Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-18

the SUM- Will you refuse to open W these
highways by Which my li.,le children and
tle children Of my { ieuds may oomc into
your State, and assembling around the sa-
cred tomb at Mount Vernon, there thank
God that He ever gave to America such
man ne WasmNcroSl Great applause.
Level your mountains and fill yopr valleys,
and open highways for the nations of the
earth to walk in, that they may come to
worship at the altar Of patrioiisrn-thc grave
ofthc father Of his country. This social
influence. who can describe III 1t runs out
into all the rami6caiions ofife.
Allow me here to say, that do not feel
inclined TO frespass upon your considcrn.
'ion with cold calculations of dollars and
cents. Money is very good, very use
ful thing in its place, but IT is an insiSniii-
raht thing when compared with the higher.
noblcr, purer and more ethereal influences
az social and domestic relationships; there
fore. in regard 10 the pccuniary benefits
which will result TO you from the intro
i.uction ofihe trade and products OF the
great west into your State, will say moth
ing. ! leave that 10 your more dcliber.
ale consideration. The Imagination of
man can scarcely conceive Of the extent of
the trade or the amount of productions
that these highways Of improvement will
iring to your doors. More than a mil
lion and half Of population resides along
the line Of road extending from Richmond
10 Memphis. And who will undertake to
estimate the-yast amount Of mineral and
agricultural productions that will flow
from this region of couuIryl leave this
sfaskto men Of facts and figures. | might
occupy your attention for hours, in giving
you statistical facts on this subject. which
have come under my own personal obser
walton, but | will not trcspass upon your
patience with details Of that character.
One or two other considerations desire
10 call your attention land will conclude.
] desire 10 sec these lines of in,er-commun-
icaiion opened up. because Of their impor-
! lance TO us in pccunlary and commercial
sense. All the members Of this great union
family will participate in the benefits to be
derived from them. Men. there are, who
tell you. do not get up these lines Of com
municailop.as they will interfere with New
York. Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston,
or some other place. Now. il that was
true, it would not he an argument worthy
of consideration; because all are equally
neutrality-suspicious. in those common ben
Gifts. Let each man struggle TO develop
the resources OF his own country IN the
highest and most eminent degree; and the
result will be the full development in the
r.
country. All are members of the same
family. and if one il benefited the others
must also derive portion of the benefit
Ifyou arehappy and prosperous. some OF
that prosperity will flow out to the west,
and she in return will contribute to your
prosperity by sending you the products Of
her labors. Both parties will thus be ben
Gifted. Let us, gentlemen ofthe Convcn-
ton, have a grand, glorious contest for
commercial ascendcncy. 1t would be a
noble contest worthy ofyonr State. one in
which every man should dchgh, to parti-
cipatc.
here never was greater fullacy in the
world than the supposltion thuf rivalry be
tween different portions of The country
tends to the prejudice and injury of certain
ofthose portions. 1t is as true as If written
by the hand Of Omnipotencc, that as you
increase the avenues of trade and com
fncrce and thereby augment that trade and
commerce; as you make appeals to the ell
crgics OF communities and stimulate those
energies, the result is an increased accu-
mutation OF the products oflabor and indus
try. You may build just as many railroads
and vessels as you please; they will all
have enough TO do provided you open a.
venues to the interior of,hc country where
hy its produce can reach you. What,
gentlemen. do you suppose are the pro-
AUCTIONS Of Eastern Tennessee, a section
"ithc country which has but little commu-
nicat'on with the worldl Allow me to
inform You, by using the language Of one
her prominent statesmen, and which, al
though cannot agree with him, approx
i'naies SO near the truth, that | have not
failed to remember ii, though years have
elapsed since the conversation occurrcd:-
"What ncsccssi,y is there for railroads in
eastern Tennessee 7" said he-"thc whole
commercial products Of that region ar,
dried apples and swce, cider" Laughter.
could not fall out with my critical friend,
because knew that his statement came
pretty near the truth. And what was the
occasion OF this twas because she had
no communication with the world. She is
not deficient ~ resources. | have been
through nearly every State in the Union,
and have never yet seen an area of coun-
iryot thes extent more capable ofycld-
ing large products than east Tenn csscc.-
Her mines are incxhaustablc her valleys
nre as fertile as those of the Nile, and her
climate is as salubrious as can be desired
You ask why then has she no productions
Because nature has surrounded her with
bars that prevent free transit of those
productions to the adiaccn, country. and
the energy, enterprise and industry of her
citizens are thereby inpcdcd Open for
that region of country highway; give its
cif'zens an outlet-a market for their pro-
ducts, and iron and minerals aud bread
stutfs Of every kind, tobacco, hemp, cot.
ION. and all the other Southern products
will flow through the outlet in almost IN
exhaustablc quantities. SO will it be with
western Virginia. Your tceming. bn, as
Yet almost untitled west. appeals to you for
these highways. and through their medium
your storchouses will be filled with rich
treasures.
ask you. gentlemen. to aid in the construction
Of these works Of internal Improvement. not onl,
from considerations of personal interest. but in
view of your obligations to society. in view cf the
duties YOU awe To each other to and mine.
I,isyour duty develop the your coun-
Try, aud thereby augment the great aggregate of hui
man happiness and prosperity. Sometimes We are
told that these schemes Of Improvement are too
"scn'hcent-tiey arc visionary. ] regret to say
that IN my own country l. have met with men who
have said that they Eel, particular interest in this
n'st,cr; they were very independent, and happy and
fully contcnted with things as they then existed;