Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-11-20

pouuIation many Of whom are to-day without
home OF land enough in which TO oe buried
u does seem to me they have been de.
frauded out OF an Inheritance purchased
10y the money and blood Of their ancestors.
l wRs, therefore, reJOiced beyond measure
when l read the speech OF homaS A: scott
the president OF the Texas and Pacific rail-
road, befOre1 committee Of congress, 70 nhu
the company asked Tor no subsidy no gllL OF
lands, or money or lands, but SIMPLY that the
government would guarantee the payment OF
the interest on the bonds Of the company, in
the hands of the ho'derin consideration of be
ing made perfectly safe against loss by the
company. That railroad, when built 10 Mem
phis, "will revoluiloulze the commerce OF the
world, placing in the center of all, and
morally, will be the means OF C1vlllZing and
christianiztng all mankind; intimately con-
nected with the Texas and Paclhc railroad as
8 work of great national Importance, anu
especially interesting to the south and every
portion Of the Mississippi valley, IS Jhe I'M
rroyement, by congress, of the navigation of
the Mississippi river, and the protec-
tIOn Of the richest portion OF the WhOle
earth from tnundatiOn by the annual oVernoW
Ufthe river. MrCalhOun, who was famous for
his strict construction of the constitution
of the United states, declared the MISSISSIPPI
river was an inland sea rather than rlNerr
which with its tributaries drained half the
continent, the whole of that great valley ly-
ing between the Allegheny and the Rocky
mountains, and that the improvement Of lis
nav igatiOn was a work beyond the means OF
individual enterprise, and justly appealed to
The congress OF the United States Tor its fOs-
tering care to make its navigation safe for the
bOUndless produce and the tens OF thousands
its bosom. II is a work too great 70 be accom-
plished by individual or associated wealth,
ana therefore must be accom- plished, II at all,
10y the government OF the United states The
question is now befor5 congress and is there
fore a legitimate one for the review, the
censure or the praise of the Inhabitants
OF tn great valley, and especially
for the Memphis chamber of COM
merce. Whether the garden spot of
creation, the aIIuvial lands of the Mississippi
river, unsurpassed for fertility, and which are
capable of being made the granary of the
world, is TO be protected by congressional leg
islation or be suffered to be submerged by the
overflow of the river, and rendered unit for
cultivation, is a question that must be decld-
ed now, and cannot any longer be kept in the
background or OveTShadOwed by partisan leg
isatiOn that brings no wealth to the nation,
but rather consumes it; that neglects TO de-
velop the rich resources that lie unapproprt-
the genuine prosperity of the people. The
time for action has arrived, and the people of
The grand valley announce progress to be
their watchwOrd. Whether ths improved
navigation of the river and the protection OF
its alluviaI lands from overflow are TO be ac-
com plished by levies built by the United states
or by deepening and widening the channel OF
the Mississippi river at its mouts,
or by increasing the number OF
outlets TO the gulf, or by all COM
bined, is q matter tD be determined by Scien-
tihc engineering and skill. But determined
it must be speedily, for the people will not
wait much longer for an open navigation 10
the sea of the greatest river in the wOrld-a
navigation characterized by safety
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