Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-01-24
roa THE sPEcrAroR.
The Richmond Wing and Internal Improvement,

party whose namo it bears; ana il has rcbIv rs.r;,
cd this distinction by the talent and enercw "a
public spirit which have generally characterise II.
editorial columns 1t is, therefore, with grea. ns;n
tn. that we observe any thing in that paper, having
the sanction of its editors from which we are con-
strained TO dissent. But when we find it falling
INTO what we regard gross errors, seriously affecting
the best ipteres,s of the Commonwealth, we feel
unuer peculiar obligations to enter our protest. BE-.
cause we Know that error sanctioned by its high su
'hoTy becomes doubly dangerous.
tfas become our duty to call public attention 70
what we regard as palpable heresy which has 70
Gently been urged by the Wing with great e1..est-
ness, in the leading editorial Of the paper of 10Th
inst, in regard To the South western Improvement
The Editors are in favor of Lynchburg as the East
ern terminus OF that work, and in urging lis claims
IN opposition to those of Buchanan, thew saw:
''There is this much to be said with regard to the
roads ending at Buchanan. Let it stop there. md
down goes all The produce through tho valley 10
Baltimore. We told, that the James River en-
nal, will take it all down to this point but this ap
pears To us an utter absurdi,y. Winchester toll
have railroad down the Valley to Buchanan, sif
the Improvement stops there: The charter of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company reaches
Winchester,-Five hundred tons of produce are
brought to Buchanan from the Southwest. There il
has the choice otworou II can be shipped on board
of boats Of about so tons burthen they happen 10
be there. II will take several days to make tho
trans"lnment IN seven days. then, if all things
suit-f there are no b!eaksges freezes in the ca
nal, 1t may reach Richmond. 1t can at the same
time 60 down the Valley by tho Winchester rail
road. In fifteen hours, without transhipinent It
reaches Baltimore, much larger city than this, Or
than any other in Virginia city where there is
much greater variety orgoods of every description
Inc owners OF the produce have the choice then
OF these two routes. Can there be any doubt upor
which II will fall? All our labour will have been
in vain II will have enured only TO the benefit of
Baltimore" "
The Editors cannot controvert the following pro-
positions:
ls 1t is much shorter distance from Saiem;
the point uf divergence of the two routes to Ruch
anan, than 10 Lynchburg.
I'd. The natural obstacles much less on the
Buchanan route than on the Lynchburr route
sd. The average cost of the road per mile would
be less on the Buchanan route than or the Lynch,
burg route, and consequently the aggregate cost Of
making 1t to the former place would be greatly less
than TO, tile latter.
4ih. The interest Of the James River improve
ment, which is almost State work, would be pre-
NOTED to much greater degree 10y making TO Buch-
anan than TO Lynchburg, because it would th!ow
the tonnage on the James River at point more
than 40 miles higher up the river.
5th. The country which would be traversed
from Salem 10 Buchanan, is more productive Of
grain and of metals, than the region between Sa-
lem and Lynchburg, and stands in greater need Of
facilities for market. a9
9th. If the road should terminate at Buchananl',
it would be more easily connected with other LATE
raj understanding into the Western part of tho
State, and particularly the mineral spring region;
and also with Richmond and Alexandria and Fred
ericksburg, by the Louisa r. Road, and the pro-
jected works from Gordonsville to thelto last
nred places, than If it terminated, for The present.
at Lynchburg 'ae .IiFEs
These propositions are not. and cannot be sue
! cpce h,-tb o E,xx
unquestionably true. Indeed, there is in the asii-
| Gle 10 which we refer, what may be regarded ar
most, as an implied admission Of their truth. Ren-
sons like these being known TO every &ell-ihforr-
ed TO exist, in favour Of bringing The read 10
Buchanan, instead OF Lynchburg, let us see what
is the controlling argument, which, in the opinion
OF the Wing ought TO override all these, and ma
ny other considerations of equal weight whie6
might be urged in favour Of Buchanan ''''oA'is'H
1t is in substance this Ii the road is broughfYb
Buchanan, the trade and travel will pass down tho
Valley to Baltimore and Richmond viii lose tho
benefit Of it, Baltimore will pay the people OF
the South West higher prices for their produce
than Richmond and sel tliern their dry goodss6d
groceries att hover price, and hence, the people OF
the SOUTHWEST will naturally seek Baltimore as
their market. 49,
Eet us proceed to considar this Argument insomo
OF its aspects. S-1 ~ t-', iTFT
LIST. Is it true that such would be the course Of
the trade and travel. The distance from Buchanan
TO Winchester is shout "a miles, and from Wiz
chester 90 BALTIMORE is | Is miles, making theflag;
gregate distance 267 miles. The distance blythe
). r. Canal from Buchanan to Richmond lis a i,-
tie over 100 miles. The distance from Buchahan
to Richmond, by Rockfish Gap,is betweeYf6O
s. ITO miles. Richmond, therefore, has Ctllahd-
vantage over Baltimore, in distance, OF III uSiles
on the route, and about 100 on the oihef.L
But the advantages are still greater in regard to
facilities of transportation. There will be
continuous line of water communication from~Buch-
anan to Richmond, and of course there need be no
| transhipmcnts Of heavy tonnage. 10 W
On the other Hand, the communication from
Buchanan to SiaGnton, 81 miles, is by common
country road from Stanton 10 Winchester, by the
Valley Turnpike from Winchester to Harpcr'e
Ferry, by the Winchester X. Road, and thence to
Baltimore, by the Baltimore and OHIO r. Road
On this route, there is land transportation l54
miles, and the residue Of the route on two Rail
Roads. 1le &C.,. 81.
Can any man believe that Baltimore can, sue
cessfully, enter into fur competition with Rich
nond, for the tonnage which may be landed a,
Buchanan? c< %- ..t
But how is it in regard to travel -? We grant
that the Canal will not presen. very attractive
mode of travelling, but what will be the state
Of things when the Louisa Il. Road is completed
| 10 Rockfsh Gap, or to Staunton? Then, the tray
eveller will have go or 10 miles Of stagstravel
and III 3 or 100 by Rail Road to Rchtnond, whiIsb
IT he goes to Baltimore he must have sd miles of
staging; and liz of Railroad travel. Which will
he prefer on the scote of expense, and which, hay
ing regard tocomfort2 -seffE
! To meet this view it may be said, that Balti-
more may stretch a line Of her work from Win
chester TO Buchanan. The reply is obvious; Bal
tlmOre cannot make such a road without the conr
sent of VIRGINIA and it is hardly reasonable 10 sup
pose that Virginia, which refused her the privilege
Of coming up The Valley with her work, when
VIRGINIA had no improvements Of her oSn To be In