New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-28
WHOLE NUMBER 27l3.

Wharves, and the steamers CnaC once nll0O
her levees with produce! Peep into the
countenances of her business men and scan
the care brooding there! Go into her count
ing-rooms and calculate the falling on IN
her trade Hear the cries OF distress nom
labor without employment, and tho wante
of women and children without bread!
Is Senator Morton right. for once IN MS
life, when he says that New Orleans ID
dead cityY' 1t is for you, fellow w-citizens, TO
| sleeping" It is for you to come ont OF your
tents, like Achilles, and, regardless OF eii
YOU have suffered in the past, Ike the
Grecian hero, proclaim, as you put on your
armor:
These thines among the things that were, and
They make 10 grieve let us subdue our minds
To what the time re4ulres."
After the applause that followed the ad-
dress of Major New, the president intro
duced Hon. j. B. Elan, of DeSoto.
Mr.. Elan said-Mr. Chairman and citi-
zens OF New Orleans, received an invita-
| ton from the president of the railroad
company TO come down and address you.
| came down, and after arriving looked into
| the business, and shall now proceed to
enter into any argument based upon the IN
| formation have received. That has been
done by the gentlemen who have preceded
me, An aseemblage Of this kind is ono OF
| the most important that has ever come to.
| gether IN the United States, not only a. to
the character and intelligence OF the gen
tlemen who compose it, but also tor the
| importance of the question we are called
upon 70 night to discuss.
| 1t may be asked what are the advantages
of railways-do they pay9 l shall answer
the question by referring to the great ex.
tent of railways throughout the United
States. Let US 60 back thirty years
back even to the time when New Orleans
was in the height of her prosperity, and
mark the difference. The question natural.
ly ar;see, what is the cause of this! IL 1T
the government Is it in consequence OF
the result of the war, or was it caused BY
bad government l believe that New Or
leans is destined to become as great and
prosperous as it was before the war.
One of the great causes Why We have lost
80 much of the trade that belongs OF right
to us is the want of artificial means OF COM
munica.ion. Look at the railways that
have sprung up in Texas within the past
few years. There can be very little doubt
upon the subject, and, gentlemen, you must
bestir yourselves, do something for your
selves in order that you may benefit your
present condition. Gentlemen, there 10 an
old fable about an old bird that had built
her nest in wheat field. She went on, ON
one occasion, to get something to eat fol
her her Young. aud when she came bach
thev commenced to talk, and told her that
the owner of the wheat field had been
here and was going to cut 1t down. She
asked them how they knew. They replied
that he came there with his sons, and told
them that the wheat was about ripe, and
that they must get their nelgh60rs q
help them to cut it down. She t0id
| m
went off the next day to secure food
for her young. She returned the second
day. They told her that she had better
move them. She asked them. whys They
, again replied that the owner of tho fielC
had been there with his sons, and said
'.You must 90 to your uncles and cousin
, and relatives. and ask them to come anG
: replied, "Never fear, my children; there y
; no danger" She went off the third time +
; procure food for her young, and when sh'
came back she asked them if the owne
Of the field lad been there. They SAT-
YES. and told her that the fathe
said to his sons, "Since neither your uncl
nor our neighbors are coming to help Us .
cut our wheat, we must do 1t ourselves:
Then she said, You must get ready :
leave, az there was danger" So it is, ger
tlemen. You must be willing to help your
, selves; you must be willing to contribnt
your share to this great enterprise
, / know of no question that is q
more Importance TO the welfare q
/ | the city of New Orleane, than that We ar
!, called upon to discuss tonight. What ha
) been the cause of the decline in the pro!
|, perity Of the city of New Orleansa Was
the result of the war, or is it caused BY II
/, action! It is an undeniable fact that th
( | products of this State, which of righ
l ought to come to this place, have gon
Q to other places because Of the absence Z
0 railway Communication. They have gon
Q | to thu city of St. Louis and other cities Z
q the Northwest and there can be very httl
4 doubt on the subject, a. have before sale
> that it is owing to the absence of railwa
! communication. And, gentlemen, there
i no enterprise in which the people Of L'oui
Q lana are more deeply interested than in th
:, completion of this railroad. And if 70
Q expect to build this railway don't d
9 pend upon the Congress of the Unite
States for such subsidies to build the Tex,
t come fpom the people of the State of Loui
: lana. Don't depend upon Congress for al
/, have made half dozen speeches in tt
parish of De Soto, and the people OF th'
parish have subscribed 100000 for tn
:, road.
& told the young men of that parish tbs
J. they must subscribe to this great ente
o prise. l told the laborers, profession
,. men, clerks and everybody up there tn
Q they must subscribe even If 1t was b'
o 500, and that they must go to work o.
n where there is population Of about 800
/! 900 or 1000 persons, there are not over
: voters, and let me tell you, gentlemen
9 New Orleans, that We have subscrib'
q $4,000 to this railroad.
Now, gentlemen, if in town Of only tv
I. hundred voters, we can raise $l5, 600 whe
. we are all poor-for there is not man
:. the town who is worth over 81, 900, and -,
! - intend to pay every dollar that was 90
!. " scribed as soon as the rest OF the stock
:. 40 taken and they are ready to commen
~ work on the railroad-what could not
~ ~ done in large and populous city like Nt
~ Orleansl 1t is the duty of every man
% % the State who has the interest OF the Sta
70 70 at heart, both old and young, to do all
W can towards the building of Il
e road. All that is needed is
~ necessary amount of cash to complete
1 road bed and to buy the iron and cross.ti
and to pay for the incidental expenses
IL the work If the citizens of this city Y
ne do as we'll as the citizens of my parish,
de road will be built and the completion of
e, Texas Pacific railroad will be assured.
c- As perhaps there are other gentlemen.
3, speak, and as have spoken 80 long IN d
ID big hall, l am quite hOarse. am w
Dy much obliged for the attention that
70 been paid to my remarks.
~ General A. T. Hawthorne, OF Marsh
OF Texas, was next introduced. dc evlden
II. had his whole heart in the enterprise to
forwarded by the meeting, and spoke
I'D follows:
K. Mr.. Chairman and fellow citizens of n
1 sNLIn n