO that portion Of its northern
citizens, who, relying upon its good faith, have
given their money and their time to the fur
tharance of this great work. In these are in
Yolved duties and obligations that are not
measured by dollars and cents, and to which
the State cannot be insensible.
In the papers of New Orleans an inyidious
comparison is attempted to be drawn between
the pecuniary interest Of Louisiana and Mis-
sissipp in this road. In Louisiana, il is stated,
that there has been S3,S23092 contributed
towards the construction Of this road, while in
Mississippi but S700,4 has been received by
direct contribution be it so but does this
give the true contributions towards the read ?
1t is admitted that about $2o0oo0o OF the
earnings of road have gone toward its con-
structon. Who contributed these earnings?
Was it not the people Of Mississippi? Was
it not on the productions OF the soil of Mis-
sissippi and on the articles consumed by her
citizens that this S2,00o000 was levied. 1t
will not do to say that she has received val
liable consideration for this 100000, and
that this improvement has been Of great bene-
fit to the State Admitted. But without
her productions and without her consumption
could the road have realized one 1.-THE part of
this sum? if not then Mississippi has contrib
uted that amount towards the construction of
the road add this to her direct subscription
and however lorily may be the gaunting of
Louisiana, the difference is not so great. Year
after year Mississippi viii continue to pay her
large tribute to this road, while Louisiana will
continue to be the recipient of its trade with
out materially increasing its aid How long,
then, viii it be before Mississippi will have
equaled in her peeuniary aid the contributions
Of Louisiana? How unjust, how illiberal,
then, this taunt.
Not having seen the bill that has been pre-
sented TO the Mississippi Legislature, / cannot
speak Of its provisions; but have too much
confidence in the wisdom and justice Of my
State to think that anything viii he done I'M
generous to Others, OF at war wlsil The best m
terests Of the State.
That sound policy and the interest Of the
State REQUIRE that the time for The completion
of the road should be extended, and that too
upon as liberal terlnsas IS consistentent with
tbe safety Of the faithful performances OF the
original contract there cannot DO aquestion.
At present The Company have but its surplus
c.,ri,ings and any new subscriptions to apply
10 this work, and the progress of the work
must therefore be necessarily slow, and it
would be unwise in the Legislature to
burthen it with too many restrictions, or
cmbarrass it by too limited an extension Of
time. It's energies, means and alilities shoald
be rs uRfettered as possible, SO IS TO enable it
to werk out the object OF its creation. But
in this extension Of time there is nothing
which calls for the State to annul The bond Of
indemnity which il holds for the ultimate
completion of the enterprise. This bond is
the right of forfeiture--abandon it and you
are at the mercy Of those whose political or
pecuuiary interest may prompt them to aban-
don you. eart3 = q .g MACON.
January 90, 1850.
The Florida Legislature has enscted a very
stringent Militia law, and TeOrganized tho mil
itary system of the State. On the first Mon
day in May next it is nadc the duty OF the
Governor 10 order an election ilCm Captain up
TO Major General
fr- A resolution has been introduced into
tho Virginia House Of Delegates, inquirlrg in
TO the propriety of taxing bachelors past thir-
,nr