The patriot and flag [March 20, 1857]

              %
—- .**••' ■•■'fl-lf -JSsHm m atmt auir <$kg.
VOLUME XVII. GHEEKSBOBOUGH, N. C, FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1857. NUMBER 925.
V
Bu5hu55 ©arts.
- !
.1 \ p. sPEniRY, WITH BELL, I
\ I ' .. PACK *• CO., Importers and ',
X* i Fancy Dry Goods, No. |
, a„d 71 Re.de St, New York
21. :-' 8b2-'f-. ,
M»lti:»V J. STEDMAW, Aftor-
\ IHJ «' I«*W, Having removed lo
:. S. C, will attend regularly (he
ii atham,JMoori.andHariiettCoun-
KH :t
. ,S|ii !:• IN. W. I>. RKVNOI.DS j
\l>i:itM».\' & REYNOLDS, Gro-
. i nmmission Merchants, No.,
ike S |uare, Norfolk, Va.
N to the tale of yiuur ami
Protturr. nroif/iiiff mtawMMrrji
„.• prompt rttHrnt. 3*t.ly
IMISC. C. W. STTBON.
, ^mniiii-' *i St j ron. Commission and '
dTdiug Merchants, Wilmington, N. \
ten i paid to selling Flour and j
luce. Aug. 31, 1KS5-Iy.
K. A. 4. IIII.I,. KIC1! FORK, Da-]
i; count), N C.
i ilt. JOHN sWANS, Hi- settled per-
J/ mananlly at Doctor Head's Old 1'lace,
Jersey setlU-iiient, and offers his Ser-e
to the Public. 42 if.
17 Mi: III Tl'lllNO.t, Comiiils-
*j. Nloil 1I.H Usinl. < fiarlollo, N. I'.
i. imnission, < otion, » orn, Wheat '
oilier Country I'roiluce, in Charlotte,
New Vork, liberal advanct-ents
madeo i smrimeiits.
: ', Sa] < " " W Williams '
- ( A Hunt, Lexington: t
.--.•■-. . .Vru - ' '.■
Ii «. <M.7JI I£\. dealer in School
j, -. e, Standard, IVi.-e
d u orks .:. i ieueral Literature:
Its, ' li-x-ellany, A.'mm-. Music an i
i Pur! Folio, Writing llesks, Music
t ,-i Instruments Stiitioi.ery, &c.
:'i. N. ('.
V,f-' Mreet -(•< II dsqnare fromeouft house
, <r.<). II- MXI.Y ft BROTHER,'
I I , .utti Mercha it-, and Dealers in
..■-., I Provisions No. 11.
Wilmington, v. <'.
WILL I ' mtly on hand, Sugar*,
I lieese, Flour, Butter,:
l'.i -, ( racl,ers, Starch, Oils, i
l
BEFF.ltF.XCES:
i, I'.,-.'. . ■ I :nmeroial Rank ) Wil. I
v. .,. • lla k ol Wilmington J
A |Kalc'«h-t"^
Uf "31-itritii 'HIIT -iPl'trv These great natural meadows abound in !
lit r«CltlUI( dllU JllaU. pame; here the de.or and the antilope un-accustomed
to the frigbtning sounds and
sights ol rivilization, roam in large beards,
PI'BLISllEO WEEKLY r.v
M. S. SHERWOOD & JAS. A. LONG,
EDITORS AM> PROPRIETORS.
TEUS: $J.M A VLAII. IX 4DV1SCE:
ii.JU iiflrr lira months, and s'.mi aflrrtvuhc
inonllis from tlie date Ol subscription.
RATES OF AMLRTISIM,.
One dollar per square (fifteen lines) for the I peculiarTty whic'rU alro"ouil
fir-l week, i ,, a,n.,d iw,e, ni.v- -f,i-ve centIs.tor.«ev■_e_ry' "I. t,ihese w;es.ter,, prai• ri■ e s , i•s i•,ts Jius towns week hereafter, Detractions made in lavor l
enjoying in all its primeval richness and
: beauties the ample provisions of the be*
nificent Creator, lint though these beau-tiful
and harmless animals fear not the ap-proach
of man, yet they have enemies of
which (hey stand in the greatest terror.—
| The wolf, the panther, the tiger and the
i Mexican lion are scattered over the coun-try,
and live by their inerceless ravages
! upon these defenceless creatures. Another
ol standine adverisemeutB as lollows:
3 MOUTHS. 6 .MONTHS. I TEAR.
One square. S3.50 S5.50 S8.O0
Two squares, 7.no 10.00 14.00
Three -: (Jcol.) io.no 1500 20.00
Half column, IS 00 25.00 35.60
for 'i.r Patriot and Flag.
WESTERN TEXAS.
MESSRS. EDITORS: Having seen much
in the public journals recently about West-ern
Texas, and as the geography and his-tory
of that section is comparatively so lit-tle
known, perhaps it will be well to at-tempt
{living a brief sketch in your worthy
paper.
