The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-14
AMERICAN HOTEL, March, 81, 1852.

VIM o. GooDE, EsQ-Dear Sir: Your favor
of the 25th instant was received, and | am
highly gratifed to find you to take an interest
in subject which deem of so great Importance
to the community at large. / therefore cheer
fully comply with your request, promising only
that have not leisure to treat the subject as
it deserves, but will endeavor TO present the
views to which you especially call my attention.
have heretofore frequently expressed in va
rious publications, my opinions on the abuses
of the present railway system, and pointed out
great errors; and / have also adverted to Il
evil consequences which must necessarily fol.
low, from the absorption Of nil the floating
capital Of the world in enterprises which create
neither food, nor clothing, manufactures, nor
agricultural products, the only true supporters
of human life,-but whose sole and Only end
is to transport persons and things from one
point to another with greater facility than can
be otherwise done. No one can claim for rail.
roads more than this
The legitimate object Of all public enterprises
founded on taxation, directly or indirectly, should
be the promotion of the comfort and happiness
of communities. When they do not do this,
they become public wrongs. and, as such, should
if possible, be prohibited. Railways in Virginia
are, to a great extent founded on taxation; for
here the State is generally required to take
portion of the stock of every projected road
and when she does so, she indirectly compels Il
large class OF her citizens to contribute their aid
to the building of these works, although they
may be opposed to them on the ground that the
outlay is not necessary, and cannot prove re-
munerative. Still by the imposition of taxes,
under Legislative enactments, they are forced to
do So
Such being the arbitrary manner in which
these works are constructed, does not simple
justice demand most careful examination Of
the whole subject with a view to ascertain
whether their promised benefits are real or fall
| lacious! This | think has not been done.
cannot agree in opinion with those who assert
that railroad from its inception necessarily
carries with it an increase of agricultural pro-
auctions along its projected line for it abstracts
labor from agriculture to make the road, and to
that extent must diminish productions.
| Nor can | believe that railroad does ipso
fdcto in all cases give an increased market value
to the lands through which 1t passes. Other
elements must combine to produce this effect,
as | have before shown, by pointing out many
counties through which railroads pass, where
the natural causes of decline have never for n
moment been arrested by their construction.
These propositions being true, there is moth
ing wonderful about railways---nothing in them
which should run communities mad to make
them. Except in fancy, they can in point of
wealth never be likened to Aladdin's lamp, or
to the philosophers stone. But they are mere
every day enterprises, to be judged of, examined
into and decided upon by the ordinary principles
of Prudence foresight and proper economy.
In this view, it is not necessary that all rail
roads should be built alike, with the same super
structure, the same machinery, the same APP
Proclamation TO level lines, whether for much
business or little business, whether for sparsely
settled communities, or the most denssly -popu-
lated--and the Legislature which sanctions such
system, commits as great an absurity as it
would do, were it to require every planter to
build his barn of the same size, and also pre-
scribe uniform size for all the wagons in the
country.
| 1t does not follow, because railroads may be
advantageous in particular localities, that there
fore, they should be built everywhere. Their
construction must depend on the ability of the
community to make them. Prudence. economy,
and common sense, alike sanction this view.
! The history of the railway system in Eng
land, the spirit Of gambling il there engendered,