Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-01-27
RICHMOND. JANUARY 81 1871

Indian country

i nt" ~, uds Diaut TON lie pro-
pose" plans Tor opening and improving
commercia! Intercourse between The
ca tern ana western parts OF Virginia, by
the James. Jsckson's and Kanawha r;
Veis) some remarks which are calculated
To ercite attention, and which ceramic 70
quire notice.
am also q friend 70 Improvement am
one OF th,'se who have, ever since The
Western COMMUNICATION MAS fir, sno-
gested, been fully convinced ,ba, lie
most important interests OF the stale are
involved Ia the contemplated inprove.
Henis. Thai benefits OF the FIRST may.
nnude may resul, from them. i,,s necrs
sary they should be planned sciik vjsdon,
and executed NTH fdetity. On one ni these
points II behoves every friend his conn.
Try I" be waichful; but before he BRO
nounces his dIciun, he ought TO have a
knowledge "f every fact requisite for
FORMING correct Judgment. otherwise he
WIN be mare likely To injars than IL aid
a good cause. On nll great AID interest
ing subjects, honest differences of opinion
may ot expected, aud no evil can result
rom "i'chSsing them temporarily. but
OH tue contrary Knowledge will he en-
creased, where candor gives law 10 the
combai, and where tFuth. and uot fyivuaDh
Is Tie hnai object OF all parties. On ,brst
terms, IN The most peiferi good h,,nnr
enter the lists.
The Friend to Improvement. in his se-
eand Paragraph, says, 81 agree will Ci.
Wis, &c that more than twenty vrsrs
viii roll over before 1000 600 bushels
" coal will be Brought down Jane. riv,r
unless The coal business is lo>,ered i;
'her 10y The naiioaal or stale legislature. >
HE concluding sentence IN this para.
graph IS those gcnil,mtn thai are en-
gagedin tic coal business are 6tfteroua-
lii d to give en- orc,oGte statement Tran
" Tie s0'1ter.'
Since reading ibis essay, I have exa-
mined ihr printed reports Of the eny,
neers. In pages 90 Il 100 81 the report
OF The principal engineer. find these
words. From what has been said. i,
would appear, that vt'rv Lang auan
NY OF coal might BE- expected to pas>
dawn The canal !he first wear; bnt*I
VIII not rely entirely on mn onn iude
menf, for Information relaiiy.. to his
point. An intelligent aud highly res
peciabie collier ,cAo is PERHAPS more
largely engaged an the business tkan am
ofhe' person, has been consulted on lie
occasion, who gives il a. his opinion,
ina, u viii he quite safe 10 calculate
on $500. 900 bushels being transferred
ny water, The first year after the nayiga
ZION small be so iar completed as 10 adj
nit OF the passage of bnais carving
one Thousand bushels 10 Rockets. and
being There nnloaded wiIhnut detention.
And ihal u ia, business can Le prose
cuied successfully, $500, 900 bushels
per ah"n,n may confidently be calcu
iatea on. The addilional engineer, in
ms rep"ri' page 50, r.trrs expressly 10
'he prlnclpai rngIueeT Tor dstatis on this
"i NE subject, aVowing lis CONCUR.
renee In opinion
This writer and the engineers are here
4ariy at ISSUE; and II seems somewha,
cuflnuS that each party has referred the
Case 10 ne same description Of umpire
a gentleman engaged, and idrgeiy engaged
fn Me cosL business. What IL IN. asy.3d2
lhda 20 years FAUST eiapsr before . 900.
600 bushels OF coal will come down james
River! M; but "ilai il will b. ante
:. 'Gfe To calculate on 2, 500 600 bushels
" The first year. and 600, 900 bushels DER
AMMAN may cogfdemJ be calculated
on, afterwards.
Ihr Friend TO Improvement asks
Question deriving liz only importance
rem Tie assumption on wiIlch II resis,-
L say assumption, because he has given
us go evidence, other iiian his assertion.
thai II is Jdct. How came IL 10 pass
says br)" that the only conirac, thai has
been entered into by the directors of The
James River COnpamy aud received the
appreciation of the commissioners for
short distance Ol the contemplated ism.
pToy'ment OF The river should be neayiy
ao"Ote me two engineers estimate, r Ii
lie facf be, III ma0Oer and form, as as
snmeh III Tie question. that the amount
OF HE contra t as nearly double that Of the
TWO engineers estimates, II seems 10 me
70 follow, that either the engineers have
made their estimates so unreasonable low
as 10 forfeit all claim 20 confidence i'm
lheiF judgment, or the directors of The
James R'ver Company, and Ike commits
sionersI have enieIed into aud approved
a contract on terms so exiravagant as 10
forfeit all claim TO confidence in their n.
aehty. Unwilling 10 adopt, without The
clearest evidence, a cone llsion 50 serious
~ Charging respectable men with folly or
have obtained evidence which
completely confirms an established max.
I'm, that truth may be kept DOT of view.
and ITS natural course perverted, IL moi
reversed, by partial exhibition of facts
ind circumstances, each one perhaps in.
true, YET So arranged, that for
" ant OF very material circumstances not
lfated, Impressions may BE- made verv I'M
like the achote truth, and in their effects.
)flen even more mischieVons than those
made by direct JaisehOOds. am far from
charging the Friend TO Improvement"
With The intention of perverling truth: but
lie want OF care, or Of Industry, or OF
both, in examining the evidence necesss-
y for understanding whole subject bee
ore writer ventures TO publish his sem
imenis on IL, frequently produces az
much injHty, as could be inflicted by de-
igned malice.