Year: 1870

The Jackson Pilot has Q further report OF


the railway meeting there Tuesday night,


which we copy:


Governor Alcorn in introducing Judge
Walker as editor of the New Orleans Times,
| remark ed:


| The New Orleans Times. you know, is a
| paper that has great "snap" in it. l have
! myself felt that ''snap'' in times past, and
! fully appreciate its pungency. loud ap-


Judge Walker: Mr.. President and gentle
men, thank you for the kind and cordial
| reception you have accorded me. and l
thank his Excellency for the kind and mag
| unanimous reference which he has made to
| my journalistic course, and my relations to


the public press.


j exceedingly regret that the fatigue of
| the trip and bodily sickness will prevent


me from worthily following the distin-
guished gentlemen that have preceded me.
| The circumstances Of the occasion are such
| as to bring wildly to my mind many things


that connect themselves with my recollec-
| tions of this hall, and which powerfully
| suggest to me the great changes which have
| transpired since last appeared in 1t. The
| occasion l refer to was when Mississippi
| consummated that act which has been pro-
| ductive of such momentous consequences,
both to yourself and the country 1T large.
1t can not but be that large majority of
| you sympathized in that proceeding. But
am sure you all think none the less favor
| ably of myself for making the full and frank
| avowal that, though was fully committed
| to it, I now regard it as a most unhappy
| movement, and one that in its immediate
| consequences. operated most disastrously,
alike to the interests OF the people OF the
SfQfp q
Well, then, was an asserter of the right
of secession and Southern independence.
and now that that time has passed away.
and all the sad events attending 1t are rap.
idly disappearing, l feel that new era has
opened up to us iDsuripg our section in


creased glory and unprecedented prosperity.
And therefore it is, that adopting the coun-
sci Of our Governor. would urge upon you
the duty of purging your hearts of those
jill feelings and malignant passions. which, if
allowed to rankle there, will prove as fatal
to your personal happiness as they are peril
| GUS to the public peace. Cherishing these
| sentiments, l can not bring myself to believe


that compromise my faithfulness to my
own section by welcoming to it citizens
from other sections, who are prepared to
devote themselves to those pursuits, and
| to the furtherence of those enterprises
| by which the interest of the people
and commonwealth are alike promoted.
| 1t involves, therefore, maintain, no re =
| Election upon my character as a Southern


man for me to say that ] cordially sympa-
thize with all who come here to engage in
those pursuits on which the prosperity
of our people and of our State depends,
| and especially would 1 accord hearty
welcome to those Northern citizens who
have come to assist US in the great work
of restoring our former prosperity and
promoting the general rehabilitation of all
| interests, public or private, social or politi-
cal. Rising above that narrow feeling
| men of a certain locality, or men of a Ger.
tain section, l have always regarded with
| favor, and have been anxious to further
| the projects of the gentleman who is here
tonight, as the representative of the rail-
road lntegests OF this State, and this section
generally. When he came among US and
preferred his capital, his energy. his enter


prise, to advance the general interest by
promoting the great works of the State,
took perhaps more interest in him than /


would If he had been one of our own citi


zens. think it is our interest and our pol
| icy to attract Northern enterprise and capi-


tai to the South, and therefore extended to


him that kinddess and support to which he


was unquestionably entitled. To adopt


different course of procedure. I think


would be in conflict with that spirit of chv-
airy and generosity which is claimed as one


of the leading characteristics OF the South
ern people.


With these feelings. and animated by
these sentiments. | haye hailed with the
greatest satisfaction the results Of the last
| few weeks. which have placed in charge of
these great works, in which we are all SO
deeply interested, gentleman who, by his
course among Us. has given US assurance
that we shall find in him Dewitt Clinton
of the South.


Lieutenant Governor Powers: Mr.. Presi-
dent and fellow-citiZens: | am glad to be
permitted to join with you in rendering
hearty welcome TO those distinguished cit-


zens of neghboripg State, that are our
guests here tonight. Our own beloved
State has much in common with that
State from which, for the most part, these


gentlemen come. Agriculture is the pur-


suit of the people of both States; our eli


mate and soil are similar, the great Father


of Wather laves alike the shores of Mis-


sissippi and those of Louisiana. The great


railroad that serves as the grand trunk line


to connect Louisiana with the remotest parts


of the land traverses likewise our entire


State from the South to its EXTREMIST


northern boundary. So that whatever con-


duces to the prosperity of Louisiana benefits


us in greater or less degree. 1t is ex-


tremely grateful to me to witness the good


feeling and reciprocated friendship as be-





the circumstances Of tonight SO strongly


and so strikingly elucidate.


But still more reassuring is it to reflect


that those sympathies which have their
origin in these material condolences are
strengthened and intensified by our joint
participation in the same bitter cup of sor-
row, and are now hallowed by the common
triumphs we have achieved in the name of
liberty, and the sacred cause Of human
rights TLOud apDlause1


1 trust that when these gentlemen return
to their beautiful city of New Orleans
which, by the way, is the city that fur
nishes market AS its port does an outlet,
for the rich products of our State-they
will do SO with pleasant "reminiscences of the
interchange of sentiment and feeling we
have been permitted to indulge in tonight,
unalloyed by the recollection of q single
incident that could tend to mar or embitter
the retrospect.


As it was not my intention to make a
speech, but merely to unite in rendering Il
hearty welcome to our distinguished vlsi-
tors, will not pro:ract my remarks any
further than to thank you for the kind at
teution with which you have listened to
them.


Senator Warner: There is one subject in
in which the people of Mississippi are very
much interested, to wit: The intention and
purposes Of the new directory of the New
Orleans and Jackson Railroad, with regard
to the Aberdeen extension. We would like
to have the President of the road give Us
his views on that subject.


Colonel McComb: infer from that remark
that you want to know whether it is my