Industrial Association: Address of the St. Louis Committee. 275 vigor and firmness and maturity to an embryo which promised to develope a giant, fully capable of wielding the weaver's beam, animated by the spirit of the plain, practical and progressive tenencies of the Nineteenth century. The advantages which flowed from this brilliant Exhibition were du ade manifest: 1. In an increase of knowledge not only of the natural productions of the earth and of the various arts applied by different nations in modifying them to the comfort and enjoyment of life, but of the interior economy of this life, and of the philosophy of the institutions which have emanated from it under almost every variety of influence and diversity of relation. 2. In the influences of the scientific commerce, if we may use the expression, where the opinions and views of the most able and talented men of all nations were freely bartered and interchanged, to be carried home and applied to other developments of industrial skill and inventive genius. 3. In the immediately suggestive influences on practical men from witnessing all the combined agencies of mechanical skill and inventive ingenuity applied in a thousand forms, and displayed in one connexion and at one glance. 4. In the improvement of public taste and the incentive to private ambition, offered no less by witnessing side by side the most renowned works in statuary and painting, of the past and present, but by observing how completely the agents and materials furnished by the hand of nature have been made to minister not only to the comfort and enjoyment, but to the luxurious elegance and refinement of life-in the old world. 5. In the fraternizing influence of Nations meeting, in a time of profound peace, in a spirit of friendly amity and rivalry to contest a claim to precedence in particular forms of improvements in the great march of social progress. Such are some of the advantages to be derived from similar exhibitions. In the exhibition at London, it is well known that American genius achieved many noble victories and brought home many brilliant trophies. In the great and friendly contest which we contemplate will take place at New York, commencing on the second day of May next, shall it be said that it has been less successful? We trust not for we feel assured that the patriotism and the pride of our country will never be sacrificed on her own soil without a well contested struggle. We would most respectfully urge upon the people of Missouri the importance of this undertaking, and call upon them to give us their aid, co-operation and encouragement in carrying out its designs. We feel satisfied that the State of Missouri possesses mineral resources equal, if not superior to those of any similar extent of sur face on the globe. She possesses almost unbounded natural capabilities in the adaptation of her soil to the production of many of the most useful staples. She possesses manufactories applied to some of these staples and mineral products of which she may justly boast. Her manufactures of Hemp, Tobacco, Flour, Sugar, Lead, Iron, and other materials, may, we think, bear a comparison with those of any other State or of any Kingdom or Empire. But above all, she possesses a population, sober, in lustrious, intelligent, enterprizing, full of inventive genius, nerved by a progressive spirit, capable, when well directed, of securing the most substantial rewards and of working out the best results. With all these advantages shall Missouri shrink from the contest when an opportunity is presented to her of making a fair and a full representation of her resources? We know that there is too much public spirit, state pride and patriotism, among us for such a result. We therefore call upon our fellow-citizens, in every part of the State, to aid us in sending contributions to this Exhibition: The best samples, neither too large or too small, of our coal, of our numerous ores, and the metals produced from them; specimens in one or two feet blocks of our marbles, granites, and porphyries; samples of Kaolin, Alum Slate, White Sand, and other materials used in the arts-and the natural products of our soil, Hemp, Tobacco, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Indian Corn, &c., as well as sections of our forest trees, indigenous fruit trees and vines; the products of our manufactures in copper and iron, and of handicrafts in general, and models of mechanism in use among us. All these, if deposited with us before the 10th day of April next, will be forwarded on to New York, free of charge, where the sender or contributor is unable to defray the expense or transportation on the same. An ample warehouse has been provided and the Secretary of the Committee, Mr. M. Tarver, will attend to the reception of all articles sent to us, and give you certificates for the same. Hoping that we shall have the hearty encouragement and united cooperation of our citizens in this great measure, and that without delay, we remain, Very respectfully, L. M. KENNETT, H. A. PROUT, Chairman, JOURNAL OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY RAILROAD. The weak enemy of the Mississippi Valley Railroad thinks we are mad about, and even one of its strong friends thinks we have over done this work; but just men, looking on this creation out of chaos, say, "it is all very good." The complete system of railroads for Missouri was projected in our last October number, and we have always advocated that system. At the same time we have projected and advocated the system of the Mississippi Valley Railroad, and resisted the violation of its national character, when a bold effort was made in the Convention to use it for the gratification of a local passion. Its national form and its local traits equally command the admiration of the workman and the statesman. The people and the Legislature of Missouri have paid it handsome tributes. The State has offered $2,000,000 credit to the northern-the North Missouri-and the people have offered