\\ estern Texas proper, includes all that
immense scope of country lying west of
the Brazos River, and cast ol the Rio Grand
del Norte ; and extending from the north-ern
coast of the Gulfof Mexico, in latitude
'Si0 north to .'i'i'
or villages, which extend for miles in many
instances, and where these occur, the whole
surface of the earth i.-literally covered with
these singular litlic creatures, which at the
approach ol man, fof whom they seem to
have an instinctive dread) make the .».ir re-sound
with their continuous harking. The
rattlesnake is frequently found to live a-mong
them.
Besides these animals already mentioned,
the hilly portion of the country abound in
bear, the hunts lor which, is the most ex-citing,
perhaps, ol any sport in which man
canengage. Innumerable fowls are found
in every section ol Western Texas; up-on
the prairies are found the grouse or prai-rie
hen. the prairie ostrich. Ac., in the
wooded portions, along (lie water course's,
are found great numbers of wild turkeys
and pheasants, while the surface of the
rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds are covered
rcllcll; but throughout with wild geese, .lucks, and every kind ol
tins sketch, I hat portion of Texas lying , water fowl, peculiar lo Southern countries.
between the Colorado and Rio Grand del Unnumbered millions of cattle I
None, will form the subject of this notice, sheep and'coats, are being raised
Tin' ('olorado River, heads in the 32° | and requires no other attention
and after a meandering course of «i0v or
6uU miles empties intoMdtagorda Hoy. This
stream, though one of considerable size, is
not navigable, owing to the swiftness of
its currents, and the numerous shoals, falls,
sandbars, &c, which abound throughout I j
its entire length, interposing at present in-numerable
insurmountable obstacles to the
ascent or descent of boots and other crofts.
The opinion of scientific men, however.
encourage the hope that this river can lie
mode the highway fur travel and commerce
by a system of slack water navigation ;
time.
fallacy
The river next in our cenrse westward
ivil', however, prove the truth or
of these opinions.
.IS OI Horses
here,
from
their owners than such precautionary mea-sures
as are necessary to prevent them
from straying and being lost. This is and
ever will be the chief business of those
living in the rural district who wish to
■mass wealth, and large fortunes arc being
made annanually by those engaged in this
business. Xo risk is incurred by those
who invest money in this business, except
the hss of a few by disease and strayint ;
but after allowing for ail losses, the expen-diture
In.' herding &C, it will yield a profit
of 50 per cent. The towns in this section
are principally os follow,: Austin City, the
eopitol of the State. Itastrop, Lagransie and
Columbus, on the Colorado river. Austin
* *. [;"?*• I Greensboro'
I fill ' I. I.OX«, '
.1 . I mon, N. t
ATTORNEY AT
I oil! If. PAY.VE. Atloniiy sit
f/ Ma ■ parnianeiilly located in
■ i ., will attend the Courts
i 11_\. .- ill and Guillcrd, and
I lij die collection ol all
.. : hands.
:-.:. 915 if.
X
-*M.--ON I.ANIKK.
| tMAR IIOl'SE. (tonnedy Coleman
lj . k nxviile, retiuesoee. S. .\.
^ l.o. ■ irs.
Mr St< ier, !..:« o' '.he Laniei
I la . o i Sampson Lamer.
Lessee, Ala., wit lie happy to meet
isti rs at ll.e S^atnar House
i •• ampha acc/imo.laliaii lot
916-ly
II.VI W. & WIEI.IA.il I.. S40TT,
j AIT<1K\K\S A I I.AW . t. ui.i As:.,.,..:'
N C. v. regularly attend the Courts o'
(auiltord, tlamance, Kandoloh and Davit!-
»19tl
I. .1 I.I TTKKI.OH W. I. I LI.IOT1
Iutcrlotl i. 1 lllolt General C'oniinis-j
MOD an ' I* irwardii ^ Merehanis. Wi'—
. ■(.::. S ( . Dealers in'Lime,.Calcined
.-:." La I Plaster, Plastertng
8 -3 ly
G. iiti:i:.Mi\. WITH Ai.iM.ii,
• Junes x I <>., Importers and Job-
Sta e and Fancv >ilk Goo i>, No. 153
S eel, Philadelphia
|)ETER n. lll\IOV. 4<MIIIIIIS
I sion .ilt-i-tliaiit. IOWN POINT.
I I i
.i I toselli na Tol acco
r (tram. Cotton.Naval Stores.&c. Also
11 ' ofdin^ t/OOltS
I. Hmton. i:.-n . Wake. N
II ilae, I'- . and t.eo \\ Hav-
.. N.C.j H'u. Plummer
. M
» i; .. I- .'. <«W::iy.
1» •> Mi ii.lenliall. I.antl Agent,
f't • ■ Ibl. .elect and enter Government
Warrants, make invest
■' ' ■ . on-:- al U e.-tem rales, jiav
""■ ■■■'■■ -...c; ., general real estate bu-
1 : o e.-oia. Iowa a:nl Wisconsin
' ". v ihs, Minnesota.
J. M. Mori head, George C.
I Walter Gwytm and John A.
;,;, ■•■iia. i-o,. -ss ii.
