American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-04-13


explains itself:
To the Hon L. Q. G. Lamar United
Stctcs Senate, Washington d. G.
DEAR SrR-When l addressed
yOu a letter = year ago on the
subject of the Texas Pacific railroad
it seemed so evidently great Mas
tional enterprise in itself and all its
surroundings that 1 scarcely doubt
ed but that it would be taken up
with ahscrity by the general Gov.
eminent but still it fingers on the
list of great unexecutcd national
enterprises Why is it? The waste
of great opportunities Is as much or
more sin with nations as with
individuals, and soon or late is to
be accounted for at the bar of pub.
lie opinion. England, which has
so fully taken the place of old Rome
as great national renovatOr and
missionary, alone seems fully aware
of the great part which she is called
upon to take. Those mighty forces
of nature-vOleanic fire and the
coral reef-have scarcely time to fit
up new abudes for man and new
seats of empire before England is
manfully converting them TO the
highest human uses. The cannibal
of New Zealand and Fiji is relin-
gushing his primal habits, and the
haunts over which lie rOamed i'll
savage freedom are now devoted to
the cultivation and growth of the
raw material 10 dive the British
loom, thus ministering from his
scauty stock of useful habits aud
nascent arts to the good Of mans
kind. Australia, that new cOnti>
nent with strangely invested nature
is fast becoming another Seat of
empire, and the wild native is de-
velOping into new being and be-
coming useful man under the
careful handling of her present
masters. The East, under her man
agement, Is no longer immutab!e,
but she is writing a Christian En-.
glish civilization as paiimpsest
across the remains of the Hindoo
and. the Mogul. Prosperity and
power must attend the steps which
are taken with such manifest re-
gard for a high benevolence and
for human Improvement. The rail-
road and the telegraph have sub
the camel and the Tartar
courier to their swifter agencies,
not only in the universal East but
in those provinces entire
subject to British rule; and nearly
all the improvement we see is due
to the ability and skill of British
enterprise. Well does she deserve
to prosper when she makes such
use of her fortune and her oppOr
tunities. And how is it with our
Have we done moths
ing to rival all this, or even to show
that we are descended from Il COM
mon ancestry?
We hao like chance with her
in our opportunity to complete and
use the Texas Pacific railroad.
Theory, and to some extent expert
ence, has shown that it was the
very nexus which was to form the
bond through which the old world
and the new were to exchange
heir commodities, their arts, their
their civilization and their
'eligiOns. 1t was a new link of
human communication, which once
nut in use would stir up more than
laIf the worlds population "frOm
indus to the Pole" and quicken the
growth of mankind itself.
Judging the future by the past
lew nations would spring up here |
It home in tavoring climates and
fruitful soils. An abundant crop
If new fruits of the earth, new veins |
# valuable metals, a rapid inter
low of valuable exchanges and !,
wealth in a thousand new forms
yould, as it seems to M, diversity
md increase the resources of the
country upon the completion of the
york. 1t has been thought, and
doubtless is, a great point to secure
competing line. If there be much
onger delay it seems to me that
he danger Of destroying this chance
$ increased. Ii great money
lower should accumulate, with a
interest, its chances
the various State Legisla
ures that are being formed, by
lostile legislation and ia other ways
night euable it to effect its pur
roses.
But why delay the matters Why
hould such opportunities for the
PRODUCTION of wealth aud the in
rease of political power be allowed
O lie dominant In how many
ways does increased empire minister
o political happiness and power
That the present tariff has contrib
tied much lin my OpinionJ to injure
nd depress our people is obvious
but far greater would have
,een its mischiefs if the magnitude
# our empire had not increased and
the demands of our in.
ernal commerce..
How much greater would have
,een its relief IT the Texas Pacific
Dad had done but Il 1.-THE of its
work in ministertng TO the growth
# our population and diversifying
,ur resources and commodities.
That such would be the effect of
the line few, ] presume,
would doubt. Why should the Con
,ress Of the United States hesitate
o enter upon the work Can there
,e a doubt that it would act as
line with the other Pacific
outes? Do not its own nature
md the auspices under which it Is