Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-03-24


piercing two-thirds of the whole Union, this stu
Pendous agent is now carrying inland COM
mcrcc unparalleled IN tho history of the world.
But let mo ask You TO iii, for moment, that vicl
which separates the present from the future, and
looking forward some fifty a hundred years hence
tell me what then tn DC tho Condition Of that
try and what the extent OF ITS commerce. should IT
please Divine Providence long To preserve tn us
tho blessings OF our free institutions. Contemplate,
for moment, the period when thosc state, now hut
infant gnnts, shall have become filed up with u
free. industrious, and cnterpriSng population. Their
numbers Will then have been more than quadrup-
lej:-new sources of wealth will have been disco
vored, and further improvements IN the apple
OF steam power TO locomotive purposes, viii have
been made, by tho followers of Fulton and Perkins.
Already has tho poetic prophecy Of Darwin been
neatly realized.
"Soou shall thy arm, INC conquered steam, aCar
Drag the slow barge, OF drive the rapid car;
Or on WIDE waving wings expanded, trar
Tho ayins chanoi through the h"ds Of air
whether we regard the present. prospective nd-
vantages OF connection with this fertile region,
by an easy and open communication, never were
man, than those which press themselves upon
Will 1t DC said tina: Improvement secure 10
Virginia the benefits OF that coL.mcrce' Let us
briefly examine that position; one wh CHI know I'M
fortunately tn have bscn assumed by many OF those
who have much At heart the interest of the state,
but which, ain sure, must b. abandoned up III full
inquiry into the relative advantages which enjoy.
Commerce will always seek the shortest and most
direct rout To market when e2GuI Qualities al
forded, and will always select that direction which
furnishes a choice of market. When intended for
foreign expectation, that port VIII invariably be pro
fcrrcd Which supplies the most constant aud rcgu-
Tar means Of trans-shprcnts. Taking New York,
Phladclphia. New OC-ans. rnd Nurlo.i, as the
four point. on the Sea Coast, standing a. rivals for
the trade of tho west, let ,hc relative
claims Of each. III reach tho city o, NV York tie
productions of much the most cvtrnsI portion Of
the montana states. must necessarily travcr Sc
nc W lens .! of ru T.,
distance OF 307 there they must encounter the
frequently boistercus navigation of Lake Erie, and
beyond II, cnef the N"w-NoTk Caunl. winch they
mus, dcscrrd f,r 363 miles. and than pas by the
North River Ia the city ot New York. Nearly the
whole cxcn. Of this Inc lies in a northern la,iiudc
and very CO.'S drrabc portion of 1t closed ny
ce. upon age of near four mon h, in the year
As to he Interruptions # the Erie Canal, W. have
the test vt experience. In relation 10 those which
w II occur upon the Oho Canal. We can form II
pretty accurate r,tmae for the climate of the NOR
part OF Ohio - inc omCnt = that OF Nrw York
Here, ih"n, are these Two great divisions OF h,
communlcl ION form ne together distance OF 60
miles, thus liable to this setiohs delay and nconyc-
nence, and scpdrs cd from each other by that rrcat
in and sea, Lake Ere, the navigation of which Is of.
ten perilous that Of tho ocean. The use Of he
North River from Albany 10 New-Iork, Is subject
to tho same interrupt ions with those of the Canal.
IL will be rccoIl"C'cd too, that st ppage of any
part o: the line Is for The time being, obstruction
of the whole.
frndnce lnt"nu2d Tor fhiladciphla must ascend
the OHIO River TO PIttsburg, from which place II
will b. transported partly by Canal aud partly by
Slack-waicr Nayga ion. 10 Columbia. ana thence q
distance of 30 miles by Rail Road Upon por-
ton OF the Ohio River, and the whole water com
munlca'Iou through Pennsylvania The same difficult
ties will wlih those described as Belonging IA
tho line leading New York. Add 20 thcs, tn,
almos, total suspension of bu, mess on the Upper
Osc, dur ny tho greater part of the summer, be-
q the mpraCl liability OF steamboat nsvira,inn
~ .I,n-
On only CLOSED by during tho win'cr: !hus cutlno
of The means cf foreign exporta ion, and you have
the faciliti and thc inducements intended to con-
duct the trade of the mighty west to the city Of Phi
iadeipbin
The objections toa downward cnmmercp with New
Orleans, are OF character different from those which
attach TO an intercourse with the cities Of the north;
but upon examination, will be found even more serous
and insuperabc. In that direction there is bat one
mayket-Eew Orleans itself. There is no choice and
consequently no competition. The farmer from the
upper country, carries hs produce there always with
great uncertainty "a the price which he to
for it, Should he be fortunate enough TO arrive when
there are but few cagoes in port, ne is amply rewar
ded for his long voyage but it. is not unfreuuent!y
the he finds fleet Of fiat boats block aiding the
quay, his produce must either upon his hands or
be disposed Of for song. 1t 10 impossible that pop
uiation OF 4sd67, can consume the produce of the
immense country above IT. and the unhea thy climate
Of that CITY, together with its unfortunate position for
purposes Of foreign commerce, prevent its
becoming large and popuous place, or the outlet Of
tno IAuC OF tue Vestefn states Although situated
upon the noblest river IN the world, with thousand
streams flowing into it, bearing the tribute of almost
every climate, yet nature seems unalteraby to have
hxed the destiny OF Orleans, in the impure at.
mosphere by which it is surrounded aud the perilous
navigation BY which It is approached from the ocean
1t is located upon soil saturated with water, which
may be discovered at the depth Of two feet below the
surface, and ricompsssed by Stamps and morasses
whose exhaations more deleterous th.n those OF
the Ponline Marshes. 1t is the grave Of thousands
who have been lured there by the prospect Of gain;
always visited with apprehension, and would very
nersliy avoided, were othe; and less Objectionable
markets opened, to the people Of the west.
There arc many causes winch do, and must contin.
ne TO operate against Orleans exporting city.
The first is TO be found in it's heated ayr as unfricndy
to the soundncss and preservation " the general ar-
Giles Of commerce Of that country, is fatal to hu-
man life sd-sus, beef. pork, and all that class
OF perishabe produce. which will constitute the prin
cpai exports Of the upper vses Of tho Mississippi and
Ohio, can never, with safety, BIO shipped from that
point In an atmosphere producing decomposition,
sometimes within few hours the necessary delays Of
repscking and ransshpments, cannot be encounter.
ell This doe" not apply to the sugar and cotton of
the lower country. The sPcood uIiection IL