Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-12-08

The vast scheme that proposes TO connect Inc
waters otthc Ohio and james, happily at length
undertaken and in progress, will accommo-
date the trade and travel of the West. scheme
that proposes, besides, 10 invite TO our markets
portion Of the immense trade Of the States sepa-
rated from us by the Ohio River, and which,origi-
nally reconmeu aided by Washington, aud snbse-
queniy sanctioned by the approval of our wisesi
and most discerning citizens possesses still the con
hdcnee of men wi ose confidence is not hastily vel
ded n even if viewed as some view it in tire light
! of an experiment. is 81, SO Grand in lis conception,
and il successful, intellectually beneficial M its
results, that the possibility of failure, that "a, most
eau be hui partial ought not 10 iegh against us VI
gorous prosecution, or suffer the idea OF its aban-
donment to be for a moment entertained What
ever may he the ISSUE of This great and too
/ long deferred Improvement, none who have wit
messed with what benefits similar undertakings have
been iraught to other States can doubt the splen-
did results that must have cnsued 10 Virginia, had
she been the first to invite ,bS suitable inducements,
the trade Of the West To her own seapors--rc-
suits, confidently believe, tia, might have been
seen al this day IN her cities, second any
in the Union and III the retention OF her former
proud pre,eminencc IN population, in opulcnce
and power.
Surely in the irretrievebe loss in great part a,
least, of this vast trade, she has paid dearly e.
noueh for her supnenes, and the narrow, tmiJ,
and short sighted counscs to which she has listen
ed,
Let her not set the seal forever, on her relative
and growing lnlerIorliy State, by allow ing The
sole remaining stake worth playing for, already
Jeopardized by our ncrncss, 10 be wrested from
her by the superior cn,erprize, and mere iar-see
ing policy OF neiehborng States. The trade of
the South West is that stake. 1t is now ours
hut reaches ,nd IN al aud
greatly lesscnrd in extent by reason OF the tedious,
diifIculi, and costly transportation 1t is compelled
to encounter. That obstacle removed, our trade
with that region would swell al once into a full
and ample tide, treghied vii incal,ulable ben
rhis TO the whole coumir, along its line, and
srnslbly adding to the resources and power of the
State.
These important, ends may be attained by con-
strnctng Railroad from point towards the
head Of navigation ON James River 10 The Tennes-
see line
he practicability al constructing such a WORK
without stationary power, and at no extraordinary
expense has been placed beyond doubt BY the Cob
cnrren, reports oil Me,srs. Crozrt & Shaw and AZ
am lniormed,o of Mr. Thompson also AN Engineer
VINO has been engaged the last season, surveying
the line. convention of delegates assembled from
TENNESSEE Nrsina, nj Abingdon in 1881, to
promote this Improvement, assrttaincd from salts
factory data that the thea existing trade and irav-
Ell along the contemplated route would richly
pay the cost OF construction, while that of trans
por'aon would be materially reduced and vet
that trade, viewing the capabilities of agricultural
production,N the latent mineral wealth Of that re-
gion, both OF which would be called into Immediate
dclopnicnt by am impro, ed Communications could
not fa TO be speedily increased TO an extent which
1t would b" difficult to com lecture, while one
can assign limits to the amount of travel ultimate
~ topass over line destined, before Ioag period,
to traverse the States of Tennessee, Alabama and
LOUISIANA, ana to afford to vast population, the
shortest, cheapest and best route to the Seat OF the
$ General Governments and The great commercial
D cities OF the East.
The beneficial influence likely to be excr,cd on
: our infant manufacturing establishments by intro
duclng the cotton oi the South and the wool OF
5 Our own grazing districts tlruugh the proposed
channel, requires illustration, and still less is it
: necessary to point out particularly the yet more
G certain and more extensively beneficial effects OF
increased inland travel on our foreign commerce,
recentlv SO auspcIously revived & on the crea-
/, ton, among ourselves, of some great emporium of
buslness-ilc heart, to SPEAK, tthc system, re-
: cciyng and returning through every VEN and arte-
~ the Likelihood that gives health and vigor
:, to the Commonwealth \ closer association,
moral and political, of the citizens OF the East and
West, as well as Il greater equalization of advan-
, taees TO the most neglected portion of the State
might also be expected to result from the improve
inent, while its influence in arresting the tide OF
emigration that SO long and so dsastrously to Vr-
g'nIa has set Tram her, and the facility wherew m
military force might, ON en- rgencv, be speedily
concentrated, present motives for its execution,
which recommend themselves strongly to the
patriotic consideration of the Legislature.
! The very efficient aid it would afford to our
great central improvement, is, also very Interest,"
ing consequence OF its accompl ishmcnt-and, per-
laps, adequate ofiiselfto enable that work to over
come every obstacle in the way of its completion
In addition to all Which the in pressing on the trade
Of Tennessee & Alabama IN an Eastern direction
IN anticipation of that magnificent scheme, which
! might divert it towards moe Southern market,
is itself most urgent why this State should
undertake and complete it without DELAY.
The tavori,e and established Joint stock system
of Virginia, admirable il is, will scarce suffice.
, undertaking referred to- Or, AT least, moi til after
a period when OF the advantages now offered
b, II, will have been irrccoverably lost. The in
aptitude OF that system to this case results from
Tie deficiency of capirnl along the proposed line
to i'n,sh tile propoitlnnae individual subscriptions
winch 1t demands, and from the hopeessness of
obtaining adequate Subscription elsewhere The
irn'olehess OF the work from the great dcpots of
capital I'll" startling character to those who h,ve
not viewed them nearly. of the ply steal dificul,c.
to he o,rrcont-ihe novelty in some of il, E.a.
lures, ana magnitude of the undertaking, and at
tins time, the scarcity Of money! extinoush all hone
lat an,,,,,, 80. IL.