OKTII &N Tl.i:Y COMMISSION
■ .Merchants, Fayelte-
« e X t .
H'>l. II. REECE. «0\V|»|H.I'..
»Vi I -tricl'J attend to the collection
In hiti care, with prompt-itch
Post Dtfice. JamestovMi,
ly,N. C. Feb -'7. 922 3m.
U'ATSOS .v. MEARES, GKNKRAL
' ' —i Merehanu-, 34 Burling
New V'ork,—Special allention paid to
lirian. Co'.totl and oilier Souiheru
i i '-.
■'"Liberal advances made on consign-
915 tl
\\' II. MXRARV A. CO.. FAC-
."' • TORS »M, COMMISSION MERCHAHLT,
..-e ol Cotton. Klour,
'• Groceries, &c., Corner Princess
*\_ - ■ -. Wilmington, N. t'.
r»"' sual advance- on Consignments.
is the buadaloupe, which is much smaller contains the State Capitol and quite a iiuiu-than
the Colorado, but one ot the most ber of other public buildings, with many
beautiful, not only in Texas, but in the ' private residences and business houses.
I nited Moles. It is from four to fifteen ; ..,,,,»■ of winch ore mult in a costlv style.—
feet in depth, and so cleai and crystal-like . The other places named are county sites,
an its>aters, that in most places the small-fand :ir(, thriving places. On the Gauda-est
objects can be seen distinctly in its |0Upe river are New Bramsfels. Se«uin,
bottom. Its course is through one of the | G.inzales and Victoria. New Bramsfels,
fin-si grazing and planting sections of the as jt» name imports, is a town containing
Mot.-, and in many places the scenery up- a populaiion nl 3000 inhabitants, almost
mi it is most beautiful and picturesque; it exclusively German, ii is quite a liourishin-also
empties into Matogorda Hay. town: Seguin is a beaulilul village, pos-
The S„„ Ani.mia River, formed by-% sessing greater importance than is usually
junction ol the Cfbolo and Medeno, is also , ;,(.,.,„.,!,.u Io ,OWM „,' jlg slZr< because of its
a hue little river—distinguished like the ' |llsiJiot„1|ls of learning, of which it has lwo,
Guadaloupe, lor the depth and purity ,.| ,ua|e and female, lliat staudamong tlm firsi
us waters. It is not so large as the last in qVxos. and are indeed very worthy
, named river into which it empties, and like j s hou|s |„r Sl, ..„„„„ ., .<,.,„. GonZBJeg |||d
it, is ot course net navigable. Besides i vicioria are the seats of justice of the
! these, are the Rio 1-reo, emptying into the ' coun,!es „f ,|,e same name. San Antonio
i Ne»a/*s.. ••."'•1 ^«»" etuptying into tor- I |id R„|ia(li „„ „„, S:l„ , ,1Kmio rf anJ
; pus ( hri.-ti Bay—and many other streams ; Brownsville, on the Rio Grand del None
; o( minor insigntficancc, intersecting and . vvilh ,,„,., ^^ l'„wd,rhorn and India-
| watering the country in almost every di- j „„,,, „„ ti„, Matagorda Bay. are all the rc-
™eT"!;Z."™e ' lj,nvc4ir' CaPaUe ' maining towns in this portion of Texas that
i deserve particular mention.
(;, Had is famed in Texas history, forbc-hd.
pted to the culture of sugar and cotton, in* !'"' >w"l "'' """>' ""' decds "'
and these er<.,,s are being grown already l1*?^? «"«d ..pprcss. winch were en-
! quite extensively, and form at pr, sen. the : ;K"d "'ore during the struggle ol the in-
I chiefitemsofcxportslrom the Slate. That , :""s «;• lu.l.l..- I..r independence. It was
'portion of the country King further to the ! Jf« *"*,h» braTe.Lo1 ?""" ,•«" hl? ■>"ble little band ol fought long and
Crockett fell covered with wounds, ant.
fenced in with a wall of dead foes, which
his own valiant ami has forced to bite the
dust, and •' while bleeding at every vein,"
he expired. The catholic church, which
stands in the heart of the city, is a huge
unsightly and ancient looking structure,
which strikes the eye of the beholder, ac-customed
only to the modern style of arch-itecture,
with astonishment and awe.
To attempt a portraiture of the city, w'uh
its different plazas, narrow crooked streets,
.ind buildings of clay, and hords of mud
and stick8, thatched with gross, so as to
carry any thing like a definite idea of its ap-pearance,
to the imagination of the reader
would far transcend the proposed limits of
this briel sketch. The spirit of progress
and improvement is very prevalent here ;
and many elegant buildings constructed in
the modern style of the art, have been built,
and are building Continually. A vast a-tnount
of business ot every Kind is transact-ed
here. A lew miles from the town are
three ancient .Missions, colled respectively
San Juan, Conseption, San Jose. They
were established among the reign of the
priesthood under the dominion of Spain, in
ibis country, for the purpose of civilizing
and proselytizing the numerous tribes of
Indians, which then overran the country.
