Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-10-29
For ila Enquirer.
THE LOUISA kAILRoAp-A SUGGESTION.


For lin Enquirer.
TIE LOUISA kAILRoAD-A sU''Lsi,oN
Messrs. Editors: One who has noucea, win
lively though quiet %interes', he progress Oil
connected with The extension OF INC Lou,-" na,
road. respectfully solicits The use Of your r"pna;a
make iew Suggestions 10 me peoP'e y, ,n =
which, if approved and adop!!eu, nn"! !, ,nl
;osiice 10 those whose right il Is 10 demand u, hna
aIso oroa,ly extend The prosperity OF Richmond,
NV suggestion is simply lhis-that The people o'
Inc Commonwealth al large hoid meetings uu
court DAYS. Without delay, anu ioshhd"y Nan.
known IN heir respective delegates lhelr sen'i-
mems concerning The route that should be pur-
susd-wherher /, should be The Northern or SCUM
ern route. !, may appear prasma'icai III ..osc &c,
mote from The Improvement 10 lake On ac'i'e Pa't
in favor OF either line. But, Sis, me @hoie 0la.e
ia Interested 10 some extent, and should give EVIL
dsnce or ils inleres, in all works involving large
sYnendiiures Of revenue. Sufficient concern
shonuId be manifested to ensure juslice TO those I'M,
medialely interested, as we'll as 10 secure wise anu
economical appropriations. Is il not better ore-
call and secure a trade, even al considerable eA-
nense, which, while il conpensales Inc eAua eA-
'nendiiure. and directly benefits a large and IN
ieresting portion Of our Stale, increases lne pros
pcIi!y OF The State al large, Than 10 lnvest'he peo-
nle's money in sterile improve menis, where snch
c,nveyanccs are not needed, ard may be termed a
mere sure auous luxury2 Had that aIienlior,
which The magnitude OF The enterprise required,
been bestowed al The proper time, the car "ouiu
no, have been put before The horse, and me olale
would mol now be saddlcd with The costs oil The
great Improbable James River and hanawha
Improvement. Whilst | am friendly TO improve
ments. which do not TOO much abridge public
liberty or eucroach on private rights, yei thinR
the public are too Indifferent 10 The manner IN
which these Improvements are located. Wllhout
adveri0ing TO the records. il might DC a~sselieo,
without The probability Of contradiction, that The
whole course OF legislation on The subject has mad
reference 10 The Northern extension. II requires
bur lille T, ficction 10 perceive the reason why IL
should be thus, il is so pa lpably obvious. IL is cul
natural 10 suppose an enlightened body oil men,
aiming 10 perform their du+y As wise Legislators
would exclude The idea OF constructing a neigh
boring improvement parallel with The James River
Canal, which had cost millions, and thereby es!ab-
lish a competition fatal TO this lons-cherished
minion of The Stale, when said competing line
would add not another cent 10 the revenue, nor
bring another barrel OF -four to Virginia markets.
II would, indeed, be a spectacle from which neigh
boring States and future Legislatures might I'M
bibe lessons Of wisdom, 10 see a General Assem-.
bly, OF the mother Of Slales and statesmen, al lie
same session say 10 The great central folly, stride
on giant, with your Briarean prospects-"West.
ward the march OF Empire lakes lis way"-and,
as though 10 cripple its renewed energies, tell a
youthful rival, here are means secretly reserved
Tor thy special behoof; whip around, dive through
mountains, scud along dark valleys, and meet
him al PhiIlippi. But, Sirs, there were otherlhlnSs
involved in The Louisa extension. The Leglsla-
ture saw that, what should have been done eight
or len years ago, when The Stanton and Win
Lau,or Tprnpikp xupnf iutn 9npratIpD Ouuht 10
be done now. The trade of that large, lovely
and fertile county, Rockingham, and adjacent
counties, which was flowing down The turn.
pike TO Winchester, thence out OF The Stale
10 Baltimore, was a prize of no little va
lue. BY pushing the road to HarTisonburg,
that trade would be effectually lapped-EasI-
ern and Western Virginia united al a strong
point-the road would be a locomotive itself, and
Richmond rejoice. And may not say, a la Fon-
laine, that its floating population would rejoice,
also, in The fruiticn OF sweet butter Ia thlns Ia
lher atymic al some inns OF which | wot. The
people who have confidently expected, have sirue-
gled mantully for their rights, and the Stale should
make an effort 10 protect The injured Silence
and ~inaclion in witnesses to injustice imply
approval Of the wrong. South of the Northern
route are ample conycyances; and even last win
ter Augusta was clamorous tor Matchmaking
The turnpike from Staunton 10 Scolisville. having
no hopes OF reversing the then established order
of things. Well do | remember hearing my old
friend Chapman Johnson, one Of Ausnsta's
knights, with knishly ardor and chivalric bearing
advocate The claims of this desirable thorough
fare. Why deny 10 the destitute a way for which
they have so earnestly labored1 Why hold The
promise 10 The ear, but break il 10 The sense F.
The influence Of sundry weighiy characters and
money magnales will sometimes give direction
40 ,art DOoIc MAMMA rturinp nsto blIShmpntS
and. other adiunclives of convenience 10 mud aris-
locracy, furnish abundant proof OF oyefbeaFins
~inins,ice 10 The impotent. Scpc, "sc transit glo-
ria" Mans inhumaniiy 10 man makes count
less thousands mourn.
Eu, 10 return. Suppose this road abruptly
turns al right angles al Gordonsville, and reaches
| Charlottesville, is there a very strong probability
that il will 90 tarlher2 And should II reach
Wayncsborouoh or sweet Slaunion, Is II al all
probable that sufficient interest will then be COM
commanded in Rockingham 10 construct a branch
10 Harrisonburs7 That this would be done, is,
/ think, very improbable. The same amount or
| The identical interest cannot be enlisted in behalf
| of such a branch. as OF the main stem. The She
nandoah navigation will most probably have been
improved. With becoming Difference for the OPP
MON of those better informed than can pretend
to be, / venture, without much ken OF prophecy,
Ia predict that, should il take the Southern route,
il will languish for years, perhaps al infni1um !
its benefits will be limited and partial; while The
Northern route, being Of great public utility,
would sustain itself. | know Rockingham we'll,
and adjoining counties, and | know her to be The
( most lovely, beautiful and fertile county have
ever had the pleasure OF seeing. As to resources,
why, sirs, il has nearly all the clemens Of an in
land em,ire-and as "Old Berks" Of The Keystone
is politically termed ia Stale" so seolosically
or physically may Rockingham be termed "a
| State" In addition 10 the immense trade OF this
single county. but lille oil which takes an East.
ern or inward direction, that OF other counties
as Mr.. Chrisman has shown, would seek this
channel.
II is not ny purpose, however, 10 argue a sub
ject already hackneyed. | would like 10 say
more, bur conclude by reitsraling the suggestion,
that The people al large give u,terance 10 their
opinions by formally instrncling their Delegates,
Ii this test is adopted, i, will doubtless be seen,
| that a vast majority Of the multiludinous coun.
| lies composing This good old Stale favor The North.
crn route. | remark, that | have no special in.
lerpst in any work whose prosperity may be en-.
dangered or improved by either route. The
things thai ale CAESARS should be given unto Ca
sar. r.
Powhatan, Oct. lS47.
RICHMOND AND DANYILLE RAIL
ROAD.
AT a large and highly respectable meeting OIL