Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-03-01


Nhe very use of which expressions ought almost
To be tresson) it is Division Of puginia-one
part from TIE othertClich see as the i,,ec,t06te
consequence Of this fatal railroad. Shall we
then prostrate ourselves before this second Jug
gernaut, of which we are almost Ignorant the
worshippcrs OF that foiSe god are OF him, in order
that the wheels of his car inay crush us to atoms
or shall we return 10 the Col Of our Fdthers, and
through his mercy, seek ,,ion and trotheriy lore,
mutual forbearance, and regard for each others
interests and manifest our obedience and gratitude
10 him, by proper use OF the blessings he has SO
literally bestowed on us'
Let us, in some way or other, get this railroad
out of our way, and let il be talked oi OK
cept as dcltisre dream Let US 20 at once
To make an experiment of the lock and dam sys-
TEN on the James River, you have now got the
report before you on that subject.
Have the Potomac and Roanoke also examined,
with view to that kind Of navigation. IL they
are susceptible OF it, il will have the double effect,
OF making good navigation and giving health to
their borders.
In the mean time, suspend the act, il it canno;
So,c be repealed, and invite the company to select,
and lay down that line Of improv emcnt they would
most desire, and al;o what route they win take
e. the Little Kanawha-so that, il a railroad is
ultimately the wish of the people, thasroute most
bseiy 10 be useful, may be selcctcd.-lf the dam
and lock experiment succeeds, our three great
rivers at least, aad have doubt, also OF tho
Shenandoah, would pay Tor the Improvement; and
al not fully at first, TO ALL, will ovcrgo il
enough 10 make up for any deficiency III others.
They might all be going on together; for, if you
estimate, with toierable accuracy, the expencc OF
Improvement, las YOU can in the case of dams ana
iocks,) and ii the kn0tcn tonnage, such
would probably go on the river, in case of d good
navigation, will pay, nearly pay, the interest,
there Is no danger at all 10 the State ia putting
mem under contract On the contrary, the SOON
err the better The resources of The State soouer
developed; and hope, ei,teTpri-e, industry and
srGdtth would spread throughout the State, and
take the place OF that apathy, popert4 and despair
which now oyerwheins us, and which too often, in
the case OF States, well as individuals produces
suicide
The freedom Of my remarks is not dictated by
any feeling of disrespect to any one, much less
10 the Legislature OF my State: than whom
more tncofTttpti6le body does not exist. think,
though, that the great political we'll pecuiiq-
~ interests OF my State, are, on mistaken views,
most seriously IN d2nger. exercise the rights
% free citizen in demonstrating against the mea
sure which produces that danger. Unfortunate
iy for my country, stand alone before the corld,
ihough, am not alone, nor singular in my opin
cons; and have reason to believe will be less
ana less alone, as the consequences more unfold
themselves.
1t is time for Virginia 10 awake from her death
tihe slumber. She has it in her power, if dams and
locks will make good navigation, to improve all her
streams without any increase of taxation; aud the
moment that Is done, her cities and towns win
flourish; Norfolk will be the enporilm-the
New York of the Middle States, with several Al
oanys to back her, and with as large back coun-
try to support them as New York has. The Off
ciai reports OF your Engineers support me in all
this. beg leave to oppose these official docu-
me7ts, founded on unqltestioed facts and zaathe-
2dficol demonstrations, to the uiSons of the Wes-
tern memorials, in favour of Baltimore ana Mary
land, against Virginia and Norfolk.
IL, when the work is all done, we should have to
lay taxes to pay some portion of the interest on
loans, we will be better able TO pay $40 then, than
50 now The value OF our estates every where,
will be doubled. During the progress of this work
we Will always have surpluses Of monies on hand,
out OF which to pay interest on loans.
have more than once concluded my remarks,
supposing was trespassing too much your pa
uence; but "a this Is NY last BdiHe-f felt and as
am neither dismaqed nor exhausted, bear with
me patiently beseech YOU. have said that
Norfolk is the emporium of the Middle States, if
prgin5a triHs it:-that, by nature, she stands
next TO, II not before, N. York. This, with many,
may be calculated TO discrsiit me, to my other
assertions and rea oning although am supported
by the official Report OF your Engineer on
your table.
Suppose the Susguehanna River improved thro'
the mountains, anil from that, Tor hundreds of miles
into the interior. That the Potomac is improved
atleast TO Fort Cumberland, to unite with the
Western Turnpike James River to Dunlap's
Greek, there uniting with our Western Turnpike
and the Roanoke TO the mountains: Leaving the
question OF complete union with the Ohio, either
by the Potomac or James River, or bo:h, out OF
our present view.
Then, let us suppose merchants fran the reroofe
parts OF the Susquchanna- from Wheeling and the
upper parts of Ohio-From the mouth of the Great
kanawha, and from the Middle or Lower parts
OF Ohio and Kentucky-from the South Western
parts OF Virginia aud Tennessee, and from Virgil
MIA on the Roanoke below the Mountains and
Carolina, on the other side Of that river ,ceye dU
an Wen York purchasing goods of a merchant for
their various stores. They are asked, Ayi ere shall
ship yonr goods to- The first says TO Port De
post, IT an opportunity offers, il not, to Norfolk
can get them there at any time. The second SAYS
10 Alexandrli,h chance offers, if not TO Norf9Ik
The third says TO Richmond or Norfolk The
fourth says TO Norfolk. These are the great out
lines OF The skeleton might have filled il up with
all the intermediate commerce for eueTv coua-
tJy store, wherever situated within those bounda-
RES, and with all towns on the tide-w water of
our State But the sagacious merchant fills that
UP himself. 1t does not cost him above three ru5s
OF ms forehead TO discover that q house IL, Nor
folk tCH meet Hthese customers there. and that
considering the shOrttesS Of distance and the n
ooidn8 the rfSqfes Of the seas, they can alord to
give him more there for his goods; and that at ali
events, they will give him the preference: he inn
medIately tells them he has concluded to send out
house to Norfolk, and solicifs their patronage
and that Of their friends, &C.. Others do the same
and so on, as we see the merchants every day
meeting their customers on Turnpike roads &c
80 soon as place becomes great mart for the
safe OF foreign go0ds, it will become one for the
FuTthnSe and SHIPMENT OF those productions of the
country which are to pay for them New York
and Philadelphia see this. I have conversed with
some Of their citizens. Baltimore secs it as plain
az she sees the Stet an tfe F5rpGmenf; and knows
wen what she nil gam, and what IRE mil lose
her real property is TO rise 200 per cent on the
turning OF the first shovel on he Raj Road
whence comes it, Not because she is TO get tl,c
trade OF West Virginia aud Tennessee That she