Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-04

VH liver, general tfaut VIII I1'"
unless It's winding amount 10 mileage quadupe that
: te aiiroud his ulu has been verified by
3f averus frcigh's The RailTond and on HE MISSISSIPPI
River The ratio may therefore be safely fixed At Tour 10 one
hou4h II would Of depend upon the amount oi CON-
i"7ce rate OF Insurance, te well as the cohaf
i've lengh Of the competing lines. But the railroads WE
have monopoly IF the mail, merchandise and travel Al
once porretors OF the rud and common curriers' OF I
Commerce, their administration will pussss5 an unity ana
These advantages tariff OF Charges may DC aranseo
which will discriminate in the cights the more
npgIant staples OF agricultural productions and mus Inc
terminal cities of the railroads will tactoage when
VIII amply indemnify them for the reduction Of clghts up
on The favored market value and dividends OF
the stocks being maintained by the peculiar sources of
Come which have been referred The influence OF this
im"anl advantage s shown in the transportation OF flour
from Albany to B1sinn and Of coal and flour Baltimore;
tho rail roadsn both crossing lines which
carry either arre per Sc at lower rate nn would emune-
rate the Raroad The indemnify of the roads being in both
cases Inc Incidental advantage resulting from the flour and
+ coal trade
We may then safely suppose that Rail Road not exceed
ing SUI miles in lengh connecting the mouth Of the Ohio
and llssspp with the porl of Norfolk with gradients
exceeding sixty feet agans the heavy trade successfully
c"He'e for the export produce and the import omechan-
dZ- h the river and cuusIwise shipment which have
more particularly described.
This application OF the principle laid down
as ultimately 10 the commercial connection Of the
Interior VITA the Atlantic NOri its demonsiral in
spens bie TO me deVeopenent OF sufficient conmerc:
interest in Virginia for the great purposes which have
Indicated. The Legitimate trade Of the lines of Railroad
referred to- will hc adequate without that trade which
may bt taken from The Mississippi ITSELF But that the
o the Ohio and upper Mississippi will not continue
double the Cape of Florida is by the OF the
Nuhen Atlantic cities which have borne oil much from the
upper Ohio and Mississippi whilst Charleston, Savannah and
Mobile have bccc formidable competitors with New Or
leans for the trade n the middle MssisspDi Virginia being
almost The only atlantic State 7cch has no. Railr0dd
connection rhh the Interior
But any Of the ultimate tendency of trade is dispel
e by The admission and action Of the city Of New Orleans
il will be remembered that the purchase by that city OF the
charter {" the Tehuantepec Railroad based upon the
pretended uss Of the upper trade This under the combined
competition of the Eastern Atlantic Cities being drawn
of from natural outet-the mouth of the Mssssippi-
The merchants OF New Orleans desirous open d.
communication the Gulf and lshmus with the Pa
cc hence they engaged in the construction Of the
Rilroad This will effect saving over the Panama cross
ing Of than 1900 miles. New Orleans will thus be
placed upon the line Of travel and between the
cities Of the United States, the Pacific coast md
i IN: ports Of Asia. She will be the emporium OF the Cult
trade but that she expects lose and is preparing for the
n=s ot much of the legiImaey her owns that
she believes the line o will be established directly
Atlantic States will appear from the proof which
follows. In the February number Of the Commercial Re-
view is published paper headrd 'rhoughts on Raoad
system for New leans, by Thos b. Hewson Esq, Civil
u Engineer" We here find the assertion:
"Ina the present (trade basin Of Ne,c Orleans is be-
ing acted on by the Railroads Of all the cities Of the ssaboard
cnurson work and those Of Mobile will be in ope
ration Though the domain of New Orleans is thus paceed
ont amongst rivals she yet looks on with as much ndier,
ence though har commercial greatness were naena6c
Subsequently, Mr. Hewson surenders entirely the trade OF
the upper Ohio He says:
"rhe Railroads of New York hold Cincinnati present
under influence and operating from that point (Cin
cinuat New York is sappng the prosperity OF Louisville
:: He regard Memphis the Diaphragm OF the
Mississippi above that pont the territory is scarcely de-
blea5r its product seek e1poaion across the At
Ian New Orleans may maintain herself against
hs she is advised to construct system OF Rlilroads IN
aid of The Mississippi The positions of the able and elaoo
I rate article referred to may be thus condensed:
II l. The of the Onio and Mississippi rivers may
ne transported the Atlantic States and exported from
. The trade OF the Upper Ohio and Mississippi has been
m nd uwpXD
York Philadelphia and Baltimore.
J. New Orleans restricted To the commerce OF the Lower
Mississippi and Charleston, Savannah and Mobile are com
pe;ing Tor that.
