Page:A Life of Matthew Fontaine Maury.pdf/56

42 navy-yard at this place? The answer is, to the labours of Lieutenant M. F. Maury.

"About sixteen years ago he, in a series of masterly and convincing articles, published in the Southern Literary Messenger, showed the importance of a navy yard, to be located in the valley of the Mississippi, and satisfied every reflecting mind that it was due to the interests of the West, considered in all its commercial and political relations.

"These articles attracted great attention. They found their way into the weekly and daily papers, and led to warm and animated discussions upon the merits of the project started by Lieutenant Maury.

"He met all objections triumphantly; but went further, and proved to the satisfaction of the great minds of the country that Memphis was the precise location best suited lot the establishment of the proposed navy yard; nor were his efforts in this cause confined to communications addressed to the intelligence of our countrymen through the public press. The matter was brought before Congress, and was referred by the House of Representatives to the Committee on Naval Affairs. Lieutenant Maury was indefatigable in his labours to put the Committee in possession of every fact and item of information necessary to guide it to a wise conclusion, and actually wrote the Report presented to the House by Dr. Peyton, and which the Nashville papers at the time commended as a masterly production.

"Ought not the debt to be recognized by some appropriate acknowledgment on the part of our city authorities, or of our citizens, not by passing complimentary resolutions—heaven save the mark!—but by some substantial token which may witness our appreciation of his services. What shall it be? In my opinion it had better be the offer of a home, comfortable and well furnished, in our vicinity, and an invitation to come and spend the balance of his