The New York herald., 1870-08-27


the national councils, 1t wri bc seen by brief r,
view OF the proceedings OF the last session Of Coz
Rress that the material usAd to enect this represents
uon has proved totally Inadequate. This materia
was. perhaps, the best that cOnd be made availabl
Mt the time, but 1t Will be very extraordinary
either by force OF immigration or national growth
other and better is now ready to take its plac
and give to those SLatos Senators aud Representa-
dives who are capable OF perceving the needs OF the
sections Of improving their advantages, and OF 81
sendipg to the public service In some nobler wa
sban IN the pursuit OF Jobs and private saids, WILL
the utter disregard OF suffering constituency whict
now cnaracterlzes the larger part OF the Soutneri
men, so called, In Congress.
II ls true there are individual instances IN the
southern Congressional delegations OF capacity and
upright adhesion to public duty; put 1t cannot be de
ned that as class these officials far inferior II
point OF character and ability to the average or mer
Who Ill the seats in the State Legisatures-of tho
North and West While opportunities such as have
hardly ever occurred In the history OF our country
have presented themselves, Offering an unrivdied
neid for craftsmanship and distinction there has
been actually no the whole list TO reach fortf
q hand grasp them or even give evidence OF an ap
pre- iation that they exist; and thus 1t happens tha
on the roll OF the Southern deputation :hee Is to-day
no name significant OF leadership whether as relates
70 geographical section or political party.
Great interests Which should have tempted
political ambition and the highest instincts OF
patriotism the rehabilitation and pacllcation or the
States lately rebellion the reconstruction OF their
financial and social systems the development OF
their natural resources-all these monentous ques-
t,ons of the new South have been less considered by
Its delegates Ia Congress than the question OF some
petty or expected In future elections, the best
method OF securing the negro vote or OF some other
paltry political mau0uvre for their own personal
behoof Nor is this matter IN which the South
Alone Is interested for only is 1t one OF vital I'M
portance to the nation burdened with debt as t now
is that the wealth OF the country should be devel
oped IN every quarter, and its welfare, both moral
and physical advanced IN the South as In the North
but moreover, 1t Is the North itself. whose capital
IL now largely invested In Southern enter
PRISE that is called TO share III whatever
represses or perverts the energies OF the Southern
States. Notable examples OF the truth OF these
statements are found all through the records OF the
Forty-hrst Congress IN the appropriation bills the
numerous efforts to
TIE THE HANDS OF PRESIDENT GRANT
have very nearly stopped the wheels OF government.
Appropriations largely In excess OF actual noed have
IN some instances been made; IN Others like that
for the Nashville Tennessee, Post ONCE building,
mexplcable provisions as to oe wholly unavailable,
ana In other cases where expense Is absolutely
necessary no appropriations Whatever have been
made All these inventions have returned to plague
the inveniors. j may mention the case Of the
Southern Pacific Railroad somewhat In detail, as
peculiarly Ia point both AS illustrating the vast ui-
developed resources OF the south, capable OF beng
Welded In the hands OF wise and patriotic men, TO
the promotion OF untold benefits TO the country at
N N either
blind wantonly indifferent thereto.
That Congress at its last session did not give to
the Soutn The charter 10 asked for Il through line to
the Pacific on the thrty-sec0nd parallel Of latitude
and to which 1t Is entitled by all principles OF comfy
and sectional obligations the Southern exotic deie-
gates are alone be blamed Generally speaking, it
may be said with truth that want Oh fidelity on their
part TO the section which they represent, their
inability OF mutual cooperation by reason or
personal political ieao1Aes, their utter want OF
intelligence aud efficiency were the sole causes TO
which The failure OF Congress to legslate upon the
subject is to be attributed Nay, may 80 further and
say that bat for the efforts OF Others VINO had
material interests at stake, the boon of Pacific
railroad so earnestly coveted by the South, pro.
motive OF It's growth, so Indispensable TO It's future
progress, desirable as national work OF internal
Improvement, wouid have been snatched away and
appropriated by the greed OF rival corporations, VINO
woald have rendered the legislation OF Congress
absolutely valueless to the South. Indeed,
name Of General Fremont involved this issue.
whether not charter, ayOweaiy meant by Con-
gress to nure TO the benefits Of the Southern Sates
minus Its gauge and board OF corpoTators TO subserye
the purposes alone Of the Middle and Northern States
already provided with subsidies for three through
lines, or whether 1t should IN reality be what i'll
name purpOried, Southern road, traverslng the
States and Territories on the thrty-second parallel
ana giving facilities not otherwise enjoyed, TO one
u the most productive regions OF tile country.
Such was the ISSUE whether the road should ex-
tend westwardly. VIA Fulton or Memphis to become
In iact Northern corporation with gauge different
from that Of IL 900 miles OF railroad now built In III
Southern States different, In TACT from every mile Of
thnrn roflr fhnf grl11 nn hu any
bilty be or service to the people OF the South; OF
whether, extending westward, via VicksDurg
through the % Southern % M States themseIves it snoul
indeed be entitled to the name or Southern Pacific
Railroad. Responsible partles-practical railroat
men--who had invested millions upon millions 0
dollars in existing Southern railroads, stood ready t
construct the line through to the Pacific Via vicks
burg. The Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad Con
pany, corporation whose road extends from Chat
tane0ga, Tenn, through Alabama TO Meridian, Miss.
and which has consolidated with intervening line
30 as to form continuous line through MISSISSIPPI
and Louisiana via Vicksburg and Monroe to Mar
Shall Texas distance OF some seven hundred miles
Rsked In the first instance to be permitted to eXtent
their line thence via Ell Paso to san Diego on tn
Pacific coast. In other words. the parties owning
and operating large portion OF the existing rail
road from New York to Marshall Texas, via Phila
0ephia, washington, Lynchburg, Chattanooga
Meridian and vicksburg, asked permission OF Con
gress to extend their line through to the Pacific
an enterprise the consummation OF which woul,
have been indeed the establishment Of o Southern
Pacific Railroad line Whoever wall take the pain
a.
stttuted great trunk line through the most popu
lous and fertile portion OF the Southern states
having connections norihward and s0utnward ~ al
prominent points, and extending In q direct r0ut
TO New York and other important cities.
LOST OPPORTUNITY.
To have urged this magnificent enterprise forwar
70 a completion would have been to promote ever
material Interest OF the South, to multiply its
sources beyond calculation, TO augment Its populs
ton, wealth and prosperity; In word, TO hav
gwen The South the only through line TO the Pacif
from which 1t can derive any bcnent whatever. Bn
TO the Southern exotic delegates az general rule
these results were not apparent. At another time
may give some account OF the measures taken {
bind them; ct present 1t Is sufficient to state tha
nearly all or thar portion OF the Southern deegatiO
vulgarly known as carpetbaggers utterly faile
70 support this and other important measure
OF great advantage to the States they wcT
placed In Congress to represent Northern mem
bers on the other hand, all who make an
pretension to craftsmanship, were, In spirit {
magnanimity and justice, perfectly willing to gran
the South the charter she desires; but their kin
and generous intentions were frustrated by the In
practicabihty, to use no stronger term, OF many
our Congressional exOuce from the southern State
SOUTHERN CONGRESSIONAL EXOT1CS.