Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-12-11

the State, and accessible 1t all points for
every description Of necessary supply. The
State itself would become, in effect, an
extended military camp. with the faculty
Of Immediately combining her whole dis
possible power Of men and means wherever
and whenever her purposes Of defence
might require. Looking Il this a one Of
the triumphant and conservative results Of
the policy in question, il is undeniable.
that however exclusive and local its ordi-
nary benefits may be thought tobe, here
al least is one vital particular in which the
benefit will be acknowledged by the judg-
ment and patriotism Of all to belong to the
State. Hence too, it seems, that the At
lantic and tide-water section, assumed to
be the most independent Of all others of
this policy, has yet an evendul interest in
il the greatest of all, for there il no other
to which its succour can ever be so help
full in that last extremity which casts life
and property and every thing which is
precious to people upon the hazards of
the sword.
10 order to carry these views into any
thing like corresponding effect, could
not present to your consideration a mar
rover range ofinternal Improvement than
that which have heretofore recommen.
ded. So long ss the Western, Northwes-
tern and Southwestern portions Of the
State are without the commercial outlets
which they ought to have, neither one Of
them can be passed by without, absolute
injustice. Each one is in need Of the bel.
ping hand Of the Siate--each one is emit.
tied TO receive il, and each one is capable
OF making an ample requital for all it may
get. A main difficulty in relation TO them
has always been, how to provide for them
all at the same time, without hazardlng
too far the creation ofan oppressive deb; !;
or how on the other hand, to apply the re-
sources of the State TO each one separate.
ly and 10 turn without exciting the dis
trus, aud hostility Of the rest In what.
ever way this difficulty may be met,
whether by successive and united provi.
sion, it is sill certain that no measures
can commend the confidence and co-ope-
ration which are indispensable to final sue.
cess, that do not, in some form or other,
convey satisfactory assurance to each
particular section, that it willnot and can
not be neglected. The nature aud extent
Of that assurance, leave TO be devised BY
J yourselves. The Northwest should be
satisfied, that if nothing more is given, the
million Of dollars at least, which has been
contingently subscribed for its benefit,
should no, DO Withdrawn; the West, that
ihe promised connection between the tide.
water and the Ohio river should be made
good and the South west, that its many
and its just claims. which have been so
long and injuriously denied, shall be do.
MED no longer, and that tho request which
i. now makes, if not substituted by some.
thing better, shall be fully, Immediately
and heartily complied with.
In relation to the improvement, en,rus.
ted to the James River and Kanawha
Company, | regret to inform you that i, is
in no better situation, es to its progress,
than i, was a year ago. nor likely TO be in
any better one, IN that respect, a year
hence than It is now, unless the Company
shall be supplied with other funds than its
own to 60 on with its work. 1t is now
upwards of,bree years since all operations
upon this line above Lynchburg have cea
SEED for want of means to do more. These
means, the Company cannot raise upon
its own responsl SiIlty, nor out OF any prop.
srty which belongs to it. |, is without
funds beyond its daily liabilities, wiihou,
property to convert into funds. without
credit to borrow them upon, with hun
bred and forty-six miles only completed
of the four hundred and eighty committed
TO its charge, and with buia single year
remaining offs chartered time to complete
the residue; thus situated, it can hardly
be doubted that any further reliance upon
IL 20 prosecute and finish its work is q
mere illusion, which could end only in
disappointment and delay. The whole
dependence Of this Company for some
time before it stopped it's operations was,
in some form or other, upon the aid of,he
State; it's whole dependence now, for the
continuance Of these operations, is upon
the same aid. II il is granted, the Com.
pany becomes neither more or less than
the agent oil the State for the management
Of its money. and in this light, considering
that It is mainly corporation OF corpora.
lions, whose several functions have moth
ing in comm IN with railroads and canals,
and that its responsibilities are only to it.
self, It is, perhaps, as little suited for the
application If the public funds, as any
sgent TO which the Legislature could ev-
er think Of committing them. AS every
dollar, therefore, Of the money upon which
this work is to be prosecuted, must come,
if at all from the State, i. is the clear duty
OF the Legislature to reserve to itself the
direct and entire control Of all it may
grant. and secure its due application un.
der the most public and searching respon.
siblliy il can establish.
Without adverting to the administra.
ton OF this Company for any purpose Of
criticism upon its expenditures or failures,
but regarding i, only IN its actual condi-
ton, aud seeing that it has accomplished
all that it is able to accomplish, tina, it is
powerless to do any thing more, and that
il is radically unfit, by reason Of its pecu.