They have long since been abandoned, and
their once proud structures have fallen io
decay, and where once the enroled monk
and hypocritical priest chanted their le tlr-
IIIIII in solemn mockery Io the Most High,
nothing dweds but I he loathsome reptile
and the savage beast; and no other sweet-er
sounds are heard, than the hideous hoot-ing
ot the night owl, and the hissing ofser-pents.
A solemn oiuinelitary upon the
practice anil principles o! a self-professing
to he the only true church of Jesus; yet
striving not to advance llisglory, and the
good of his creatures : but under the holy
mask of religion, striving to extend :be glory
of a temporal potentate, and the power ol a
crafty and corrupt priesthood! Within
the limits ol San Antonio, though possess-ing
a population of only eight or ten thou*
sand souls, are gathered together people
from almost every country in the universe.
The traveler may see there, the Egypti-an
ol the slimy meadows of the Nile; the
Bediuin of the desert, with inhabitants from
every state, kingdom and tribe, in the tem-perate
and torrid zones.
San Antonio is indeed Texas, as " Paris
is Franco." And these who would see so-ciety
in the state ill which it. was reported
to be in Texas, win r. ih ' attention of the
people of the United Slates first began tube
directed towards Texas, should then visit
San Antonio. TEXAN.
SALEM, N. ('., Feb.28. 1SJ7.
1 two millions for the Eastern, and two-1 aforesaid, and shall thereafter constitute a I 1 have not the least doubt, that could I
thirds of the cost of the Western exten- pan of the said last mentioned company. I have received the aid of these Senators,
sum. with a proviso (which is but little and to be under the control and direction manifested by half the enerev and zeal
better than a catch vote.) that this Wes-fofsaid company: ./,„/ ,w,e,f„s, „t the they showed M destroy mo, tha sections
tern extension is not to eiis, the State niore'same session of the (ieueral Assembly, an struck out bv the committee mielit have
! than four millions Will the Standard j Act Was passed, entitled *• An Act to im-or-
I risk the opinion that the State will not be j porate the Western North Carolina Hail
: bound for ten millions for tie Central! Road Company." whereby the company
I Road before it is done! As for doing it I organized under said Act is authorized io
; at once, 1 suppose every man of common hum a connection with the said Greenville
I sense will admit that 1 could have meant | and French Broad Rail Road, bv eonslruc-
| nothing more than that it ought to be done j ting a Railroad Irom Salisbury on the
as soon as an energetic application of all j North Carolina Railroad, to a point on the
11he resources at command would accom-1 French Broad River, west of the Blue
', plish it without serious damage to the other | Ridge, which said Western North t'aro-
I interests ol the Slate. And that the race j Inn Railroad is now is progress of eon-should
not stop short the water, was in- j 'truclion. And whereas, it is desirable
I tended to give force to my objection to j that the Western North Carolina Railroad
I stopping on this side of the mountains. [ Company should have the control of the
II 1 ever exr,re sed the opinion that the i """* "f Si,id (;>'i"»ville and French Broad
Slate ought to cut all the tunnels, it was
that it should be dorm after every effort
hod been made for private aid and failed ;
which has not yet happened.
But the Standard says 1 reconsidered and
! defeated the bill, and therefore coutradid-led
my campaign speeches. Let us see how
I much truth there is in this bold declara-
{tiou. The Legislature of 18.34—Via char-
I tered the Western extension, pledging the
Suite treasury for two-thirds of the entire
cost, to he built in sections, and of course
paid for in installments. With this, West-iein
members professed to be well satisfied, We8le™ •v'rlh Carolina Railroad Compa.
some of the most influential Democrats of "-v sl1"11 be ''"l'"«'re.l to survey and lo-the
Senate promising that nothing more! eatB
1
a l'™uch ol Mul K":ul- '""" the 1"""'
; would be asked for. In two short year.*)"" ''"' lr,"cl1 l,l":ul IMvM whleh n'"v '"'
several of the same members return, and | ''*od upon by said company as the Was-contend
that the cl-n.-r ....... .i... «..-.;„.. I|,r» Ierminns of the fourth division to the
ommittco might have
been retained.—What will the Standard
say to this .' Will it still contend that my
amendment from Morganton to Asherill'e
was a crime, and that Mr. Coleman and
tha two jiher democrats on the committee
were right in striking out all beyond Ashe-villc!
Perhaps the Standard may say,
my amendment rendered the seetiona
from Asheville West useless ; but that
won't do, fur the first charter, with two-thirds
pledged by the State, is still in
lone; and besides, if the road should be
longer in building than we wish, the road
j Irom Asheville down French Broad would
put the trans-montane counties in connec-tion
w iib. all the Western Rail Roads, and
consequently with all the Roads in the
whole country.
This would have convinced the people
West of the Mountains that the Legisla-ture
cared lor their interest, and would
doubtless have been received as proof that
in due time, if it should become clear that
Railroad at an earlier period^than the time
when the connection aforesaid shall be act-ually
made; Therefore,
Section 15. Be it f in her enacted. That
so soon as the said Greenville ami French
Broad Railroad shall surrender to the Slate
of North Carolina all the chartered rights
and privileges vested in said Act of incor-poration
in the manner hereafter prescribed, the .Mountains cannot be tunnelled upon
and upon the fact appearing of said BUT- | the iwo-thirds principle, further aid would
render having been duly made under the
certificate of the Bund of Internal Im-provements,
the Board of Directors of said
' of navigation.
