The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-24
The Texas Pacific.

It will be remem bered by the readers OF
the Richmond Whig that that paper said
few days ago that no southern State had en-
dorsed the Texas Pacific railroad. In reply
we gave the names of nearly all the southern
States as having endorsed that project. The
Wing endeayors to break the force Of the
answer by speaking Of the southern States
west Of the Mississippi as States "not inter
ested IN crossing The Mississippi" Therefore
they are, we suppose, to be set aside al
having ne claim to weight in this matter
We submit that this is an attempt TO I'M
peach its own witnesses and rule them ou'
Of court. .--.--~--- ...-~~
But the Wings jealousy seems to be widely
cast upon al. things west OF the Mississippi.
It repudiates sill possibilities that may winl
an eye in the direction Of St. Louis, and in
weighs against the master spirit of the pro
ject to connect the southern States directly
with the Pacific because he may run bis line
to st. Louis and then TO Philadelphia
What q monster he must be, and what de-
vouring place must be st. Louis! st. Louis
and Tow ScerT-ToA SCoTT and st. Louis
They will be destroyers Of the South, and
clothe Us al! In despair and misery.
And why is all this apprehension 1t Is
absolutely absurd to suppose that connec.
tion between st. Louis and the Southern
Pacific railway can be avoided. St. Louis
has railway already that crosses the route
Of the Pacific railway. 1t is almost finished
-
by prominent citizens Of St. Louis that that
road Will be extended to the city OF Mexico
in Il few years!
And what are you going to do about 1t
Does the Wing will that that road shall be
torn up? If not, how is the st. Louis con-
nection to be prohibited But, indeed, what
a grand future this st. Louis connec.
ton with Mexico offers to usf What
new relations, commercially; what new
currents of population; what new
Influences and natural tendencies incalcula-
bly, beneficial to our country! Richly, in.
deed, would St. Louis pay for her connec-
ton with the Pacific coast by giving in re.
turn a way to the city of the Montezumas
and to the natural storehouses Of mineral
8ealth. How any sort Of jealousy Of st.
Louis sinks into insignicance. Unreasona-
BILE in any view, when we consider how st.
Louis is paying for ali the benefits she can
derive from the development Of the trans
continental southern trade, there should not
be aooiber word uttered against her inter-
ests. She has afforded noble example, wor-
Shy of the emulation Of all cities whose pub.
lie spirit IS at all impressed with the feeling
of generosity.
What Is the great malice in ToA ScoTT's
designs upon the Southf He is master
genius in railroad enterprise, and wants to
build successful roads. Would he cripple
his own enterprises by combining their opera
tions to building up Philadelphia? Itwould
ruin his scheme. The idea that he would do
so could not be believed by calm and intel
ligent man. He couldn't do it. Many
hourishing cities stand in the way of any
such ridiculous idea. The currents of trade,
the interests of great nations, as it were, ana
Climate, soil, all nature, arise and rebel
against it. Such ideas are copjured up from
mere prejudice. .."--
With the Wing and its colleagues in this
strange war upon the greatest project ever
conceived for the good of the southern
States the great point seems to be to force
the Texas Pacific to cross the Mississippi
river at Memphis. In urgent zeal TO have
this done they seem to initiate the old woman
in Mother Goose, who appealed to all the
powers of earth, and air, and water, to
ssmake the pig go over the BRIDGE"
We imagine that amongst the earliest, if
not the most active, workers against what SO
deeply concerns the South, our neighbor
and his friends objected to giving any sub.
sidy to any railroad already built. BEy.
DOUGLAS took that ground, and these gen.
tlernen OF the local Virginia opposition
caused DOUGLAS letter to be printed and
laid before the members of the Legislature.
Well, the Texas and Pacific bill has no sub.
sidy in it at all. 1t only asks for nationa
guarantee for the interest on bonds issued on
roads to be constructed. But if the Gov
eminent is not allowed to give subsidy on
railroads built which reach the Mississippi,
how can these gentlemen ask for subsidy to
bridge the Mississippi? ..
But let these gentlemen. remember thai
the Government did not build the bridge al
St. Louis. 1t was the result of public com
mercial necessity, and st. Louis 10 that en-
terprise set an example which sheds rich
halo upon her fame. Is there not enough
public spirit at Memphis, and is not the
great interest in the rich southern land, com
bined with the spirit and energy of Mem
phis, strong enough to span the shores of the
Mississippi there with tunnel or bridge
The Government didn't build bridges for tht
people of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys
where there are now SO many that have |
worldwide fame.
The Texas Pacific railway will be too
great a work to be biased by localities. Its
direction mustof necessity be geographically
impartial and subordinated to its corporate
interests. The people will be protected
from grinding exactions by the competition
which the Texas Pacific itself is intended to
establish. And as it is indispensable to its
highest success that it should afford the
highest public Misunderstanding travel
free rein and unlettering commerce in al
directlons-we may be sure that there will
be no such thing as the Partially and odious
discrimination between populations that
saoYo IN he with en- nuch nraipdina enfar-