New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-28

keepers. etc. Every conceivable branch Of
trade would be benefited by the transient
travel that would pass through the city
But how is it today Every traveller from
the Pacific coast goes by way OF chicago.
Had Chicago, when she was burnt ont last,
lost her railroad connections, the whole
town of Chicago would not contain 10000
people. Nothing but railroads have made
these towns or cities prosperous.
The city of Cincinnati is to-day, and has
been for the last three or four years, spend
ing $4,000 GOO for making railway com
munications between Cincinnati and Chi
cago. Now, every dollar of that is to en-
rich the State Of Kentucky. and not 81 to
the city of Cincinnati. But in this enter
prise You are asked, not to enrich Missls-
sippi or Alabama but you are asked to en-
rieh your own State and thereby enrlcn
yourselves, lower taxation, bring IN
emigration. cause the building OF towns.
bring other facilities that would make your
State great and prosperous; not only that,
but redeem Louisiana. and redeem this
city, and place it in a position Of prosperity
that she has never achieved before. have
never felt dependent about this town. l
have never felt otherwise, because we are
living here at the mouth of the valley OF
the most magnificent territory on the face
of the earth. [Applause.]
We have only to reach out our arms and
we can reach Mexico, Central America,
South America and Cuba, countries con-
tanning 100000 of people. When we
come to the mouth of the Mississippi. upon
which / can say to you the deepening OF
South Pass 10 q fixed fact. then we will
have all the necessary facilities. We will
attract from the State of Texas and all the
other States the facilities Of transfer OF the
products required by the great country that
lies all around our shores.
If we do our duty and sustain the gentle
men who are willing to give their time,
their money. their enterprise to the con-
etruction of the railway, We will have q
prosperity unknown in any other city IN
the country. There are other gentlemen
who have NO doubt the ability to entertain
YOU with facts and figures connected with
the construction and the importance OF this
railway, and for that reason shall not pro
long my remarks to the length l would
otherwise do.
But desire, before closing, to urge upon
Won to make this q matter of as much lm-
portance a. if the honor Of this State was
politically involved, or az if an invading
army was about to march upon you. l
know that if such was the case. every c!ti-
zen would arm himself to defend her honor
and integrity in any shape, whether he was
asked money or his lite, as it has arisen in
the past, and as you did on memorable oc-
casions in the past.
| do not believe, then, gentlemen, that you
are going to permit one of the most iM-
portant enterprises that has ever been
presented to you to fail for want OF per-
sonal energy. No man ought to be toler-
ated who will say that this enterprise will
| fail. The day OF croaking is passed; victory
| hangs on our banners, and if We are deter
mined We can 60 forward and achieve it.
| The Congress of the United States has
been sent An appeal for an appropriation to
| build the Pacific railroad, and also for
| whatever government aid we have right
| wait for the government aid SO far as this
branch is concerned. because the chances
| are that We will get nothing, but il would
| be but Justice that the Congress Of the Uni
| ted States should pay US back the seventy
millions of dollars which they unjustly took
out Of the pockets of the people by way OF
| taxes upon cotton.
When they were voting one hundred and
seventy-five millions of dollars to the peo-
pie of the Northern States to complete their
| railroads and aggrandize the different
citiee, towns and harbors, in that whole
time they doled out to toe Southern States
fifteen or twenty millions for all the great
enterprises that lie on the Atlantic coast.
/ say to the gentlemen in Congress that
they have been unjust to the people of the
Southern States ever since the close of the
reach the men that l believe could serve
the interest Of the people end the
great interests that lie here in this
great Southern country, that actually fur
nish all the goods and luxuries and jolly
good times that they have in the North:
Now, gentlemen, I came here rs l go
everywhere, wholly unprepared to make a
have taken in this meeting by your presence
and for the attention you have given these
broken remarks. l shall give way now te
como other gentlemen, who, hope. will
please you much better. [Applause.]
At the conclusion of General Bussey's ad
dress the President announced that the
Laftte read the following
WHEREAS. The city of New Orleans il
the chief seaport of the Mississippi valley
and has facilities for commerce with Europe
the West Indies, Mexico, Central Americs
and South America, which are IN many re
epects not surpassed by those of any othel
city in our country, and are being enlarged
BY the improvements at the mouth of the
river; and
Whereas, It is a matter of supreme i'm
portance to this city on the one hand, ane
to the valley of Red river, to Western A.
kansas, to the State of Texae, to the IndiaI
| "
to California On the other, that New Or
leans, as an emporium of export and i'm
| port. should be connected by rail with some
convenient point on the Texas Pacific road
| and railway communication thus estab
lished between her shipping and factories
and the States and Territories above named
| and
: Whereas, Such communication would, ii
the opinion of experts, increase the trad
of our city to an immense extent, enhance
the value of real estate, and give remuner
ative employment to our business men, Al
we'll as to our mechanics and our labcrers
and,
Whereas, At the present moment, in con
sequence of the chespness of materials,
railway can be constructed and equipped
at far lower rates than prevailed prior t
1874; and
Whereas, The New Orleans Pacific Rail
way Company has been organized, with tn
J following advantages, viz:
1t is controlled by board Of directors
selected from among our leading bushes
men;
Its affairs are managed with strict eco
nOmy;
Its funds are disbursed only for the leg
innate purposes of building it's railway;
Its route lies through the richest portion
of our State 30 that it will command
large local traffic in passengers and freigh,
as we'll as through trade;
It reaches Middle and Northern Texas b.
the shortest line, and will bring that regio
about 240 miles nearer by rail to New o.
|, leans than it is to St. Lsuis; and finally,
It is the only railroad projected from Ne'
, Orleans to Texas on which any work is noN
being done in Louisiana, and it's work
being done rapidly and economically; there
fore be it