That portion of Western Texas lying
i Inwards and alone the Gull coast is well
' ' . , • - , , • I llohlc liltle liond of heroes lollght loll" OIK
northward, produces, with proper cultiva-1 ,,-_,. ■ ,• , i i
' • , ' , .ii • r valiantly in freedoms cause until they wen
lion, corn and wheat and venStaoles null I . ._•, , ... , •
, e overwhelmed and taken prisoners ny great
genous io the temperate Zones. |, , , „ . . : .
• .,., , iii- 1v superior numbers, and all. with but IIIII I tic climate throughout this country is - ,. ' i i . .1 . i i
AY
much more pleasant and agreeable thou
roll be IOUIHI ill .'.IlliOst IIIIV olhel' CoUM' rv
upon the same latitude; lotm.i'eil up
on its proximity to vast rang'.- ol mountains
extending aeri ss the north wi stern angle ol ;
ih.- Stole, from whei.ei cool bio cmg hn vi-ej
art tiltiiosl coiisl,.nlly blowing in >uni-o
thai ll.c i Hirc»si\e el ami ter i-t il.
solitary rxeei ti.>n,l«iibsronsly nmrderdi red
In t'.i oi
i:.,
. ii.l
:::■■:■
laid!;
uers
! I lie inhliii on Santo Ai
« ,-t civil v^.-:' I" vv o> vi.d:,lio.
i :.. Iii,-; ,.: hum nii\ was ,!i-i,
d Ini deli nj II ! \ f!ii- mi rci l< -s
in tl,.- p. :; tiatioi: ol this ua—
— :i..* leio'iiiig niosoeree of pris-v.
in-, liut Icarliil mis been the re-nter,
so the ptirecl aracter ot e ... , , , ,
,heat, nl,i-icli ,, . , . inhuf u ttio-.,:cd i:n, n tnis uelionr-v raei UIHIIII olluruisi be unnuUu- . , ' , , "-
abiile, is scarceliy. lieui.. «Mt hi-dic the sect.ion Ii since I lien, b,,v. the out. rng, ei.l and e.xasp.' era-lying
u
,oiu-s I ho belli lit o! 'll.c sea breezes wilfa
ihe some happy result.
The health ol the , luntiy is remarkable,
with il.e exception of the lower and more
marshy portions near the Gulf, scarcely
ever a case oi chills and fever, or levers ol
any kind, arc heard ot; and death by vio-
1- ii,f or accident are ol more frequent oc-currence,
thin death by disease ; save
only the diseases peculiar to children and
tIn- infirmiih .- oi age.
But though Western Texas possesses
the advantages ol numerous streams ol tie
h'l.'est waters ; a most salubrious and health-ful
eiitnate ; immense beautiful undulating
prairies, and a very rich soil ; yet it is not
on agricultural country in the fullest sense.
The uncertainty of rains peculiar to
tropical climes, will ever supervene to
i deter men from testing its agricultural re-
I sources to their fullest extent. This, how-j
ever, should lurm no cause ol complaint,
since it is one of the best grazing ce.uii-
! tries, perhaps, beneath the sun. The
mesquit grass, which gives to this country
its su|icriorcharade* in this respect, is the
finest and most nutritious of any other.
1 iheir Arglo Saxon II t ot .-» I, ...it ■ , . ...
re iii'ineniatelv upon th, e coast, re- M, id S, OUS ol .I. ex- s
■brethren. Urowiisulle is biiill upon tl»
liio Grand. 20 miles abiivr it? niouih. It
i- the poll of entry for the |{io Grand
settlement, and is in consequence a town ol
considerable importance, which is daily in-i
reasing.
l'ori l.avaca, Powiieihorn and [ndianola.
stand within a lew miles ot each other, and
ore rival towns, each one striving to out
vie the oilier, in a contest, to secure each
to itself, the advantage of a shipping point,
lor wlt'ch ihey ore all adapted. There are
regular lines of steamers rui.ning between
these point-- and New Orleans, La.. 1>\
means of which a vast amount ol trade and
iron! finds a thoroughfare In the States.
But no town in \\ estern Texas, nor in
loci in any other portion of the State basso
many, and such varied claims ofinterest, us
San Antonio. It is not only the largest
and oldest town in the State, but possesses
a history of thrilling interest, as well as
many novelties and peculiarities within it-self,
to recommend it io the observer. It
was founded early in the eighteenth centu-ry,
and was the capital of the province of
Texas, while it formed a part of ihe royal
not pxceptiur even clover, or any of the j domain, of the Spanish monarchy, ns well
domestic grasses. Its growth is most | as when it afterwards became a state of the
luxuriant, and even in mid-wiincr affords | .Mexican confederacy, on the west bank
i.r.l l-.ltl-..\t KS :
I,, SA-VAGK r.,..,, Bank of Cane Fear,
FTuS£T& MK»WN". Wilmington. N. C.
| ^H.FRIES Salem.N.C.
