Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-12-08
9fftf1e.totr0 enquirer


not in fact beneficial TO the Stale or individual
Stakeholder, bur injurious to both. Let no sucn
associations hereafter be formed. Let The State
build such Improvements as may be regaroea as
State works, and leave The tributaries to spring
out OF local or sectional necessity, and be Inc
works Of individual enterprise and means.
The two great works have 10 recommend 10
YOU are railroads: The one TO commence al buc-
hanan, the other al Gordonsville. The one frst
ma med will proceed through the great Souhwe
ern valley, developing the finest mountain coun.
try in Virginia, and perhaps 10 the world, until
il reaches The Tennessee line. From this point
am satisfied Tennessee will take up the improve
ment and carry il on 10 Knoxville, and down the
Tennessee river TO the Alabama line, and that
twill be carried on TO The city OF New Orleans
by The intervening States. This great improve
ment will nteIsect The Hiwassee railroad in Ten.
nessee, thus tapping The great work running rom
North Carolina Let US give pledge, that this
work shall be commenced without delay and
prosecuted 10 its completion. Lei Us send de-
legation TO the States through which this route
passes, and invoke simultaneous movement
and We shall, in few years. see this great "ork
completed Exhibiting railroad OF unequailed
exlen, and importance, and which will pour
food oil wealth into Virginia which will raise
her 10 position as proud and as lofty as was
claimed Tor her in her palmiest days.
The second great railway that propose, is TO
commence al Gordonsvle and is TO terminate
on The Kanawha or Ohio river. In selecting the
location Of This route, propose 10 press as far
| North as practicable My desire is 10 reach the
| headwaers OF The Greenbrier, The Elk the Lille
Kanawha, the Cheat and the Tygarts val
ley rivers. wish 10 reach that summit level,
if possible, with the main stem, because
from that point Improvements might move
off down The valleys ot those rivers, and
returning, bring TO the parent stem The rich
productions OF the West. II is believed that this
scheme will have To encounter great physical dill
fcuties. That they are great | readily grant;
but do not believe them 10 be as disastrous as are
| apprehended. The outlay may bs heavy, great
er than on any other rontes but enterprise and
perseverance guided by science are invincible,
and the equivalent will be found in the numerous
and important advantages which this route will
secure 10 Virginia First, it will retain within
our State a large amount OF produce which now
goes to Baltimore. Secondly, twill carry great
| improvement within easy reach OF the whole oil
Northwestern Virginia, especially that part of il
which is now anxions for what may be termed
| The Baitimnye night 0f 1ray. Third, il will give
10 a large section OF the Stale, now without an
adequate road the very best known style OF
improvement. Fourth il will concentrate within
our own State the resources and affections OF her
population and put an end u the ambitious and
selfish scheming OF foreign corporation Fifth,
j, will connect US wish The Ohio, and enable US
successfully 10 contend with the whole world for
the trade oil The Western valleys. These advan-
lagos may he ours, and are indispensable to our
real prosperity and independence
| But this work must be commenced al once and
with il must he associated the assurance oil lis
speedy prosecution. This, with knowledge oil
The fact, that This city affords the best grain mar
ket South OF New York, will doubt not satisfy
those parts OF Virginia interested in The right OF
way Let us carry on this important improve
menl with all reasonable despatch, and no Wiz
gilman, who feels in true and proper spirit the
honor and glory OF the name, will desire TO sepa-
rate from his brethren and unite his business, and
of course his attachments, with another State.
