The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-19

SPECIAL Correspondence Or the HERALD.

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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or THE HERALD
The Paramount Necessities for Recensfruc-
tion-Lack OF Railroads In Arkansas-Thosc
Building and About 10 be Built, &c.
IITTLs Rock, Ark, May 8, 1857
In settling and working TO successful conclusion the
great reconstruction question Of the Southern States
now under military government simple unity OF politi-
cal action sufficient at least TO accomplish the desired
political end, 10 not the only thing needed 10 enec'
thorough and permanent reconstruction and one en-
bodying In its fundamental principles and development
sure guarantee Of lasting prosperity TO the peopeand
this can be the only basis OF just and satisfactory
Notwithstanding else has got to be done than
political wre-pulling, struggling after the negro vote,
holding political caucuses and conventions establish
ing political organs and issuing political pro-
~unciamiestos. There is deeper depth 70 be
reached, power paramount TO political power
10 BIO used 1t Is true before any Of those States get
back into the Union the formal requirements q Con.
gress preliminary to such restoration must be complied
with; but all this can be quietly and peacefully done,
and il the right spirit controls, which is to be hoped
may prove the case, the whole work can be
pished not only harmoniousy good faith and in
accordance with tho general will and wishes OF the
people. Meanwhile, southern people should not be
idle This is no time for folding hands Apathetic In
difference is criminal All true Southern posses
the souths social, religious commercial and material
weliarc-can find everywhere about them abundant
fields Of labor. In this State this pre- eminently
Arkansas is to-day the poorest State In the
country though possessing undeveloped resources
OF wealth surpassed by none. The remedy is
at hand, within the grasp OF tho people, and
they have only to seize It and employ IL. Past
prcudiccs and irritaons must be banlshed from
thought and memory; political agta,ions and
sectional contentious. The scya and Charybdis
TO bring disaster and shpwreck must be avoided, and
improvement Of the present and its golden oppor
tunes 10 advance the future welfare of tho State and
tho people, become tho determined aim and purpose OF
every one. Looking the diverse channels Of in
dustry In which the expansive Of unemployed
labor and capital may and should be hero employed,
see none vitality with the future
growth and prosperity Of this State than her railroad
interests II Is most lamenabe fact that Arkansas Is
far behind any other State in tho Union in respect to
railroads. and to this fact above every other be
attributed her being so tho all the
Other States. To show what railroads to State
requires no extended argument. Railroads the
pioneers Of civilization, the index of peoples enter
PRISE tho balance sheet showing States prosperity
Railroads beget labor and CAPITAL give birth 70 cities and
villages, open undeved Mines convert 10 useful pur-
poses forests of waste timber bring into cultivation
untitled lands and furnish speedy market to the agri-
cultural products, manufactures and all tho. productive
wealth OF a State Railroads bring in their train tie
telegraph schools churches and the multiplied benign
results Of advanced wealth and intelligence Withou.
railroads States resources cannot BIO developed there
are no Inducements to mm grafton, and while other
States with increasing railroads. increasing in COM
Iaerclal Importance in the enlarged culture Of their
people, and in the hberazing OF thor views. and while
the fields Of enterprise widening and trade extending
to wealth and capital, those enews Of strength and
stimulus Of progress beng rapidly accumulated, the
state without railroads remains at sanasti had no
of branching of into dissertation railroads.
but SIMPLY set out TO show what this state has lost
properly directed energy and effort in this direction The
subject Ia necessarily dry aud statistical the
reader but nevertheless already minated Is
closely related to the subject of reconstruction and
such should be written Up On this ground therefore,
and from the great interest attaching alone to
capitalists OF this State but to Northern capitalists
shall expect indulgence in my present oraging after
facts and ngures which by way been al pains
to obtain accurately from papers in the State Depart
here extra divergcnces into ddatc defamation
out Of the usual style Of my letters
There not to-day railroad running in this Sate-a
painfully comprehensive declaration TO begin WITH and
that must certainly strike those not happening to DO
with the facts statement almost incred
BILE. That portion OF the Memphis and Little Rock Rail-
road embraced between Little Rock and DO Wallis Bluff
distance of foriysix miles has been in operation unit,
recently but the imperative demand for repairs CON-
pced suspension OF the trains and 1t Is altogether
road in operation mails received weekly from
the North and the number taken away, with
thing like regularity and this thought decidedly
big and enterprsng thing country but now tho
only mail dependence is the Arkansas boats
which ply back ana forth Win no more idea OF time and
Of civilized life. For even this meagrc section
OF railroad and the only railroad operation in the
State since the close OF the the State indebted
the United States government, which, will be
bored built the road for military purposes during the
war; and has since turned over with all It's rolling
stock and everything belonging TO it, the present
OF the road That general Southern style Of
doing thngsthat H. do a thing death no appa-
rent Conception Of such saving clause as repairs-has
characterized the present management But for all tins
there are bright prospects ahead Both southern and
awake the railroad question, and VINO require
pounding the head to convince them that states
loAx
ratio OF her railroads. have taken the matter seriously In
hand. The result has been the consolidation Of the
railroads The latter company have agreed to fur
nish all the money required TO complete the road be-
promised that the road between here and Memphis will
be finished by tho close OF the year. On section
Of the road between Memphis and Madison no work can
done present account OF the overflow Of tho
Mississippi but the other two sections, between the
ST. Francis and White rivers and the White and Arkan-
sas rivers large gangs OF workmen are employed under
the superinteude OF General Forrest and Mr. Nc
Crcamor The bridges the two rivers which were
destroyed during the also being reconsructed
Whom this road Is completed Little Rock will be only
seventy three hours from New York. about the time IL
Little Rock Railroad Company there is grant Of 1853.
600 of land which will become the properly the
company on the completion Of the road Bu. the com.
the commercial advantage OF the State s only chds
play alongside the supendous enterprise Of the contna
alton Of the road beyond here 70 the western |
boundary Of the State, thence through Texas and |
across Mexico TO Guayamas on the Gulf Of CALI |
hundred miles Texas alone has made land grant OF
900 In aid Of the enterprise. and other land
grants are expected from Arkansas and Mexico II Is
estimated that the road b built In three years
Over hundred miles Of the road running through
Texas IA over continuous section Of level prairie land
impossible estimate the great benefits be de-
rived this continuous road not alone 70 this State
rexas but 70 the commerce OF America the grsa.
artery Of future between this country and
the East Indies. Guaymas . fourteen hundred miles
nearer Canton than San Francisco. and d twenty.
four hundred mIles from New York Canton BY
way Of this railroad than BY any other route that Of
Francisco included On this road must 70 North the
entire cotton crop Of that most fertile portion South
western Arkansas and Northwestern Louisiana lyng on
each side Of the Red River above and below Fulton II
viii also take TO tho Northern and Eastern markets
the principal products OF Northeastern Texa the
richest sections Of tho STATE and for cattle growing
surpassed BY any country in the world Before reach
Ing ~ Gulf terminus the psnstrass two OF the
best PROVINCES Of Mexioo-Chihuahua and eonora-fa-
nous FOR their glorious climate and rich silver mnes.
The probability h that this road wii take The sem Of