VM fa Co.. Mar.™ Court House. S. C
ADDERTOS fkCo.Lexincton,N, C.
the richest pasturage for animals leediug ' of ihe San Antonio river, and it has been
upon it. Other grasses, besides the mes- ' ever favored with the advantage ofinexaus-quit
peculiar to prairie countries, arc very table supplies of the purest and best water,
abundant, and afford the most luxuriant : Several severe battles were fought here
Erasing in the summer season ; but even : during the lexas Revolution ; and within
while'they are green ihey are not so much I its borders is ihe fortress of the Alamo; in
sought after as the mesquit. |defence of which the celebrated David
From lin* r.iveiTi-vjlie Observer.
LETTERS FROM GEN. DOCKERY.
RICHMOND C'OI NTV. Feb. 28, 1857.
MESSRS. EDITORS: 1 have never replied
to the Raleigh Standard's habitual untena-ble
assaults upon me for years past; but
its attacks upon my course on the bill to
amend the charter granted two yeais ago
to extend the Central Railroad West to
the Tennessee line, hove become so fre-quent,
and its articles in a l\-w week's hav-ing
grown from paragraphs ol'a lew lines
to a column and a halt, in the lost issue, I
desire to lay before the public several tacts
which 1 am sure will suit tho Standard's
taste too liltle to ever appear in that print.
And as you have already, without solicita-tion,
opened your columns in my defence,
I wish the use of the Observer for ihe pub-lication
of this letter, with ihe hope that
newspapers generally over the State will
copy it.
The Standard is evidently alarmed by
the course of its friends, amounting to a
majority of two to one in the last Legisla-ture,
upon Internal Improvements, and
forthwith opens the next campaign by
calling into requisition all its conceded larl
.nil odioih i ss. io convince the public ihai
•. aj.irllii s nl iiv- -ihnds in ii legislative b dj
re i ot II -| oi -.! le for ils acts, but that
-on. one mat] oi I In- uiinoiilv is i on up-l.
ili IO.-IIH-S. II is imc. The Standard
I. - In iter reason tor its ipprchi'lisions than
all on- aware of. None know better than
the Standard, that resnectahle members
of iis own party staled in aid out of the
halls ol h gislalion, thai tie- democrat* bod
promi-ed the people ureat boin-1'rs from
I IK ir legislation on Internal Improvements
and that the West hod changid Us |iolitlc*,
from the belietih.it the democrats were
ihe line Internal Improvement party; and
if they were disappointed, :hey. the pwoplc
would turn back I, their old associations.
As party success is the greatest of all good
with the Standard, who can be surprised
at its awful forcbodiugs .'
The Standard says 1 promised the peo-ple
of the West when canvassing foi Gov-ernor,
to favor the building of the mad
across the mountains " lfU shouldCOst
ten millions," and that I used the word-.
"at once," would, "bore u hoh through
the mountain*," and that 1 asked the
question. " what mill-builder would cut
his race near to the water and then stop.
&.C. The Standard is at its tricks again.
1 object, out and out. to ils version of the
campaign. It locates my Internal Im-provement
speeches and the application of
the ten millions in the West, when it very
well knows I made the same declarations
Irom Currituck to Cherokee; and that in
my daily speeches 1 declared in favor of
the Central Road East and H'ett, "/ion
the tiro-t.'iinlx prinpicJt, if il should cost
the S'ate ten millions. And does not the
Standard know, that its most active friends
particularly in the part of the State where
my successful competitor had most influ-ence,
charged me with an intention to la-vor
a scheme of improvement which would
involve the State to the ruinous amount of
ten millions, without a rebuke from its col-umns,
and that I lost thousands of votes
he charter, upon the section
oud two-thirds principle, was by no means
alisfoclory. and introduced an amcudotoi'v
Tennessee line, at or near the Paint rock
lie rendered.—The Charleston and Mem-phis
road wa*Commenced at each end, and
the ends aac fast approaching a junction.
1 have contended for thirty years, that a
I!..:! Ifuiid from Beaufort should be built to
the Tennessee line. The late provision
for connecting the Wilmington, Charlotte
aril Rutherford Hind with the Central Road
increases that desire.
