Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-03-03


lIison of the court In the Wheeling Bridge
| Case, over the SIGNATURE of X. Y. 2. u
Am not a little surprised that such an ar
ticle Should be put forth from this portion
Of the State.
The author says:
80 In common with the citizens of this
portion ofthe State, generally, 4 have ia
ken great interest in the case recently pen
ding in the Supreme Court of the United
States. Involving the permaneney of the
tgreat Suspension Bridge across the Ohio
lat the city Of Wheeling. Now, as to
i the interest N.Y.. has taken, Ilknow
nothing OF; but he certainly is in error
when he says the people in this section
have taken interest in that case. I'm my
lopinion, the people in this section have
taken but eery haIe interest ini or cared
but very little about the case we, as a
people, in common with people every
where, regret that such grand structure
has been decreed by the court tobe nui-
sance, but looking impartially into all the
circumstances we are forced to say, us
RIGHT. ylris,rsg * bns .1ciI IosG
III am correctly informed, the bridge
company was cautioned against the very
state of things that has been brought
about, or that now exists; but regardless
of consequences. they took the whole
thing into their own hands and completed
the bridge, expecting, no doubt, to sue
coed in any action that might be brought
against them, as the city OF. Wheeling has
always done in every thing of public
nature she has ever undertaken, and she
L. 1.lRl.. al,
or loss falls. Look at the course of the
city of Wheeling upon the question of the
Right of Way of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Look at the great expense to
which she has put that company Look
also at the great injustice she has done
this section of the State. She has ever
been opposed to US, and suppose she ev-
er will be and then for X. Y. 2. to say
zee feel great interest for her, is going en-
tirely too far. The people of Wheeling
are too selfish to have the sympathies of
the people anywhere, much less this part
of Northwestern Virginia.
/ 1t has been well said that "she has not
a single idea beyond her own corporate
boundaries. Ii she wants sympathy, she
had better dispatch an agent to Russia,
las she always aids the wrong, )-she
canot set it here. We have patiently
borne the injuries and wrongs she has
done us. She must now bear those
brought about BY her own acts. total
ly disagree with Y. Y. u. in Che opinion
that the interests of the public at large is
affected by the decision Of the court
Suffer this bridge to stand at its present
elevation, (Which X. Y. Z. does not say is
sufficient, and how soon may the great
Ohio River be rendered almost impassa-
Bile, for, if this structure stands too low,
what is to prevent bridges from being
erected little lower, and others still low
er. This bridge has been declared to be
too low by 10 feet. and consequently, it
is illegal. Now this 10 feet in the eye of
the law, is just as illegal as go or even 40
feet would be.
Garry out this principle, and how soon
would the Ohio river be totally obstruct-
ed l am free to say that this decision
operates hard on the city of Wheeling,
bat she must bear it, especially as it is
brought on her by her own imprudence.
Let a similar obstruction be thrown
across the Ohio below Wheeling as this
is below Pittsburg, and you will see her
=
. Because il would be to her interest to do
SO: If this reasoning be good, (and l
think il is. hope X. Y. H. will have the
difficulty or impossibility misunderstanding
or approaching the process of reasoning
by which the court was brought to It's
conclusions, removed from his mind.
/ X, Y, q. says, (and indeed truly, tha!
4" the people of Virginia, especially OF
Northwestern Virginia. are law loving
and a law abiding people," but is he with
the people on that subject? Hear what
he says:
q" Are we, in this country, and in this
enlightened age. to witness the demolition
of this great work, in order that the ieal-
Ousies and heart-burnings of certain rival
interests in the city of Pittsburg, which
have Witnessed the rapid strides made by
Wheeling in the path to wealth and great
ness with so ilI-conceded dissatisfaction,
may be gratifed and appeased? Must
this noble structure, combining the useful
and the beautiful in so eminent degree
as justly to entitle it to be considered the
pride and ornament of the State as well
as of the city of Wheeling, be RACED to its
foundation for reasons which apart from
the rigid rules of the law of nuisance as
expounded by the court in their decision
in this case, would seem to be campara-
lively so trivial and so inadequate? Sure
ly this ought not to be. The spirit of the
age in which we live, a proper apprecia-
ton of what is due to private enterprise
and just regard to the great and mpor-
tAnt public interests involved, all concur
to forbid it,
Does he not invite resistance ofthe law?
Does he not also cast an unbecoming re-
Election on the court? For, If it is as he
says, that the decision has been broueh.
about "a nnnnncn The hoo ~ L,,rr,;,,...O E