Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-12-04
GoYER]oR'S MESSAGE.
rrIIow-cIIlzEAs or TliE

indicate he wig ON of the Legislature anu ~ j'.y
fends of udcious liberal stem OF INTERNAL po.c
snt Il Win ~ am sure gratifying 10 You, and TO the
At large that Virginia has al her command
Snle means to discharge all her suhsslng pnn'c a'o' WIN
"a excentjon OF very small and ncorsiderabe SUM III II
ere thought desirable tomorrow wipe out the puclc
sbt sale par OF her profitable ana M s 10
Xbuld effect kThis present subsistng Gcb amounts ~
annual interest and dividends received =
as6 siao752 os; showing that the stocks ,Ss
sAoun, of the pbic debit that is, within sii srn
Eresen, Indebtedness. There is, however an nr
Of s6OooOo which under existing aa 1S Of Which viii
houg1cbe certainly demanded in nc db viii be.
nce sum- although not now sios,s. ,b estimates
Some 40 md ought therefore, 10 be taken 'o ' ~
~ This view shows the precise condition OF
O. Snca situation and IS fully SUSTAINED ~ Lv Tbr
and documents which VIII DC a o onns s' 70
49, various incorporated companies, wihcN -
Nc reqardeda part of the public DEBT; puttnisis
81 M an error for a knowledge Of the resources and
- ia Of the companies whose bonds nave odei saa
rantied Will satisfy all that they are or WIN ut h h
amnly able 10 pay their bonds, as, up 10 his 'e' my
ALWAYS done the interest on them, ~, % ,o,o more
This exposition cheering one 10 all but 70 none J
than the friends Of Whilst il sh@ws the
nerfec capacity of the commonwealth 10 Nv l;,, ~
dsht without inconvenience il also shews t,c
,hesoeatest prudence and ccumspecon on lle pai Vi w
ls,, r. avoid such increase Of Indebtedness Us
NAV result in future embarrassment, ana aaaoai S,
Nothing ought TO be more cautiously oG;p " ssrm Of
danrecoed by the advocates OF The recent hoelai -
;n,nrovemen than such result would ecohnehu, ~,
fore that excep, such sums as are necessary 70
works.
~ Contribute 10 their success and profit no farther appo
ration should be made for The present out OF te
make this recommendation with the erea.er coniue. 49,,
cause believe the success OF permanent anu Wis., = ~
of internal improvements DEPENDS upon IL. ,;,r,.
If any thing can ever restore Virginia that peeeni
sJac !, mmst be- the contamination of the system oil
internal improvements she has already eoafheu NJ o WV
completion of the truly great works aIeaI! ,;o of
To endanger the system, or 10 nlpeue tue p.i q
those works 10 strike fatal blow at the
the commonwealth; and nothing would be so e:ec.aa Gr
this as lavish expenditure OF public money upon hsis
cant projects from which The State at large coua never
ceive any benefit. ,lo.
taken and so generously sustained by the puoc iuos anu
nnblc credit together with proposed bn not re.
determined upon calculated 10 dcyeope very y 'c
resources the State, and 10 swell the iide or her
cai nrospery 10 its utmost limits The entire energies OF
the commonwealth should be devoted 10 Their complexion
hnt in such way as TO avoid embarrassment and 10 escape
taxation That this be effected by the prudence
and wisdom of the Legislature, | have no DOUBT.
It is reduced almost 10 an AXIOM tha inc efeaes
commercial prosperity in the Atlantic States is only ATTAIN
able by connection with the valley Of the MISSISSIPPI! anu
hence from Massachusetts 10 Georgia. we see almost ever!
State along the seacoast competing anxiosy ana eafs
" with each other for the shortest cheapest anu safest COLI
municaon.
OF our history undispued her natural advantages OF hN
gable streams climate and SOIL gave Ia her. Trusting 10
these have neglected those artificial MEANS when coc
alone secure il 10 us permanently; and therefore the com
MERGE which once whtened with its sails seapors has
almost disappeared from waters The example sci US by
our neighbors the North is of wisdom and deserves
sterile SOIL they have, by Iudicous policy Afforded sch
facilities INSTRUMENTATION and trade, that Commerce
with her golden tides has filled the land win plenty pros
perity and wealth. Our natural advantages remain sun the
same; they unequaled by Atlantic statv ana "hiist
is probably late to diver, the commerce OF the Al
lantic cities present channels still il is in the power
of demonstration shew that deal OF what we have
unwsely lost be regained and that we can sill secure
fair division Of that commercial wealth and power which Is
monopolzed by the North.