The Standard garbled my internal ini-said
river, and shall cause an estimate provement speeches WO much j il ought to .-.. II.,„IO^, t, mm iniKiiill, HI illl.lllll llll.Mllll . ' |, l_»-|l ,• *,
KB, 10 abolish the section and installment °! ,lu> «•»«■«■" "' '"'.•'""'" •>>' »■« >•«-' '>"e published my argument,,, lavor ofde-principle
.n« compel (be State to build ■ 1,neeT-iM." ;ls soon :i> M,d "»«J »"d l"1
ra-1 '"""I"''",-' ".llr *hm/" £• R"*-*! ''' ',e
ihe entire mountain section, including ,
1""1 sna" be »»»de aforesaid, the Board of j fg** lands to pay for building Rail Roads,
ihe tunneling of four or live mcuotsins, ',lre«M.rs are hereby authoriied and em- NJn|>nm did not anilills party viewa.
cst wint it mav, as well as pnuultting into P*««*d to open books for subscription of The StandardI prefers to cUmor for higher
the power of the company to call upon
the State for millions of dollars before it
was certain . that means could Le procur-ed
to meet such heavy demands. As a
decided friend to the road's reaching the
Mississippi valley roads in the shortest
possible liiue. I voted for the bill. On ma-ture
reflection ami consultation with intelli-gent
friends who estimated the cost of the
enterprise at several millions higher than I
had, and in view of the necessity of raising
the taxes to meet our present indebtedness
I moved a reconsideration, which was car-ried
by a decided majority. Not as the
Standard has it. to destroy or defeat the
lull, but to amend, and then pass it, in a
shape to greatly benefit the West without
imposing onerous tax burthens on the peo-ple,
or endangering the Stave repudiation.
On tin' re passage of the bill on my motion
sections from Ii to 10 inclusive were strick-en
out. Thoso sections applied stricily t,
the li'J miles of road between Morganton to
Asheville. which lilt all that port of the
hill intended for the benefit of the £0 miles]
Irom Salisbury to Morganton. and the 48
miles from Asheville down the French
! Broad to the Tennessee line, precisely as at
Stock by solvent persons or counties to the i laxes to pay lor their:.
capital stock of said company, to the a-! After'all, Messrs. Editors, who believes
mount of onc-tbird of said estimated cost of I the Standard cares any thing about the
said Branch of said mail, and upon said j Western extention. or what it calls the de-subscription
of double the amount so sub- b-at of the bill ? If it does, why does it
cribcil by individuals shall be made on
behalf of the Stale, to the capital stock of
said company in the manner and by per-sons,
and upon certificates of such estima-ted
cost or individual subscription being
mode as direct) d by the charter of said
company.
.Section 10th. Be it further enacted,
That the subscription on the part of the ■' *larK> ". ,;vory vote on my side had voted
Stale, of two-thirds of the estiuiaU d cost ! ;l.-;""st ",.' lUs « evcr "!»essed a word
not censure others who spoke and voted as
1 did I Will it contend that flic able
speeches of Cameron, Eaton, and others on
the democratic side of the Senate, who act-ed
with me, had no influence, whilst I had
power to defeat or pa?s the bill at pleasure?
floes it not know that the democrats had
power to pass the bill, and seven votes to
ed shall be poid to said company by a
transfer of tho like amount of the slock ol
the North Carolina Railroad company,
which stock saiil company shall accept at
mroduccd. This gave "additional aid jpar value, and the payment of said sub-seription
shall be in.Mle in such proportion
and at such lime-, and after ratable pay-ments
by individual subscribers, as provid-ed
in said char'.i r and h\ this act.
of said branch rood from said point on the
French Broad river to Taint rock, as au-thorized
by the preceding section, shall be
paid as follows, to wil : the sum of two
hundred thousand dollars, to be raised by
the sale of bonds as provided lor in said
charter: 1'rondetl, that the whole a-mount
of bonds sold for the purpose ol
paying Ihe entire subscription last mention- '" r «h»pmlcs-ed „, feel a deep interest 10
ol reprool or disapprobation as to the course
pursued by its friends on the amendments'
10 the bill ! No, never. Il defended all
ihe democrats and assails me. Its pretend-ing
to sympathise with the West is all sheer
hypocrisy—it is only electioneering for its
party, expecting a huge share ol the spoils
itself. 1 am credibly informed that a mem-
OII all the road except from Morganton t,
Asheville. ami left that as il passed in IS54
—'65. the Slate pledged Io pay two-thiids
The Mi miles ol rood from Salisbury t,
Morganton K isiiiualco Io cost SI.8oli.lJlH
lout will eo.-t nt least two millions, I pre
! -lime. Two thirds of this, or about SI .-
oOtl.OUO, the State is pledged to pay. The
j company has iliawu already for 8200,000.
llcaviiiL' 8l.IOO.000 io ho drawn without
1 regard to the section principle of the char1
iter of '54—'•}■">; and had the bill bvei.
; passed os my ainendineiii left it. several
oihei h /red thousands might hove been
b
Section 17ih. B_- il further enacted
I hot it shall t.e competent tor the present.
or any future General Assembly of lln-
Stole, to authorize am other Railroad com-pany,
or other company formed for tin
uoiisluciion "I any public improvement, t>
. oiim ct wi'h the Itiili'ood of .-.ml W csti rn
North Car-liiia Hm I coo.pony at uny
point on its line. And that whenever :o.\
such connection sho'l lie made, the Wcs-ihe
hill remarked on his way home, that
I), ckery had defeated the Bill but ihey had
gamed a victory over him, fur it would
make Imn unpopular in the West. This
is all the Standard is after. A dozen Roil
Hoods may go by the board if it can moke
capital out of it.
