Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-10-10
the u. States their claim 70 portion Of their
attention and consideration.

great rivers emptying into the Chesapeake
and the Gulf Of Mexico, most nearly APP
proachiug each other, and in the view of your
memorialsts most susceptible Of such improve
meDt as will ensure a valuable aud permanent
commercial intercourse, they feel confidence,
the application they now make TO the Nato-
nal Legislature for aid, will not he unayailing
towards the accomplishment of an object so
important I'm a general point of view, and SO
interesting aud desirable in relation 10 a great
section of the eastern and western country.
Your memoriaiists ask leave to state, and
the document accompanying this paper will
shew, the James River Is capabie OF bsing
made navigable for boats of considerable bur
then to the mouth of ID unops Greek, and even
some miles hig her, by an increased expence {:
That an artificial road may be formed with mn
usual facility, the ascent of which will not ex-
coed an angle oftive degrees With the horizon,
and the length, it carried only 10 the nearest
waters of the Greenbrier river, susceptible of
navigation, will not exceed thirty miles. or If
continued TO the navigable waters Of The Great
kanawha, below the Great Falls Of that river
will not exceed one hundredmiles; from which
latter point, the waters, descending with bold
but gentle current, for an hundred mics, miii-
gle with the Ohio, and afford tree navigation
for boats of large size. 10 the Calf OF Mexico.
The Importance of connecting territories
so extensive, so fertile, and so diversified, i'll
climate, soil and productions, sapercedes the
necessity of many comments from your memo
rialsts. Byimprcving the navigation of James
River above the chartered limits of the Com
the highest practicable point of navigation
by forming an artificial road TO the nearest Ma.
viyable waters OF the Greenbrier river, ny re-
moving the distractions which exist from the
mouth OF the latter to the falls cfthc Kanawha,
or BY extending the artificial road to the last
mentioned point, AN iuland communication
would be opened, almost at all times practical.
BILE, from the head of the Chesapeake to the
mouth of the Mississippi.
To give impulse to the industry & enterprise
ofthe inhabitants of large section OF this Re
public, to open new markets tor the rich aud
diversified productions OF agriculture, reared
in territory of more than 1880 miles in extent
to foster manufactures established at great
hazard, and prosecuted at vast expence, (all
which results will undoubtedly follow the COM
pletion OF this Improvement will well become
the Legislature ola" great, tree and indepen-
dent people"
Whoever has turned his attention to the pro-
auctions of the country thro' which the propo-
sed communication is intended to pass, will
have perceived how bountiful nature has been
to it, OF her choi e gifts; soil lnexhaustlbly
productive of every necessary of life, and mines
of SALT coal and iron, waiting only the fostering
care of the government to make them exten-
sively useful TO large portion OF these States.
The foresight of man is too limited TO pene-
trate the veil which obscures the consequences
of the most Iaudable undertakings; neverthe-
less. there are advantages which must necessa-
ly result from the accomplishment OF this
great natio ia work too obvious not to be clear
1y foreseen and, as your memorialists hope, too
important not TO engage the serious attention
of the government however imperfectly they
may be presented to its view.
Approximating the numerous cities and towns
of the Chesapeake and its wsterS-BaltimUre,
Annapolis, Washington, Georgetown, Alexan-
dria, Norfolk, Richmond, Lynchburg, and vari-
Gus others, of much importance, tho less pro-
minent (; 10 the equally fiourishing cities and
towns of the new countries, from tue mouth of
the Mississippi to the head Of the Ohio-New
Orleans, Natchez, Louisville, Cincinnati, Mays
vile and Pittsburg, and all the intermediate
villages and esta bishments, by means of a safe
and easy inland navigation, more than 1000
miles in extent, interrupted by a portage OF
less than 30 miles in the one case, and not ex-
ccediDg TO- on the most extended plan, as prac-
ticable OF Improvement, presenting as few diff
ficulties. and atfordiug nsgreat store OF mate
rails both of ston aud timber, as is to he found
in any part sfthese States, of the same extent,
opens views of prosperity, happiness and ad.
vantage, national and individual, the extent of
which ii would be equally difficult 10 foresee OF
to describe.
In CONNIE roial point of view, instead of
hazardous voyage coastwise from the various
Atlantic ports TO the Mississippi, and in hume
rous cases, a protracted inland navigation, a.
gainst stream, from 1000 to 1000 miles, or slow
and difficult conveyance in Wagons, from I6G
to 800 miles, TO the upper points OF eastern navi-
cation; the immensequantities of rich merchsn-
die consumed in the west, as we'll us the yari-
Gus manufactures of the Atlantic towns, will
be transported through the very heart of the
Republic, at half the expence, in shorter time
and at little hazard, by an easy and safe ascen-
ding navigation from Richmond, by the James
River, to the base of the Allegheny, across that
mountain by n portage of from 80 to loo miles,
to the nearest navigable western river, and
thence by the current of the kanawha, the o.
lilo aud the Mississippi, TO their various places
of destination affording bread. employment
aud wealth TO large number of the diversified
classes of your citizens.
Conversely, many OF the valuable products
Al 4 e..
trie> washed by these rivers will find their way
through the same chaDnclto the Atlantic ports,
opening new and advantageous markets, and
recipr0cally benefitting the western cultivator
and the eastern merchant.
In a political point of view, the benefits which
must result from free commercial intercourse
between different portions of the Republic, are
not less obvious. The reciprocal interchange
of friendly sentiments and friendly acts Datu-
rally exercised between men III the mutual pur-
suit of profit and convenience, binds man to
man, family to family and nation TO nation, by
the most indissoluble ties. The good policy of
cherishing these amiable dispositions, and of
binding together the citizens ofthe most remote
parts of this extensive country, by the strong
letters of Interest and affection, is too plain TO
require Illustration.
Believing, as your memoTialsts do, that the
advantages they have suggested at least, will
result from the accomplishment of the great
work they are SO DESTROYS TO see effected, they
appeal with confidence to the liberality ef the
Legislature oil the nation, for such AID as II may
deem proper to give towards its speedy execu-
ton whether this shall be effected by the u.
States opening, at their sole expense, the road
connecting the James and Greenbrier rivers,
with the assent OF the state of Virginia, as in
the case of the national road from Cumberland
TO brownsville, leaving to the state and ndivid-
nails the opening OF the navigation or, the u.
states becoming stockholders, i'll "a company
which will be speedily formed for This pur-
pose {; or, by appropriating such sum as might
he deemed expedient cut of the fund reserved
for the formation of roads, from The navigabe