Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-07-18
For The Democrat.
WILLIAMspoRT, June %, 1861.

rome q Lock Haven Railroad has been dis
astrous enterprise to many of us, and has
brough irretrievable ruin on some of its most
devoted, honest, and true friends; but this
is the fate of the public spirited enterprise in
this country. Robert Morris fnanciered the
United Colonies through the Revolutionary
war, but when he attempted to furnish hi:
native city with water he was deserted by bis
friends and this great and good man was
! cast into the debtors prison. Nicholas Bid
die, another magnificent founder of great
public enterprise. was hunted, persecuted
and DETAINED until he sank under the lead,
and early death carried him beyond his ca
lumniators. Scores Of others who laid the
the foundation of our vast schemes of COM
mercial and social inter communication and
greatness from the beginning of our public
works in 1862, up to this day, have expend-
ed their resources, means and minds, and
gone down to their tombs without stone
70 tell where they lie, or what thei: deeds Of
glory were."
The pioneers of railroads have been pecu.
liarly unfortunate in Pennsy lvania, for
scarcely single road, except the Pennsyl-
vania Central, has not involved its origina-
tors in embarrassment or ruin, and subject
ed them to the animadversion and condem-
nation of our ungrateful and ungenerous
people, as we Pennsylyanians are, for in no
State in the Union is this character so strik-
ingly manifest. When the building of a
railroad is proposed, all interested clap their
hands with JOY. Loud speeches., long reso-
lutions and strong preambles elicit the ad-
miration of everybody, and honest patriotic
men step forward in good faith to carry on
what ia so auspiciously commenced; but
the history of the Germantown, Little Schuyl-
kill, Catawissa. Williamsport & Elmira,
West Chester. and very nearly al the rail-
roads in the State can disclose sad stcry of
infdelity. bad faith and low intriguery, to
rob the original workers and place the en-
terprise, after thousands Of dollars have been
expended, in the hands of "sharp operators"
and stock gamblers to be sold out by supple
mentary Acts of Assembly, renewed char
ters, ana secured by preferred stock, (well
watered) and the Office moved to Philadel-
phia to a brown stone or marble fronted
building, and managed by set of the most
stupid non-descript-known in New York as
Wall Street Brokers'"
The Tyrone Il Lock Haven Railroad is q
meritoriGus enterprise, and those who under
took to build it, did SO from liberal, high
toned, public spirited motives, and all the
cry of mismanagement, fraud and deception
against its friends, originated in the jealousy
Of self~condemned pretsnders, whose coz,
duct through life display degree of selfish
ness and injustice that never characterizes
permanent prosperity, and it is no ground
less prediction to entertain, that in less than
five years after it is completed, there will not
be vote for its management in Centre Co.
When in its present condition, its entire stock
should haYe been in the hands of those whose
money has been expended on if. The unjust
desertion from the few friends who were
struggling SO bard to put it through, is not
a justification for the wrongs that have been
committed, and those who use this justifca-
tion stand in the attitude without defence,
they have been the means of re5bing the
honest well-meaning stockholders, who were
induced to aid IL building this work, and
there is moral responsibility resting upon
them, that windy de ilarations and unfouns
ded charges will never remove. They may
hurt some of the officers whenever their
names are known. and hurl pretended accu-
sations at them, they may try them in their
absence before constituted court and find
them guilty, and pronounce the verdict on
them, but all will not justify their position
and remove the just odium that belongs to
them, or sink those they wish to crush to
depth that will not reach them when justice
is meted out to US ell.
Turning from this subject, we find not only
the building of railroads checked, but every
business raralyzed. The threatening storm
of diseord is upon us with violence. The LAM
guage of the Georgia Resolutions of 1925 is
being carried out The resolution drawn uL
by Mr.. Rhett in 1928, to dissolve the Union,
is being acted on. The views of Secretary
Upshur, in l842, are now being carried out,
and the vote of Mr.. Buchanan in favor of
Mr.. Calboun's report On the SUPPRESSION of
abolition publications has accomplished its
object. A band of traitors have attempted
to play the part of an Arnold. The
tragedy is upon US, and God only knows
when the curtain will fall and hide the treas
onab.s scene,
All party distinctions are hidden, but not
forgotten. We may forgive, but can never
forget. The horrors of war, its awful conse-
quences, its blasting. blighting influences
will live after us, and its course and its ac-
tors will be followed by the historians pen.
The widow and the orphan will not bury in
oblivion the remembrance of their protector
and provider. The God of nations will hole
the guilty ones responsible and visit them
with his justice.
Those who, few months ago, were loud
in their denunciations against the President
and our Governor, are now extremely sensi.