1 have written this communication in
.'nat baste, without the Journal or the prat-
.nee if any Senator to confer with ; entire-ly
I'niin memoir. I feel confident all the
Material facts will be found correct on ex-iiuinoiioii
ol the Journal.
Respectfully and truly,
ALFREB DOCKEBT,
I' S,—.Since my reply to the Standard
was prepared, a friend placed in my h mils
the Warreutoii News with ihe following ar-ticle
:
'•WHO IS TO BI.AME!—The following
e
gives a Western
sary io render such connection as perfect i man's opinions on the proceedings of the
, as possible, and regularly use ih: some l',,i ' i.,iL. Legislature. Ilia opinion is entitled
nmipany could use to advantage, iietiirctne j t||eRpei||| .„„, delivery of all passenger to the more weight, as he saw and heard for
meeting of the next legislature, u Inn. II ^^ a|.(, otner .ini(.|,., whatever, and thai ( himself. The people of Western Carolina
necessarv, the application can lie renewed ';.ia j{ai|r„;u| company shall not di-crimi-1 are too edgacioue Io lie deceived by the
tern North Carolina Railroad company
driwn from l!ic Stale treasury, to be use.i ■ ^:| . in jn |ha tr,c,i,,n „,- .iny wareliwis- extract from the Raleigh correspondenci
,„, ,|„. |-..-,„-|, Liiad.assoouasind.vidii L, a„d passenger sheds that inay be neces- „| the Asheville News gi^s a Westen
nls iiii.-cd their oiie-ii.nd; which I regard as
much os il-e Stale ought Io pay. or tin |
dauaible •* clap-traps" of the unscrupulous
opponent- ol the Democratic party. They
con and wiil compare the vast difference
I • iwcen ih<- practice and professions of the
Know Nothing leader General Dockery:
•• We thus sec that the coiiu.ies West of
the Blue Ridge have been ' slaughtered,*
their jusi and reasonable expectations thwart
In this form 1 wished it passed. note b) its charges against the company ot
Bui a motion prevailed to refer the bill c panic* so connecting with its railway.
as amended to a committee of five. .Mr Section 18th. Be it further enacted
Speaker Avery, on the ground ol personal and it is hereby expressly declared as a
interest, declined to appoint the commit- fundamental condition annexed In the grant-lee.
At the suggestion ol a friend I nained j,,.. g|„. foregoing amendments. Thai Ihe
the Senators who composed It; and alt ho State shall not be called by said company
bv parliamentary practice, th; majority on ,,, |lilV ;„ ,,|..,n her subscri| tiou !•• ilia C ipt
the vote just taken had aright loa majority j,.,| stock of sold company more than live ed, and their members, as one ol them ex-oii
the conmittee, 1 waived the exercise ol hundred thousand dollar- annually, except I pressed it in debate, 'gohome, empliatiral-ihe
right, by placing on the committee 3 that if the French Brood and Greenville ly, with their fingers in their months'
opposed to the amendment, to 2 in favor, Railroad company shall surrender their j Where does the blame of this thing lie!
and '■> Democrats to - American Whigs; chartered rights and privileges to the State '* No party can be held exclusively rea-witll
Senator Coleman who was sup-io.f d M |iercinl'ore provided, then the State -hull ponsible. Both are implicated alike on the
to feel deepest of all for the original bill. p;)V jn „n her subscription the ad-liti inn) record. The vole on these questions was
first on the list To my utter astonish- sum of one hundred thousand dollars in-■ not a party, but a sectional one. But the
ment, when ihe committee reported, I found nually for two fears. I man on whom, of all others, the responsi-ihot
they had struck from the bill all that Hm to my still greater astonishment, of- bifily rests is the former internal improve-applied
to the load from Asheville io the n?r Mr. Speaker A very had open the floor men/candidate for Governor—Gen. Alfred
Tennessee line, vvTiieli would have placed denounced my curse a second time, he , Dockery. The ' Western Extension' bill,
Asheville in connection with the Tennes- s:,jd he hoped the committee's amendment providing for ihe prompt cutting of the lun-see
and Virginia Road, being the 14th. would pass as the besl thai could be done. I nel through the mountains, asa State work,
lath. 10th. 17th and 18tli sections, which |_ ,,„„ which the Senator from Jackson re- had passed the Senate. In that body, from
read as follows : marked, lo him, that he and the Senator its constitution, (he West is weakest. In
Section 14, WHEREAS, It is provided from Burke (Mr. Averyj hadgeoerally acted the Dommom the two sections nit more e-in
the ninth section of an Act of the Gen- together, but upon that questiou they par- qually balanced. It was regarded, thcre-cral
Assembly, entitled " An Act to incor- ted. What will the Standard say to this f j fore, thai the battle was over. By the rules
porate the Greenville and French Board Will it say that the committee were uuder of the body, when a bill had once passed,
Railroad Company," pas.sed at the session my influence ? How will that print and no • motion to re-consider' is in order, un-of
lft54-'5o, that, the Road thereby au'hor- Mr. rVvery settle the question between less made cm tho same day, or by twelve