Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-02-24
AN APPEAL TO THE 44TH CON.
GRESS.
Richmond wing.


/ In thirty days this eventful Congress
dies by constitutional limitation. We
cordially credit it with much wise leg
islation, but in its nature and in the cir
cumstances surrounding its mission and
role, its legislation has had to be, for
the most part, political. Little or moth
ing of material benefit to the country
has been done, andespecially is this true
in respect of the South, which stands
so sorely in need of help. The pros
pect of political pacifcation is now so
well assured, and is so near, we trust,
to happy realization, that we propose
to speak plainly our sentiments, and
the Ifow almost unanimous sentiments
of the people of Virginia, upon
measure pending before the present
Congress. We mean the bill for Gov
nlent favor to insure the early COM
pletion of the Southern trans Conti-
mental line to the Pacific. The bill,
reported favorably by Mr.. Lamar and
majority of the Committee on Pacific
! Railroads. s in the hands of every
member of Congress, and has been
sent to the leading journals of the
country. We do not propose, there
fore, to discuss its details, or even gen.
eral features. This has been fully
done. 1t is the duty of members of
| Congress to read it, and we suppose
they have done so. We have read it,
and we confess we cannot see how any
r-miuded man of any section can
oppose it. Certainly no Southern re-
preventative can fail to hail with de-
light and satisfaction boon so full of
material beuefit aud xicf fruition to-
his Impoverished and PROSTATE section.
WhaJ we propose to do this morning
is to reply to some of the objec-
tions of our Northern contempo-
raries, and to make an appeal to the
members of the Forty fourth Congress
not to be Influenced by the hollow
heartedness Of their motives, or the
shallowness of their logic. To our
Southern members we would fain hope
no word of counsel from us is neces-
sary. We would not envy the South
ern man who would impose such task
upon himself as to endeavor, in giving
an account of his stewardship, to ex-
plain to his constituents a negative
vote on this all-important measure to
them aud to the whole South. As to
our Virginia representatives, they will,
we are sure, unitedly sustain in a
measure of such vast Importance to
the State. When such representative
men of the Southern interests as Gen.
William Preston, of Kentucky; Gen.
j. r. Anderson, of Virginia; Hon.
William johnson, of North Carolina;
Judge Henry G. Smith, OF Tennes-
see; Hon. A. G.. Clopton, Of Georgia;
but now of Virginia; unite in a memo
rial to Congress in behalf this bill, no
Southern member of Congress need
hesitate to cooperate for its passage.
This application for support to this en-
terprise is founded in simple justice
and equity. 1t is truly laudable en-
terprise, necessary to the amelioration
of the condition of the SouthernStates
and Southern people, to the revival of
their industries, the advancement in
the value of their lands, and the de-
velopment of their vast mineral re-
sources, in which, in all their vari-
ed character, these States abound.
Some of our Democratic contempora-
ries are prating very loudly about the
unconstltutiOnality of this measure.
Notably is this the case in Pennsylya-
mia. And pray, what did she grow so
plethoric Of property and so great in |
political power upon? A questiona-
bly, constitutional, annually re-enacted |
tariff to protect her coal and iron in
terests, while we, the South, the largest
producers of exports, have had to pay
the piper! Has the tariff ever been
regarded as one of the tenets of the
Democratic party? And New Eng
land, with her grand manufactures,
created, sustained by protection SO
successfully, that she can not only dis
pense with this fostering care of the
National Legislature for half GEN.
tury, but actually is in favor now of
free trade ! Look at the great West
and NorthWest-four or five of whose
States have been literally formed out
of the territorial body of this beneficent
Commonwealth-built up by national
largesses until her but yesterday strip |
ling villages have grown into rivalry
with our eastern cities, and the politi-
cal power of any one of them doubles
Hundreds of millions of dollars and
acres of the public domain have
been lavished upon them. until
they are arteried and gridironed
with canals and railroads not only
within their own limits, but through
them from ocean to ocean. Is it quite
generous or just, now that their Sec
tions have received the muni6cent
benefits, that they should attempt to
file caUeat against our having like
consideration at the hands Of COM
mon government? How long do the
people of the North expect the South
to be hewers of wood and drawers of
water for their benefit? How long do
our brother Democrats of the North
expect us, as we have just done, to
vote solid with our 1873 electoral
votes (nearly half of the Eelectoral
College, for their men and measures,
and ourselves to receive none of the
benefits of common legislature and
common government? We tell them,
kindly but frankly and plainly, we have
endured this runinious Inequality long
enough. The dogmatic, not to say
demagogueic cry, of this and that
Southern measure being unoonstltu-
tional deceives nobody now. 1t is
pure, as it is unworthy, afterthought.
1t is upon the principle of locking the
| door after the horse is stolen. And
you have no authority for it. Time
and pace fail US to do more than cite
rapidly and briefly distinguished au-
thorities on this subject. We need not
remind old Wings of Clay's position
upon this question, so will contne
ourselves to Democratic authorities.
James Buchanan who, by the way, was
always protectionist also, was in ia
vor of the construction of Pacific
railroad by the General Government,
and little interesting piece of nearly
| forgotten history is that he had,
his friends in the Cincinnati Conven-
ton in 1856, to pledge himself to the
California delegation that be would
favor such an enterprise before their
support could be got for him as the
presidential nominee. Even Mr.. CAL
houn, who was the impersonation and
essence of States rights and strict con-
strution of the Constitution, was OF
opinion that where rivers ran through
two or more States, the General Gov
ernment might appropriate to improve
them. Indeed, he went further. lie
held that if the States are unable to
complete a work, and it is necessary to
be done, the power to do so was i'm
piled, and so by a parity of reasoning,
where a great highway. in whose ben