several hundred thousand dollars, and are still offering more to the southern-the Iron Mountain-portion of this work near St. Louis. The North Missouri Railroad Company are raising funds and rallying forces, and before spring is past, engineers will be on the line, it may be located through St. Louis and St. Charles counties, and bands of a thousand men may be building their portion of the road. The St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad Company have not only raised the funds necessary for the beginning of the work, but the engineers have commenced surveying the most direct and practicable route to the Iron Mountain. They have already almost reached the Maramec river, and will dispatch their duty with judicious speed. The people of Jefferson, St. Francois and Madison counties have this month been holding enthusiastic meetings, at which bold resolutions were passed, showing a determination to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the south Missouri portion of the Mississippi Valley Railroad.' The town of Carondelet has pronounced in favor of subscribing $50,000. The County Court of St. Louis county has already subscribed $100,000, as a beginning, and the people of St. Louis have, on various occasions, at public meetings, unanimously resolved that the city and county of St. Louis together should subscribe the sum of $1,000,000 to the two links-$500,000 to the North Missouri and $500,000 to the Iron Mountain Railroad. The people of St. Louis and of the country along the line of the Mississippi Valley Railroad, in the State of Missouri, are doing their duty, and, from the intimations in the Veto Message of Gov. Price, it is fair to infer that he would yet approve an act of the Legislature of Missouri, granting $1,500,000 of the State credit to the South Missouri Railroad. And further, it is fair to infer, from the telegrams from Washington City, this month, that Congress will promptly grant 10 miles of the public land, in alternate sections on each side, from New Orleans to St. Anthony, to insure the prosperity of the Mississippi Valley Railroad. But the heart-felt interest in this cause is not confined to Missouri and to Congress. We have often adduced evidence of the enthusiastic energy, manifested in its favor at the extremities, as well as along the body of the route. That energy-though it sprang into existence and covered the land in a month, did not die in a month; it grew stronger and stronger; it partook of the elements of immortality, for it was incorporated with the soul of the people. It anticipated the wants of the people, and they strove for the fruition of their wants. It indicated the way for art to subdue nature by bringing the material comforts as well as fruits and products of different zones near home. It opened new fields of pleasure for the man of ease, and new fields of enterprise for the man of business. It was in accordance with the order of of the day-the law of progress. It was directed in a line, capable of a greater extension than the breadth of the continent, to be finally limited only by the length of the hemisphere; and therefore it will not be expended even when it grasps the British possessions on the North, and pierces Mexico and the valley of the Amazon on the South. But what have been among the last practical manifestations of the working spirit in favor of this cause north and south of Missouri? This month, the Legislature of Arkansas, yielding to the indomitable energy of ROSWELL BEEBE, granted the Charter for the Mississippi Valley Railroad Company. On the 27th day of last month, the energetic Agent in the prosecution of this cause through Louisiana-BUCKNER H. PAYNEwrote to the author of this article as follows: "The vast enterprise has taken such a hold of the public mind, that its success is no longer problematical, but absolutely certain.' * * * * "A policy-a southern and western policy for great leading lines must be inculcated and adopted, and to which all our energies must be devoted, or we shall be ruined by little pet neighborhood schemes, or fanciful national highways that never will be realized, but which serve at the moment to keep proper ones from being executed, until all the great leading northern lines are completed, leaving us cut up, without the advantages to be derived from well located roads." * * * "We (the N. O. O. and G. W. R. Co.) have a gross amount of private subscriptions of... ..$ 822,000 Tax stock subscription of the city (New Orleans)...... 1,500,000 do do do of parishes along the line that have already voted it...... Tax stock subscription of parishes yet to vote (none having voted against it as yet)..... 734,000 665,000 Total $3,721,000 which will be increased to $4,000,000, as not a dollar of subscription has yet been asked for out of the State. The State is allowed by our Constitution, to take one fifth of the capital stock, which makes our capital $5,000,000. For the branch to the Arkansas line on the way of St. Louis, there are thirteen of our best parishes from whom private subscriptions and tax stock subscriptions are pledged for $1,500,000 more the branch line, if taken off at Alexandria will cost $1,300,000." "Such are the means of this Company." Iowa is as "the air a chartered libertine." Iowa has dissipated her energies, wasting them on charters to connect nearly all the river towns on her eastern border, with one another; and to connect almost every one of them with the Pacific Ocean by independent routes. The above comments of Col. Payne of Louisiana about being "ruined by little pet neighborhood schemes, or fanciful national highways that never will be realized" apply to Iowa, as though they had been intended solely for her consideration. But Iowa is not yet destroyed, although her schemes are like the Kilkenny cats. Iowa may be spared from the doom of Sodom. "Peradventure ten shall be found there" whose hearts are concentrated, and who are concentrating the heart of the State on the Mississippi Valley Railroad. |