. A. New Orleans must adop, the Rail Road system Il
siren ghcn position. The arguments and admononS
Mr. Hcwson endorsed by the highest authority "
: 3uw's Review adds cdioriHliy:
we believe that the suggestions Of Mr. Hewsons commu
# uinatun will, if adopted, be worth more 10 New Orleans
than the discovery of the mines of California to the Amer
lean people, and c upon brethren Of the press in inc
city, and of it, .epu5lish the article and TO urge us
su3ect INCREASINGLY upon their readers Tho author ma:
shown with few bold strokes the cincntiy dangerous po
sun wnic! New Orleans occupies win reference 10
western commerce. and the almost certainty ola speedy DE-
cadence "t her prosperity already begun unless s "cs
sounded and citizens aroused from their sleep Of dcn
Ur up ye of capital we men OF influence ana enter
pris for il is common in@er that nlenaces ne hour
even No Though the remote contingency "i IeAuane2et
achieved the summer for us is nearly past-te har'e'
: rn!ed-lre not slred! ,
"WrII NAV alr Heyson ppeticay declare that New Or
leans sleeping in purple pumP, WIN Inc aeady osc II c
: tusnul.' "
of undsputcd facts is concerned the pro
p,n mat The internal trade will prefer direct ansis es
+ a5shed The competition amongst inc auanS m po,s
is trade will be ultimately determined ISL by Their Teav
distances from the interior %, BY the relative whine an
Of the trade and It's appropriate travel so by W
3 relative cost If the artificial lines.
d safely affirm from comparison OF these requisites
that line drawn from Louisville Memphis TO Norfolk
will be the preferred line of commerce. because compe
nds trade area the richest and most varied chaace
r. will be of cheaper constrlcton because il will cross I'M
g Blue Ridge Allegheny and Cumberland mountains "i.i,u
}, :c.t 10 The nIiIe it will be made with slave labor
!, md with provisions; it offers no climatic oo
luct!on AT any season. but passes thropen !t"ar
ralhul ludes. II have been successulin dcnonsra
n- uirecr between the interior and the Alan'
tiles il viii be necessary 10 prove that the snare "l Una
nnuec appropriate the cities of Virginia. viii be sum
i'm, tn sustain line Of from Norfolk TO Europe
No one Atlantic cities expect more IMAM 10 SC
urr expectation and importation OF trade area "ppfoi
rc 10 is position. To realize the anticipated course OF com
rcc yc should arrange producing region OF ln
Vest into distinct geographical dyisions cnch OF these oil
ons will have lines of artificial transportation eacn
yr,h will strike some Of the Atlantic cities of the Union
nj all Of which will converge upon the ultimate Eutopca'
i nnrkcrs iui which their trade is Intended ;.
The immense extent of this producing regoh' eHlehu'n
hrouu twenty degrees OF latitude, compromising MOT
.n half the States Of the Unon will prove that any one
he geographical subdivisions referred w DC auequa.c
usan the Atlantic city, system OF cltles appropriate
- cpursc of trade. The North western States VIII,
,nsc pursue their present lines Of transportation; III
southern will export through Charleston Mobile sa
.nnuh md New Orleans The Western and South we5er
states trade directly through the port Of Norfolk DC
ausc il lies directly upon their pain 10 lhe ocean, anu
j. The market cities of the world. M
We then coim specifically the trade of Kentucky ienne
ec North Alabama and Missssippiand Virginia. with muc
the trade which is collected at tie interior cities oi C
t .nnaii Louisville Nashville and Memphis
dn not pause estimate the value of this trades WI
sufficient TO prove ncredn'ous, our capacity
stubIs commerce. But the support OF the enterprise %hc
y,u prop ,se TO establish depends upon travel IN
of merchandise and the remittance vi spec
than upon expectation Of the heavy agricultural staples
< the Interior. ,,;o,
The line of national and international communIcauo'
projected progress between Virginia and New oean
has proven part of great line o aVel
the Eastern Atlantic cities of the Union, the great ooau
western city Of New Orleans and the proposed crossing
rnilruad ,tnus of Tehuanepec lhat some cossn
he OF tie Istus Of Central America will at present oe pr
OF fsrred railroads wildly projected TO cross rom e
phS ST. Lps Gnd the Lakes to the coast OF oitsoh ~
g. ;unia there Gun be no doubt There are SO many
H. s,gcics 10 railroad communication through INA! 'as a
70 unsettled country, that travellers would be un"ilh le Ga
j. nGr u,nn car which might be arrested hy l'"" e
- .avagrs in The midst of some buundess rairie o upon
borders Of some impossible swamp IraVe nui:uo's e
var the mail and SPECIE must seek for great VI M
IL some safer line Of transportation For The trade OF ASA
i'll competition would be hopeless No Calculation mas osrs
r. I-ciuhts from Asia across the continent OF NORM AMERICA
he lea s65 per whilst the current egnt u1ohhG H