Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-10-26
FOR THE EvQUIRER.

\ due regard to truth, induces me TO offer few
self ".f Political Economist" In the Richmond En-
qurer Of August 2ith, 1880. a.iat-.a 1885,
4" a Political Eeonomisf' has got hold of letter,
written by H. p. Taylor, about eleven years ago. and
made some commentaries it, calculated to de,ract
| from that zeal which Mr.. Taylor has always been
known TO manifest on the subject of the internal inn
| provement Of Virginia. enat Esd
| Mr. Taylors letter. referred TO by g II Political
Econonst'' (sec Richmond Enquirer, September 17th,
1917 obviously written in haste, In tho woods in
careless familiar style, to friend; and apparently
Designed for the public The comments of a Poiiti-
cal Econonsi upon il, to have been careless
written as the textfor, in six short paragraphs Il
| Political Economist" exhibits misconsruction,
two prevaricatons, and three mis- statements.
JMseons'ruction---He mputes to Mr.. Taylor this
language" Unless Virginia find wealth and terri
tory within her own limits for trade from her own ives.
tern sec'ions sufficient justify the expense of the
improvement Of the land and tcafer tCuys tcih-
IN her o,cn borders sc. applying the remark general
W, to ALL the improvements In the State; whereas the
sentence used i'm Mr.. Tayors letter by way of argu-
ment, this" unless can find wealth and terri
tory within the limits Of Virginia, this way (by
way Of James and Kanawha rvers sufficient to Justify
the expense of making this improvement SC. viz the
then proposed improvement of James and Kanawha
rivers only which clearly shews that Mr. Tayor's
mark quoted, was intended to apply exclusively 10 the
proposed Improvement Of James and Kanawha rivers
and not to any other existing proposed public work
in the State. And in the latter part of Mr. Taylors
letter there is long calculation and argument made
shew that there is wealth and territory enough within
the limits of Virginia, which must necessarily trade
through James and kanawha rivers TO justify the then
proposed improvement of them; and such Is the whole
tenor and effect of his letter, particularly the Ka.
nawha road which he argued, might pay for itself In a
short period of years. ~ n-to01 l1u tnt
| Ist Preparicafion-"A Political Economist cites
the progress of the Chesapeake aud Ohio Canal and of
the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road. to shew {" the
changes which eleven years have effected by way of
knocking MIR. Taylors speculaons in the head" The
remark in Mr. Taylor's letter, which Political Eco
nom here refers to, applies plainly and ercissirely
to the trade of that part Of Ohio which Is on and
| NV fwp min apdh lie.
sssippi rivers-the other, Muskingum, Kyaoga, lake
Erie, and the New York canal. Nothing there said
by Mr.. Taylor, about the union of Pssnac and Monon
gaheah rivers; but, If Political Economist had
turned TO the report Of Thomas Moore the chief
engineer, with whom Mr. Taylor associated an
assistant) to the Board Of Public Works. in December
1920, he would have found Tint shome which is
commonly called the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal for the
first time officially recommended (see 9Th Annual re-
port OF Board of Public Works, page 80 TO 56 although
had been incidentally spoken of by George Washing
ton in letter TO the House Of Delegates in 1888 which
gave rise 10 the Potomac Company and by Albert Ga
latin and Andrew Eicou in an ndenitive core spon
dence, about thirty years ago.
2a Preparcation--sA Political Economist impu,es
to Mr.. Taylor this sentence: he thinks that produce
could be shipped from the head Of Vetc river cheaper
by the Greenbrier and Ohio, and thence 10 New Or
leans, than to the Atlantic, by the Roanoke and Abe
marie Sound" and then he quotes the Dismal Swamp
Canal, and the Petersburg Rail Road knocking all
this speculation in the head whereas the sentence in
Mr. Tavlors letter. is follows'" doubt whether a
farmer living the head OF New river, could put
ton oil MS produce on board oil snip the Atlantic
ocean, safer and cheaper by way Of the Green6rier
route than by the Roanoke roucso great the diff
Guilty of passing out by the Aibomarle Sound" Tho
I" Greenbrer route here spoken of is down New river
TO Greenbrier up Greenbrier Howards creek across
to James river and down the 10 The Atlan.ic and
the Roanoke route" spoken OF is, the mountains
from New river to Roanoke, and do yn the same, and
the Albemarle Sound, to the Atlantic
i ls .Msstatement-He ascribes to Mr.. Taylor this
sentiment: &c He doubts the assertion, that trade will
come from Ohio, Indiana, &C. across Virginia TO the At
antc; his is that Ne,c York will intspes and
make communication between .N,tskingum and the
Lakes, and II this be the case New York could carry
produce from Ohio TO port in Europe, cheaper than
Vir, inia Such not Mr.Taylors angua ge-To sup
pose that the STATE of New York either would or could
" interpose, and make communication the
State Of Ohio, from Muskingum 10 Erie, would be
granting to State degree of power TO interfere
with the local affairs of another State far beyond what
State Rights man would concede: Mr.. Taylors Ian
guage asifoows: Considerable trade is anicipat-
ed Ito Virgna) from Ohio, Indiana &c.-this nny
be doubted, because New York will have water
communication by way OF her canal. and the Lakes
clear across the heads of those States; and told
that 1t would be quite easy 10 form, wafer communica-
ton between the Lake and Muskingur'-by the State
of Ohio surely sand il so, the Workers might probably
he able to convey given quantity of merchandise from
port in Europe to Ohio river for less money than we
could viz light articles of much value in proportion
| to weight, might probably be imported from Europe
Ohio by way of New York the cheapest but heapy ar
cles exported from Ohio to Europe, mght still pass
down Ohio and Mississippi. the cheapest; remark
proved bv every days practice
| 81 .Nisstdtenient--He imputes to Mr.. TAYLOR this
sentence: New Orleans will become equal almost
any Atlantic port, and in order prove the fallaev
of this ilea, he says, let the Baltimore railway be
completed, and the produce of the Hest will find its
cheapest road 10 market iy that railway, and those
to which will give rise" Mr. Taylors sentence was
this: Mississippi river is becoming theatre of com
MERGE almost equal to the Atlantic, and the mouth of
Ohio or Missouri 81. Lpuis for example,) may in
process OF time become market almost equal TO any
Atlantic port obviously taking for granted, that Or
leans must needs be equal eer long, TO am Atlantic
port-he Alexandra OF America, for although goods
from Europe may pass by the Baltimore Rail Road TO
the upper part of Ohio valley, yet very little hear pro-
duce pass from that valley land from below
the centre of m to Europe, that way, cheap down
the Mississippi.
3D. MissfGtement He attributes to Mr. TAYLOR this
| language: "tade is expected from New river; North
Carolina proposes communication thence to Roanoke
(by Dan rver he dobs the possibility of this isolated
measure" No such doubt was expressed by Mr..
Taylor. 7nf'f
al Political Economisp' says, that 'eto attempt
canals and river navigation, i'm climate so dry, and
quick, is Ridiculous" II he will read the very able
reports of Thomas Moore the chief engineer in 1919
and of Claude Crozet the present able chief engineer
made in 1926, If he will examine the nine num-
bers, TO be found on file in the Richmond Enquirer for
January and February eighteen hundred and twenty
sir on the subject of continued canal from Richmond
to Point Pleasant, written by that same H. P TAYLOR
over the signature Of " n Citizen Of the Hest" he
may possibly recall the term ridiculous" Nor is
Mr. TAYLOR less friendly to roads than canas in proof
of which would refer Political Economist TO his
official acts while engineer; and another letter of his
Enclosed, which ! met with about year ago, from