The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-28
RAILROADS AND IMMIGRATION.

There is perfect unity of sentiment and
ideas among all intelligent citizens of Lou
isiana as to the great need of larger pOpu-
la ton of producers and cultivatOrs of the
soil in this State, and in the belief that
we have larger area of rich cultivable
land to be proiitabIy titled by such
immigrants than any other State of the
Union or any part of the Christian world.
Hence the interest and enthusiasm evinced
among our citizens in every movement look
ing to the encouragement of immi grafton.
The only difference is as to the practical
methods of promoting this general sentiment
and desire of our people. Without entering
into the discussion of these methods and the
opposing views thereon, we believe that all
reason and experience will concur in and con-
firm this proposition: That facilities for
cheap and rapid transportation are conditions
precedent to the. successful development
and enjoyment of the vast benefits and pro-
fitableness Of our abundance Of rich land. It
will be vain to exhibit to people abroad, who
desire to emgrate to and settle In fresh, new
and rich lands, the immense agricultural
wealth of this State, and those many other
great advantages of cultivation of our soil,
unless at the same time we can assure them
of easy, quick and cheap modes of transpor-
tation to good markets and of communica-
lions with the outside world. Mr.. d. Den
nett has rendered great services to our State
by his able and graphic descriptions of these
immense resources, of the various, indeed of
every part of our State. But Of what avail
are these to attract labor and immigration to
these localities If we cannot afford, to this
labor and immigration, those means of tran
sit and travel which have developed countries
50 far inferior to ours. Hence these jealous
champions of immigration, who urge quite
superfluously as an argument In behalf
of this movement that 1t will promote our
railroad enterprises, put the cart before the
horse, or at least put one horse behind the
other instead of Harvesting and driving them
abreast. Railroads must precede or move
pari passu with population and immigration.
The immigrants who come to this city to in
spect and locate In the rich lands described
by Mr. bennett must find here ready and
cheap access thereto; they must be enabled
to traverse the whole section of country,
every portion of which presents to them some
rare attraction for investment and cultiva-
ton Alas! in our present circumstances we
have no such facilities. The best portion of
the State is without such means of access and
communication. Take, for instance, the route
of the New Orleans Pacific railway. There is
not in the United States a richer, more pro-
ductive and beautiful country, nor one which
is more difficult of access and more isolated
from markets and commerce. For two hun
dred miles of this route the land is Of mex
haustible fertility, above overflow and capa-
BILE of producing all the great staples and
fruits of our soil and climate. A million of
people could find Abundant resources and
highly remunerating employment for labor
through this whole region. A railway trav-
ersing this country would in few years
enable this region alone to augment twofold
the product of sugar and cotton OF the whole
State and at the same time to raise all the
subsistence and luxuries demanded by a rural
population. There are over million of acres
along this route which belong to the govern