The Portland daily press., 1875-08-20
Railway Rates at the West.
J. DIS LETTER.
He Declines to Speak in Illinois-He
Deplores Sectional Hate He Forgives
the Agricultural Society.

MEMPHIS Tenn, Aug. 19.-The following
letter is published:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Aug. Is.
To Henry P. Kimball, Secretary Of the Winnie
bago County Agricultural Society, Rockford,
Illinois:
Dear SRI yesterday sent to you telegram
announcing the revocation of my conditional
association at the annual meeting in September
next. The long period which has elapsed
since the receipt of your first letter and consid-
crate courtesy which has marked your CORE
spondence make it my duty to the board and to
myself that sufficient explanation should be
given Of this change Of purpose. Three objects
mainly induced me to accept the invitation.
First, the hope that personal intercourse
might remove some of the prejudces which
had been generated by partisan factions and
nurtnfed by individual and sectional hate.
Anxious as in former years to promote the In
terest of our great valley of the Mississippi,
and believing that with mutual confidence and
coin teligence, much could be done for their
Advancement, only delayed my acceptance of
your invitation until it became reasonably
probable that it could be met. The productive
capacity of the northwest needs for its develop
ment cheaper and safer transportation to the
markets of the southwest and also to those of
foreign countries and in England especially.
Your earnest attention has been directed for
several years past to more direct and econom-
connection there was desire to confer with
the patrons of husbandry in your rich and
prosperous section, to discuss with them qIes-
tions involved in securing better means of
transporting your farm produce to the most fa-
vorable markets, and of providing agencies
which should insure large returns to the for
mer, and, by such confere nee, to learn the
views of one member of the family Of the Mis-.
sissppi valley-a family, the chief interest of
all the members of which is agriculture. but
fiuo TORS of cnah uorInn tn 10
trade among themselves extensive and lucra-
tive while it stamps upon each and all the
same interest and the same policy as to their
former trade. To render such conference effec-
tual. there must needs be disposition to at
tend to the subject under consideration, surely
not to propose to smother it by the jnterposi-
ton of matters bearing no just relation to it.
Second, an effort was made to recognize the
courtesy of your board, and was encouraged
to believe that your reception of me would be
beneficial rather than injurious to your associa-
ton. This was the more supposable because
several other agricultural societies of Illinois
had in like manner invited me to address their
annual meetings. Yesterday l received
printed paper, being protest Of q number of
your fellow countrymen against the action of
your board IN their invitation to me to make
the annual address at the county meeting.
Thereupon sent to you telegram withdraw
ing my acceptance of the invitation under the
conviction that it would not be useful or agree.
able to participate in the meeting, and hope
that neither your association nor the directors
will suffer harm by the delay in procuring an
orator o. by the correspondence which has
caused it. The object was to CRAFTY a wish
long entertained to see in its cultivated dress
the country known to me as a trackless wilder
ness; but that being merely personal gratif-
cation, it may be INDUCED at any convenience
or postponed indefinitely. can well believe
that the cause which has changed my purpose
was as unforeseen by you as by me, and you
may be assured that feel NJ dissatisfaction
toward the directors or yourself and have suf.
fered no personal embarrassment from the
event, as the invitation was unexpected and
only acceptable as an expression of general
good will. So my only regret is the loss of op-
portunity to promote the public interest with
which the welfare OF your community is iden-
tilted.
Again expressing the hope that neither the
directors nor yourself may snffer injury or an.
noyance, and thanking you tor the kindness
ana consideration you have manifested.
am respectfully yours
JEFFERSON DAVIS