In connection with these views, and by re-
quest, communicate the proceedings OF Con-
venlion recently held in Staunton. BY like re-
quest, communicate those of large meeting,
held at Weston, on the 25lh Of September last
The object of this latter meeting is 10 secure the
rlgAt Of lcay 10 the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
corporation, through our State, as far South as
he mouth OF the Little Kanawha This compa-
ny has now The right to go through Virginia to
| Wheeling, but The great object is 10 touch The
Ohio lower down, mol only to &c, rid of the i'm
provemenls of other States TO the North, but 10 be
able successfully 10 contend with our conlempla-
ted improvement. ! speak advisedly when
stale that private capital can be obtained to con-
pect by railway The James and Ohio rivers, il the
| Safe will give pledge that no rival company
| shall be allowed 10 touch tue Ohio below Wheel.
| ing. But, without this pledge, private capital
will never undertake il. The destructive charac-
| ter OF railroad competition is we'll known 10 bust
ness men. England is suffering from il TO most
runous extent, and is now struggling 10 reform
| the evil by a union oil rival routes. We are not
without most unpleasant experience in our Stale
| Pcnns ylvnnia is guarding against it also, IN re-
| ference especially 10 This Baltimore and Ohio rail
road company. And shall We, unconscious OF
| 70 the adoption Of that policy which will build up
our Staie-and nnmindiul OF that common sense
| that should ever govern great public Interests,
| WELD 10 foreign corporation the right TO pene-
trate into The heart OF our State, and draw there
| from her vital blood 7 | am, however, satisfied,
gentlemen, that your legislative history will never
be illustrated by an act fatal TO The best interests
! OF our Stale. But il is my anxious hope that you
will proceed with all proper despatch to the COM
mcncement OF the two great works have recon-
| mended-by the first, connecting the city with The
great emporium OF the West, and bringing
| lhem within FORTY HOURS of each other;-by
| the second. connecting the Tide OF the Atlantic
| with the currents OF the beautiful Ohio -
The one. ultimately, by branches down the Roam
oke and the Valley 10 an intersection with The
road from Gordonsviile, and the other by
| branches into the Northwest, satisfying every
| reasonable want OF The great sections Oh Inc
| Stale Both without rivals 10 be regarded, and
| accumulaling throughout their long and mssn'
fccnt course the varied productions Of The richest
country upon The earth, would oil our treasury
and pour constant streams Of wealth into our
4 towns and cities, which would soon enable them
| proudly 10 rival the pIoudest cities of the world.
| Nor is this ALI the vast amount OF produce which
| would food our markets would necessarily pro-
| duce an immense navigation interest. Tide
wafer Virginia would become shipyard. Her
population would build our ships, own, and sail
| Them, and all would ice The ructiiying influence
of this mighty trade. Virginia would be pros
porous, and would soon become rich; would add
| 10 her high moral power The indispensable ele-
| ment of numbers, and would soon become great;
and would then be, wba, every Virgjnian must
an1iously desire, Independent. This is no fancy
! sketch The results OF these important improve
menls will prove more striking Than ] have de-
| picied them. Like causes produce like effects
In 1916 the whole real and personal estate OF the
| civ OF New York did not exceed eighly-two mil
| lions of dollars In 1925 il was only about one
| hundred millions. In that year The great New
| York Canal was opened, and 10 ten years The
population of the city Of New York was nearly
| doubled. and her wealth increased 10 two hun
dred and eighteen millions OF dollars. And up
| 10 IS4I she continued 10 increase her wealth al
the rate Of 81 per cent. per year notwithstanding
| the destructive fire with which she had been de-
vaslaIed, and the monetary crisis through which
| the country had passed But IN The latter year
The great Western railroad from Boston, which
New York had imprudenIly allowed 10 be extend
ed to Albany, hal been opened, and The effect
land wish all who love Virginia 10 mark ~
has been 10 reduce the increase Of The population
Of the city of New York 10 one and quarter
per cent, and actually 10 diminish her wealth one
and one eighth per cent per year. But while
| New York has declined, Boston has increased her
population from 90, 600 10 900 aud her wealth
from SO 100000 10 100000 oil dollars, in The
short period OF four years.
The extraordinary results that have followed
the completion ofihe great New York Canal, and
Of The great railway Of Massachusetts, are well
calculated To excite our aslonishment and awaken
/ he N man