Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-02-15
Internal Improvement.
From the Richmond Enquirer.
THE SOUTH " E>TERN RAILROAD.


attention of the public this great and truly important
scheme for the improvement Of the State Of rgnia-
This comparative silence has not arisen from any ndf
ference part to the success OF the measure, or
from any want Uf zeal for the promotion OF such sys
TEN of enlightened improvements would be calc~,a al
develope the resources of the State ,AEontaJ and
ways thought chat scheme sh9gi il stered the trne
system pursued which wo%WleaIrb mt SION TO verv
ia; I vi totally useless annual expenditure OF
~ - nc money. There have been means enough
away, upon mere local and consequently unlm-
portant projects have discharged the interest upon
a Of money large enough to have constructed all
the material and beneficial works demanded by the IN
terests Of tile State. Had this policy been adopted
wears ago the arising to the State would
have materially il not altogether removed the burhen
Of Taxation from the people We trust that more
liberal feeling is arising in cOunclS-tha more en-
arsed views finding favor with our legislators 1t
is in VAIN for gentlemen to think ofarresting the pro
gressve spirit of tine age for works Of improvements
Opposition may cripple and dstort plant cannot
stop the appropriation Of money from the treasury to
some sort of improvement. We think the truth OF
this observation is clear to the minds ofal, of
those who have heretofore been most constant in their
opposition any scheme for an appropriation OF mon
Iey.
Without intending to express hostility to any
scheme now before the Legislature, cannot refrain
from adding testimony in favor of the Southwes-
tern railroad 1t is indeed which, If carried
out, must realize immense profits to the company,
whilst it will certainly bring to the State at large va
riey and extent OF benefits which conferred by no
work of internal improvement upon any community IN
the United States 1t is known most of readers
that the Southwestern Railroad is intended to run
from Iynchburg, upon the James river to the Ten
nessee line, probably in the county of Wa5hngton.-
Let the casual observer cast his upon the map Of
Virginia, and he will gap in the Blue Ridge, ex
actly upon the line Of this Improvement Go on, trace
it from its passage through this gap into the Southern
portion of the beautiful valley Of Virginia; and up this
valley to the of its waters there you will see
the barrier Of the great Allegheny let down, until
ready Of crossingt is afforded for either canal
or railroad From this point Westward, even to Knox
VILE Tennessee there is continued succession Of val
leys, lying in line with each other between which
the dividing highlands so low, that they present
scarcely any obstruction to the building of railroad
This, as said is apparent from the slightest nspec
ton Of the map But the ground has been repeatedly
surveyed, and the engineer has proved beyond doubt
that this road be constructed at a maximum grade
of sixty five feet to the mile. We see then, pass
through all the mountain barriers which divide the
tide waters of the Atlantic from the alley of the Mis-
sissppi offering facilities for the construction of rail
road no where else to be met with in the U. States
The practcabity and cheapness Of the route are de
monstrated bv surveys and figures :: Let US examine
the inducements which are held out for the completion
of the work.
The States of Georgia and South Carolina are connec
ted with the Tennessee valley and river by means OF
railroads from Savannah and Charleston to Chattanoo
CO. There is also in state Of forwardness RAILROAD
through the State ofGeorga toMontgomery, in Alaba-
ma. This road will be completed then, the States
of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama will all be in
communication with the State of Tennessee-afford
a market, rich and extensive, for all the products of
that fertile valley. From this point Chattanooga
there is now in rapid progress of construction, rail
road to Nashville, in that State. This road will open
the first interior line of Communication, South between
the Atlantic waters and the Valley of the Mississippi
Two years will bring about this result. The benefits
which have been produced uniformly at the North,
from tapping this great reservoir of trade and
merce, must be expected to flow likewise from this
Southern enterprise. Indeed, we think hazard
nothing in saying that the Valley of the Tennessee,
taken in its length is Of the very finest and most
productive of all the tributaries of the Mssissippi-the
Ohio alone excepted. A monopoly of the Tennessee
trade, and the lower Mississippi valley, will in two
years be secured to South Carolina and Georgia. The
same of monopoly of the trade, from the upper
Lake portion of the same valley, has built up New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Baltimore
Will shortly reach the Ohio river and valley lower
down than these other cities and will of course reap
rich harvest from her enterprise.
Here, then, will stand Nirginia-cut off by Mary
land on the North and Carolina and Georgia on the
South Can she fail to become desolation p
Even the trade and produce Of the Southwestern
counties taking Westward direction, and are fin
ding market in Carolina and Georgia
Can it be possible that Nirgnians will not only sit
by quietly and witness the degradation of their State
in the scale of communities but actually lend hand
to effect it But how, it may be asked, Is this catas
trophe to be avoided We answer, by the easiest
means possible. Let this South western Railroad be
built then will be within one hundred and TWEEN
ty miles of Knoxville, to which point the Chattanooga
Railroad will extend within two years. The 1ennes-
will complete the link from Knoxville to the
Virginia line, by the time reach the same point
of this we believe there is no doubt Then the trade
of Tennessee would take this route instead of the
Southern The corn, hemp pork and flour Of that
regon-and according to some, the cotton, too would
find its way road and market in our ports.
This connection would at secure all the travel
between the Northern cities and New Orleans because
it would be the quickest and the safest. All the dry
goods intended Tor the interior of South Carolina,
Georgia. Alabama, and Tennessee, to say nothing of
the other South western States. would certainly pass
over this road, because it would be- again the quickest
and the safest. The dangers of Cape Hatteras and
the Florida reefs would be avoided.
But apart from these considerations, which are am
ply sufficient in themselves to warrant the construction
Of the work even the road passed through DESERT
should the road stop at the Tennessee line and
20 beyond it,
From the time the road passes the Blue Ridge, it
traverses an extremely rich and productive country
throughout its entire length, Astounding in every
rety of SOIL needfu for the production of the various
crops of our country Nothing can surpass the rich
ness and uxuriance of the verdure, when Summer
folds its beauties tothe eye.
Of the minerals of this favored region need not
again say word. The rich specimens which
hbited in the Rounda Of the Capitol have spoken SUIT
fciently upon that head. We only add, that al
accounts that they ofthe greatest posi-
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