Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-02-07

On this head the discussion seems mainly to turn. |
We will therefore examine it more at length
The positiun would seem TO imply as postulaes
the very points in dispute FIRST, that the Virginia
Legislature will permit railroad up the Valley TO
Buchanan, even should tho citizens Of tho Valley |
ask Il at Their otcn expense. Under all the circum
stances in the case, we deny that the Legislature
would. For suppose first that the Louisa Railroad
be thrown into the Valley at Sockiish Gap, con-
,emplated-thc Valley would then besupplied with |
improvements. The upper Valley could not COM
plain, with the Railroad, the North River improve
moni sud the canal at Buchanan. No more could
the lower. buckingham would continue D send
her'produce over Rocktsh by the railroad, If she
now does on the mud turnpike. Shenandoah. &c,
vii! have the McAdamscd road and Shenandoah |
river Improvement, and Winchester prefer To re-
main the great depot that she IS, rather than mere
passing and paSscc point. We believe, then, that |
in case the Tennessee Railroad reach Buchanan,
and tho Louisa railroad penetrate The Valley, that
the Valley will not ask railroad at Hs0rn cost. and
certainly the Legislature will not make /. on State
account Unde. suck circumstances, when remem-
Der it would not formerly allow the railroad on any
account, and the most favorable circumstances
As TO the opposite supposition. that tho Louisa
Railroad be not extended to the Valley but contin
ued from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. as lately
iutima;ed by tho Richmond Wing, must con
TESS that the result might be different, the Val
| ley then might reasonably complain, and that too,
along lis whole length TO Buchanan
''Not from one lone peak, but every mountain find
| tongue"
! But word in your ear, Richmond Whig.-
/ Whence now your new and sudden fear that Balt-
more will come intruding all the way up the Valley
10 Buchanan-snubbing the Louisa and kanawha
Raroadl Where slept your fears when short
time since you so valantly maintained that the Ka
| nawha Railroad could venture, untouched, as far
down the Valley as Harrisonburg2
But the apprehension of danger from Baltimore
also requires The postula,e, that Baltimore Dies
and ever will, afford market for selling produce
and fuy;ng goods, as indispuidbiy better than Rich
mond, that the trade tcM ineviiabty prefer Balli-
more.
That it is not at least indispufably better, we
ought 10 be convinced by recurring TO the Rich
mond Wing of the 9th ulimo, where Richmond
stouily contends against this very fact asserted by
the memorial Of upper James River and contends
farther, that the Richmond market is not only equal
but better than that of Baltimore.
But let this poStuate be admitted, TO how
tie case would be bettered, with Lynchburg as the
terminus First, suppose that the contemplated Al
exandra and GOrdonsville railroad be completed,
and the Louisa Railroad extended TO Buchanan
In that case would not thesame trade seek the
ndisputably better market by the somewhat shorter
route Of Alexandria For ii Bali. could afford TO
make railroad ECO miles up the valley for this
trade, she could certainly bridge the Potomac. But
take the alternate superstition that these railroads
all-lmportant as to induce Batimere to prOrttde
railroad all the way TO Buchanan-how can it be
shown that she could not afford to 90 only 90 miles
further 10 Big Lick, where she certainly could get
the trade =? And we are no safer from the COW
etous Baltimore at Salem than 1t Buchanan.
In this connection reminded that some
one has lately made the luminous discovery, that if
Buchanan Were the Eastern terminus of railroad
from Mem his, Tennessee, then there would be an
only ''achng void' between Buchanan and Bati- |
more, in n continuous line of railway from Memphis
to Baltimore, and, 'horribie dictu," Baltimore |
scO;tld complete this link - 20 her sole benefit
Let us now suppose, as above, that the Alexandria
and l.. Railroad be extended 10 Buchanan, where !
would be The material steam vacancy then Again, |
take the alternate aud converse superstition He |
tells us Baltimore ",could complete the link" 10
Buchanan.-Why not stretch the link very little |
more to Big Lick, on the same Inducements But
this writer, Roanoke, in the first part Of The
piece in which he announces the above discovery, |
nnlntentiOnaly afraid. settles this question !
by kindly suggesting that the friends of Lynchburg
and Tennessee Rail Road willing TO allow
branch railroad from Salem 10 buchanan! Why
these friends ever venture railroad 10 Bach
andn, that big ugly Baltimore will '.catch them"
is certain az fate" whether they the
''branch" main stock. So we must conclude at
ter all, on their own showing, that there would be
very little difference TO Baltimore whether the rail
road go to Lynchburg or not.
But another premise which the position requires
Is, that railroad Ia greatly preferable means of
transportation, TO canal. This may be so-iis ef
feet on the questions before is what TO
consider. ''En pGSsdnt' would here suggest
that the Louisa Railroad extension TO Buchanan |
would afford also railway to Richmond. 1t is |
said that the South Western Railroad tonnage when |
II reached Buchanan, sitting costly in the car, could
not be induced to exchange for the canal boats, bu,
would of course "shcot OFF, along the railroad to
that vile Baltimore, and the canal al Buchanan be |
left entirely without tonnage. Consider The condi |
ton at the Lynchburg termnus-see if the canal
would fare better. Suppose the same tonnage 10 ar
rive in the same comfortable cars at Lynchburg,-
would not the same objections be felt 10 the same |
exchange? Hence the same friends to the tonnage
would urge with the zeal the very same argu- |!
ments in order 10 have railway provided for its
accommodation This railway must be direct TO the
sea board OF Norfolk, which would leave the canal
with as little tonnage complained of at Buch |
snan--or the railway must be laid along the tow |
path Of the canal to Richmond. The clods will then |
be thrown in upon the ten millions of Virginia trea-
sure TO complete the burial in lis long gave and
Richmond and Lynchburg at either end stand the |
ombstones 10 tell the sad story Of lis death and fu
neral.
We do the more strongly suspect that 10 Tliiscom-
1lcXOn must it come at last, when consider that
the Tennessee railroad will also have railway CON
Gectioa with the sea-board at Charleston, 5. g.,
and at Savannah so that the Virginia railroad. ter
mlnailng al Iynchburg short OF the board could
not successfully compete with the other branches.
In view of the vast ultimate importance Of this
scheme, it becomes all to investigate the subject
thoroughly, WITH AN EYE SINGLE TO THE GOOD OF !
THE WHOLE STATE, utterly regardless ofpetly local
interests, and with beraty and generosity pro- /
pprtlonae TO the greatness of the undertaking. /
Virginia has tho whole matter in the hollow Of her /
hand. She is notc to decide whether this immense