Situated about midway between the northern boundary OF
The United States and the Gull vi Mexico, we escape III
great degree the rgors o the northern winters and Tie
scorching heat Of the South Our border upon The
river Potomac and the Chesapeake BAY is dotted with ar
bors unsurpassed in safety and capacity The fleets oil me
whole earth could ride safely al anchor within them our
border s washed for several hundred miles by Inc
Ohio river and at other points along it, the rich region OF
Kentucky and the fertile valley of the Tennessee OF easy
access Besides this the country lying between the eastern
K9d of which speak is unsurpassed Tor
every description be found Of the most superior QUAR-
fy and in quantities absolutely ncxhaustbe whilst the
earth in which they are embedded unlike other mineral re-
gons 10 OF the desirable characicrio husbandy Let
this country be by improvements connecting
seaports with the Ohio. with Kentucky and the valley OF
Tennessee and will nfuse spirit of enterprise into the
population, which must in short lime, fully deveopc all of
resources
completion OF these great connecting lines. From tide IVA
TO the Mississippi river Memphis there is mountain
barrier nerposing serious difficulty the construction of
Railroad whilst the region aversedby il is inferior 20 none
Of the extent for mineral and agricultural resources
upon the continent of North America The valley of the
Tennessee one OF the most magnificent of all those washed
by the waters OF the West the annual Of which
worth thryfve millions Of dollars, will find in this road
outlet for its rich products the Atlantic And cargo of
merchandise, landed Norfolk Richmond would be safely
transported TO the city of Memphis ready for distribution
those mighty waters in less than ten days The Vr
gnia and Tennessee railroad will effect this great object,
when shall be finally comple,ed and affords great
pleasure to say we are warranted in the belief that will be
prosecuted with energy and despatch.
The James River and kanawha Canal, having for its OBJ
Ject the connection of tdcwater with the Ohio River has
for good many been generously sustained by appro
strong opposition s na nGo s sle,a s F' in II b
appreciation OF well informed rejecting Tho results 10
Virginia which flow from its completion, win
the mind upon little reflection, really stupendous
have no doubt but that the commerce passing through this
canal will rapidly build up the of Virginia the mag
nitude of the first American cities and Will rescue us III
great from the miserable consequences OF our past
apathy and naction.
produced by the completion of the Erie Canal opening the
commerce of the lakes that city, perfectly familiar to
asws understood Without the Erie canal the city Of New
York would have been second still Philadelphia Gca, as
the advantages of this work unqesonay those OF The
James River and kanawha Canal undoubtedly superior
II possesses the striking advantage of lying five degrees South
of the great Northern work and therefore free from the ice
which obstrncts the navigation there for large pro-
portion of the Year. touches the Ohio river far South
of any communication from the Atlantic whatever;
and at point South of which there be the
country connection IL WILL after the first OF NO
vember command all the trade of great part oil ONO,
Kentucky, Indiana Illinois and Missour-and most pro-
baby of those regions living still higher up towards the
of the Missouri and Mssissppi for after that pc
Rod II is unsafe to send produce North in the direction OF
Boston, New ok or Phiadepha. Astrking ana pecunar
advantage presented By this line is its continuity There s
necessity whatever for transhpmen We will canal
boats laden at the falls Of St Anthony Council Bluff dis
charging their cagoes Lynchburg Richmond and Norfolk
The and fertility of the region through which this
work will pass is unsurpassed by any accessible country
within the territories Of the United States Superaded
this the rivers canals and railroads empyng into and rest
ing upon the Ohio and Mississippi, will bring from the
mote interior which in every direction they penetrate their
contributions, swell still higher the rich tide of commerce.
flowing through the heart Of the Commonwealth The trade
10 Indian corn which has recently sprung up and creas
ing with such surprising rapdy between Europe and Anne
RIGA will be almost monopolized by this line, and will OF IL
SELF presently build up and sustain great city Norfolk
must be the point for its shipment for can reach there and
from detention at the Southern points Indeed this
line will nonopoize in great measure the transportation
Of all the principal articles food which produced in the
Mississippi valley for consumption in our Atlantic States and
in Europe 1t is fact universally known that provisions
of every kind suffer injury from the climate during their
transit by New Orleans and through the Gull.
We have what the of the lakes has done for
the states OF Massachusetts and NewYok but the country
which supplies sinks into comparative nsignifcancc when
looked at by the side CT that have JUS, described These
some probably the most striking but only very few of