Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-28


and pay the interest on the public debt. l
heartily indorse resolution adopted by
late convention of the Democratic and
Conservative party Of Putnam county,
where the State has not built mile ofturn-
pike, nor expended dollar in aid Of rail-
roads. 1t is as follows:
Resolved, That while We are in favor Of our
state meeting and paying on all her just la
bllities a. soon as practicable, yet We are Op-
posed TO buthening and opposing the people
by heavy taxation, and are IN favor OF only such
rates OF taxation for the present as may become
necessary 20 pay on the interest on our State
debt, and meet the current expenses OF the State
under an economical administration Of the state
Government.
This has the ring Of the old-fashiOned
patriotism of the DAYS of Jackson and
White, GFundy and Bell; Of Cannon and
Polk and Jones: of Aaron V. Brown and
Foster; of Campbell and TrOusdale. Il is
an enunciation of pure, disinterested pTin-
ciple, dictated by sincere love for the wei
fare OF Tennessee. You perceive, from these
authentic statistics, that, with the exception
of bonds issued to the capitol and the
Bank Of Tennessee, the whole debt OF the
state grew out Of the States aid to internal
Improvements. And, while much of this
debt has been imprOvidently and unwisely
contracted, yet the benefits derived by the
State from her internal improvement policy
cannot be estimated in dollars or by figures.
Under that policy the whole railroad system
of Tennessee sprang into existence and was
fOStere1 into its present magnificent pro-
portions. Many of the most gifted sons Of
the State lent their influence to the policy.
IL was not a party measure. Men Of all
phases of political sentiment cOnspired,
through this policy, to elevate and vitalize
Tennessee from a sickly existence. The
markets of the world were closed upon
her. Trade languished. Her sons sought
new fields of enterprise, where labor
and energy met their reward. No at
fractions were presented 10 invite
immigration. Our towns and cities were
i'm dying condition, but a new era dawned
when the State determined to loan her
credit TO construct .thOroughfares Of trade
and commerce. The principal initial step
was taken by the General Assembly of
1S51-52. That act gave new life TO the
State and quickened everywhere the ener-
gieS Of trade and commerce. From that
date TO 1860, under the inspirations and
effects of that law, the wealth of Tennessee
swelled from S20l ,246,6S6 TO $493, 9O3, S92,
an increase of S292, 81, 206-mOre than
double. During the same period the pOpu-
latiOn increased over two hundred thou
sand, and the other results of the system
are that We have now about sixteen hun
dred miles Of railway, worth over one hun
bred million dollars, more than One-halt Of
which will soon be subject to taxation,
which will add two hundred thousand dol
lars per annum to our revenue.
THE EFFECTS OF THIS GRAND SYSTEM
are more striking in The rapid strides by
which Memphis reached her present pro-
portions. Her population in 1850 was
6,427; in 1860 it was 22,643. Her wealth
in 1850 was S4,6O0;O00; in 1850 it was
S21 100000. In decade the population Of
your city increased over threefOld, and your
taxable wealth EeaTly 500 per cent. To
what is all this attributable? Certainly not
to the increased productions Of the country
contiguous to your city, for that was incOn-
siderable. Not TO the great artery of COM
merce flowing by your western boundary,
for its tide flowed in 1850 as in 1860. Then
there can be but one answer to the ques-
tion: The iron rail and the locomotive
gave Memphis this unexampled commercial
prosperity.
COTTON TRADE OF MEMPHIS.
From the year 1872 to 1SGO-1 the
amount Of cotton grown within an area
described by a radius of one hundred
miles, Memphis being the center, was not
very largely increased, certainly not to be
compared to the increased trade in that
great staple. The statistics Of the cotton
trade in no city Of America approaches
those OF Memphis. Taken from your own
reports they are as follows:
| Year. Bales. Value.
| 1850 L 600 $500, 600
1872 .................I2,00O 6SeO,000
loos-l-. -.-.......clVioo AcfoVosvpV
To what is this astonishing and UMPIRE
cedented growth in the cotton trade attrib-
utable? When you remember that Mem
phis in 1850 did not have one mile Of
RAILROAD,
and in 1850 she had the Memphis and
| Charleston, with all its Tamified cOnnec-
tons, at Grand Junction, with the Missis-
sippi Central; at COTinth with the Mobile
and Ohio; at Decatur with the Nashville
| and Decatur; at Stevenson with the Nash
| vile and Chattanooga; thence on 10 Chat
tanOOga, a rising city itself, with the East
| Tennessea and Virginia Railroad, connect
| ing it with all the North and Northeastern
| lines, and the whole Georgia and South
| Carolina network of railroads. She had
| the Tennessee and Mississippi Railroad,
| giving her access to the most fertile
| and productive regions Of MiSSis-
| sippi, and connecting her in a
| direct line with New Orleans. She
had the Memphis and Ohio leading
to the north boundary Of the State, and
thence on to the lakes, crossing the Mem
phis and Ohio and Mississippi Central
Railroad, and Northwestern not quite COM
pleted. These are the results Of your rail-
road enterprises and investments; these are
/ the fruits Ofthe taxes which you have been
called upon to pay to the State, in part, but
in a much larger proportion to your county
and city treasury. This state of things
exists to greater or less extent in other
parts of the State. But perhaps l have
already enlarged upon the financial ques-
ton beyond the legitimate limits Of let
ter. There are features Of our finances
which it viii be my pleasure to discuss on
another occasion.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL,
The bill which is a misnOmer, and should
have been STYLED sthe social rights BILL" is
| fraught with more vital interests and alarm
! ing consequences than, perhaps, any meas
urC vet presented TO the consideration of
the American Congress since the close Ofthe
civil war. Its passage would. in my judg-
ment, be a violation Of the constitution, a
mOckeTy and delUsiOn to the African, an
outrage upon the white man, and be fol-
/ lowed in those States where the negro race
is numerous by the most blighting infiuen-
ces upon material prosperity and in
| tellectual development, The large ma
jOrity by which it passed the Senate
| the tWentv-thiTd of Nav last is only